The Revd Mark Nam was recognised in the Positive Role Model Award: Race, religion and faith category at the National Diversity Awards ceremony held in Liverpool Cathedral on Friday.
Mark, who is vicar at St John the Evangelist Church, received the award for his work founding the Teahouse network, raising the profile and participation of British Chinese Christians and clergy. He was presented with his honour by footballer Chris Kamara at the ceremony hosted by TV presenter Clare Balding. He was among more than 85,000 nominees and 126 finalists in 15 categories.
In his acceptance speech, Mark spoke of the significance of Liverpool in his story, as the city where his grandparents first arrived in Britian to build a new life and also as home to the oldest China Town in Europe.
He continued: “I said, if I ever made it to this platform, I would not just carry my own story, but theirs — and the stories of many other migrants — into this sacred space. Because really, this award belongs to everybody who has gone before us, laying paths and making sacrifices so that we can stand here and be counted.
“And so whilst I am deeply honoured to be standing here tonight, this award is for every person who has felt unseen, for every migrant family whose story is still being written, and for every community working for inclusion and justice.”
Mark has served as the Minority Ethnic Vocations Champion for the Diocese of Bristol and is a mentor for UKME and GMH clergy in The Church of England. Chinese-heritage clergy like Mark represent just 0.02% of stipendiary clergy in the Church of England. As a trail-blazer and role model, Mark challenges two cultural stereotypes, namely: a) what a typical English parish priest might look like; and b) what a Chinese-heritage person might aspire to be.
In addition to his parochial responsibilities, Mark is a trustee for SPCK Publishing, and the Li Tim-Oi Foundation which provides grants to women in the Majority World to access theological training. Mark is a chaplain to the Asian Christianity MA students at CMS (Church Mission Society) and a trustee for CARG (Campaign Against Racism Group) who work with the Government to combat hate-crime against East and South-East Asian ("ESEA") communities.
Mark has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of issues affecting the ESEA communities in the UK. Each year on 11 November at 11am, he is invited to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in London in honour of the 120,000 Chinese Labour Corps who served Britain during the First World War — yet who remain largely unrecognised and without a formal memorial.
In 2023, Mark received the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth award for his “outstanding contribution to raising the profile and participation of Chinese-heritage clergy and communities in the Church of England and commitment to serving the overseas Chinese diaspora, particularly those settling in the United Kingdom from Hong Kong".
In concluding his speech, Mark said: “May this recognition give us all renewed courage to keep building a world where everyone belongs.”
Find out more about the diocese's UKME Chapter where Mark serves as Associate Dean.