Why did you enter full time ministry?
In 2010, when I was preparing to enter graduate school to receive professional training related to radiation therapy, God put a very clear idea into my mind, and I was sure that it was God calling me to enter full-time ministry. He said to me: "The path you are going now, you will regret in the future. Now, I will lead you to walk a path that you will never regret!" Because of God's calling, I began to seriously consider whether to enter full-time ministry work or not. After months of seeking and praying, the call to prepare myself for ministry became clearer. God also made a way for me to enter seminary and be equipped. Looking back now, I know that God was really patient and He took a long time to prepare me to answer this call, which included using my wife to pray for me persistently. At a special church meeting in 2005, the speaker challenged the wives to pray for their husbands, encouraging them to cry out to God, "Lord, use my husband." My wife was deeply moved and began to pray for me. After five years of prayer, God responded to her call and changed my mind in an instant, making me willing to let go of everything and walk the path of service.
Why do you feel called to this church, at this time, and how do you plan to help SCCEFC?
After entering SCCEFC, I feel more and more that our Church, especially the mandarin congregation, is a God-loving group specially prepared by God for me, so that I can serve and grow together with them. The brothers and sisters in the mandarin congregation share many similar life experiences as me. Most of the people in the congregation, like me, have experienced the hardships of settling their lives in a foreign country, the reversal of faith from atheism to believing in God, and struggle to break our old self and rebuild. These similar experiences made me cherish the group of fellow believers that God placed around me, and also inspired me to continue learning how to use life to influence life, to strive to make myself a blessing to others, and to learn how to encourage brothers and sisters to live in God. Also to take root in the word of God, commit to Christianity, participate in service enthusiastically, treat each other with kindness, and move forward hand in hand and heart to heart with the congregation.
What is your vision of the future for SCCEFC? Where would you like to take our church family?
My prayer before the Lord is to ask Him to be gracious to our church, and to build us into a Godly group that loves the Bible, is faithful, serves enthusiastically, loves each other sincerely, preaches the gospel bravely, and can glorify God and bless the society.
Credentials!
As an architect, I worked hard in the industry for nearly ten years. I also worked part-time in a Chinese restaurant, as a waiter, and a food delivery. Later, I re-entered school to major in biology, determined to become an expert in treating cancer. However, I was called by God to enter a seminary belonging to the Southern Baptist Church in Kansas City, USA, to receive theological training and obtain a master's degree in divinity. While studying in the seminary, I served in a local Chinese church, and also had the opportunity to lead college student fellowships on different university campuses. In 2005, I joined SCCEFC and began to serve full-time. I am one of the pastors of the Mandarin congregation.
What are you interests outside of pastoring?
I enjoy biking, skiing, playing the guitar, gardening, and enjoying camping in the mountains with my family every summer. I will choose travelling with my family when we have the time. The places I want to go most are Israel and Turkey. Of course, traveling in Canada is also a good option. A few years ago, I fell in love with reading classic literary masterpieces, and would read a bit every night before going to bed. In the past few years, I have read many excellent works by famous authors. Among them, Dostoevsky is my favorite writer. I enjoy all of his works beyond measures.