Dual Focus on Study and Practice

Richard with his wife, mother, and elder sister

In Face of Learning Difficulties

　　During the first semester of my studies at HKBTS, I struggled with doubts like: Do I have to understand the formation of the Christian Bible? Why do I have to know so much about the development of Christian doctrines? Moreover, because I was not used to reading lengthy and difficult materials and, as a beginner, was still developing my academic writing skills, when I was faced with difficult readings and assignments which felt like they were beyond my comprehension, I said to myself, “Well, I’ll just try my best!”

　　However, the initial difficulties that I faced went beyond these challenges. During that time, my wife was sick and I was worried that I would be torn between looking after my family and pursuing my studies; what was more, I had to start my internship during the second semester. Seeing that I was still unable to strike a balance among the needs of the family, my learning, and my service, I contemplated the idea of deferring my graduation. During my struggle, God made me notice my great expectations based on a “dual focus on study and ministry” and my dislike of feeling trapped between things I care about. Finally, I gathered my courage to make a decision to slow down my learning so that I could adapt to the situation and digest what I have learned. Thank God, I became humbler and had more time to enjoy myself in the ocean of learning.

Dual Focus on Study and Practice

　　At the Hong Kong Bible Conference in 2016, God inspired me to join evangelical training courses at the Hong Kong Christian Short Term Mission Training Centre. Ever since then, He has been calling me to take on the burden of gospel work and I, therefore, always commit myself to evangelical ministries. Even when I had become a theology student, I was still committed to this calling and kept thinking and learning in a “gospel-focused” orientation. Whenever I studied a subject, I was firmly determined to find out what would be helpful to my dialogues with atheists, pagans, and faith seekers, eagerly hoping that I could spread the truth of Jesus Christ’s gospel more accurately. I thanked God for letting me benefit a lot from my study. My knowledge was enriched and my passion for evangelism kept growing.

　　All along, I had been thinking highly of practical theology, believing that this could better equip me with the required “skills” for my future service as a pastor. Later, God gave me a more proper understanding of theology. I gradually agreed with the views of some theologians: all types of theology are practical in terms of spirit and goals. Thank God for broadening my horizons by inspiring me to give more weight to integrating practical theology with other disciplines, rather than placing emphasis on practical theology alone: I began to continually reflect upon theology in my practical services; I pondered upon how to put my faith into application properly while taking in theological knowledge.

A Teachable Heart

　　During my internship the following year, my supervising pastor invited me to join the children’s ministry. I found it uneasy right away, thinking that I was neither suitable nor experienced for the service. Thank God, a sister in my mother church who was experienced in this field reminded me, “Just treat the kids with a true heart!” I did so accordingly. Gradually, my service progressed from that with a reluctant heart to one with longing and passion. Finally, I even became friends with the children. At this time, I realized God wanted me to understand that children are also a part of the church, which I should not neglect.

　　When I tried to apply the various kinds of knowledge I acquired to the area of pastoring, God taught me that I should spend more time actively listening to the stories of different people because God sees everyone as precious, be they members of the church, drifting believers, or faith seekers. On the other hand, William Willimon points out that a pastor has a wide range of roles but I have found that it is by no means easy to identify when to play a particular role. Moreover, Thomas Long discusses the different roles of a preacher, and the relationship between what we preach and the congregation, which is inspiring to me.

　　When I tried to apply what I have learned in different internship scenarios, bit by bit and step by step, God made me realize that I must ask myself two questions every time I prepare for a ministry or have a chance to have fellowship with others: for what? And for whom?

Reflections before Graduation

　　At the Senior Integrative Colloquium, I and my partner, Kung Ying-ying, conducted research on an issue in which I was strongly interested: marketplace evangelism. Thanks to the guidance of Dr. Eric Kwong, we visited three churches and three Christian organizations and learned from several senior pastors some essentials of leadership. They have also broadened our vision of the Heavenly Kingdom. In addition to the perspectives on work, we have also engaged in deeper thoughts on discipleship and ecclesiology.

　　A year prior to graduation, I began to find my ministry direction but I remained confused at that time. I was grateful that our Chaplain Rev. Brian Lam walked with me and gave me pertinent opinions. What made me more thankful to God was that I had learned how to discern His will in a faith community and experienced spiritual discipline before graduation, which was indeed so precious. I hope that I will have the chance to share this experience with members of the churches so that we can build up each other.

　　Looking back at the past few years spent in the boundless ocean of learning, I have to thank my wife, my mother, and my elder sister for their selfless love in support of my theological training. I also owe my sincere gratitude to the HKBTS teachers for their nurturing and to the seminary staff and my fellow students for their support and care. I hope I will make every effort to be a faithful servant of the Triune God. May all glory and praise be given to Him!