The Reciprocal Relationship of HKBTS and Churches
Interviewee: Prof. Ir. Steve Wong
Prof. Ir. Steve Wong grew up in the church. He has been attending and serving at the Diamond Hill Baptist Church and the Tai Kok Tsui Baptist Church respectively for the past 50 years. In addition to his ministries at the church, Prof. Ir. Wong also actively volunteers to work for school sponsoring bodies, building and managing schools locally and overseas in the hope of bringing up students through education while spreading the gospel. Prof. Ir. Wong works in construction consulting and environmental protection industries. He established his own company which has developed into an international enterprise. Prof. Ir. Wong and his wife are parents to three children, all of whom are Christians.
Prof. Ir. Wong joined the President’s Council in 1999; there has been a hiatus period, but later on the new President Dr. Joshua Cho invited Prof. Ir. Wong to return to the President’s Council.
Churches and Seminaries Are Interdependent
Prof. Ir. Wong believes that the lives of church believers are shaped by the guidance and life example of pastors, and a seminary is exactly the cradle to foster and enlighten pastors. Pastors who have built solid foundations at the seminary are instrumental in pastoring churches; when churches are thereby thriving, believers should in turn support the seminary to continue nurturing great pastors; this is a virtuous cycle. Prof. Ir. Wong believes that in this cycle, HKBTS holds a vital role that concerns the entire Baptist community; therefore, being able to help the president develop the seminary and nurture God’s servants to better shepherd churches in the last days of this ever-changing world, he finds to be meaningful and regards it as an honor given to him by God. He points out that all Baptists must support the seminary wholeheartedly in order for it to serve its purpose. If the seminary has to fight the battle on its own, its chance of winning will be halved.
One of the things that impressed Prof. Ir. Wong during his ministry in the President’s Council is the example set by Dr. Cecil Chan. Even though Dr. Chan is now retired, he insists on serving as long as he is healthy. His humility, faithfulness and persistence in ministry make him a role model for us Baptists. With his actions, he let the seminary know that it is not alone. Prof. Ir. Wong points out that the more the Baptists support the seminary in action, the more thriving the seminary will be; and the ministers and pastors nurtured in the seminary will be of better quality; having them become church leaders will further help the church grow. This is an interlinked chain; any broken link would cause the chain to fall apart. He hopes that Baptist churches and believers will continue supporting HKBTS and not let the chain break.
United Against the Sewage Pumping Station Reveals the Baptist Spirit
Prof. Ir. Wong recalls the government’s plan to build a sewage pumping station close to the seminary as another event that impressed him. This decision of the government could have a far-reaching impact on the seminary. He has also been helping the seminary in handling this issue, hoping that working together as a team, they could persuade the government to change the plan. He finds that everyone (including members of the President’s Council and other brothers and sisters in Christ) are united and very involved. President Cho on many occasions calls a meeting at 7.30 am, and because of his charisma, everyone attended punctually and offered precious advice while discussing with humility how to help the seminary solve the problem in joint efforts. Prof. Ir. Wong said he was contented to be able to be a part of it.
Promoting Ecological Theology
Prof. Ir. Wong lauded HKBTS’ dedication in environmental protection as he heard that HKBTS is the first seminary in Hong Kong that promotes ecological theology. He also heard about Dr. Cho’s speech on this topic at the graduation ceremony. Prof. Ir. Wong hopes to offer his help in leading and developing ecological theology at HKBTS, so that brothers and sisters at church, entrepreneurs and industrialists would pay more attention on such topics as environmental protection and recycling.
Last but not least, Prof. Ir. Wong expects the President’s Council to remain humble, and keep the president informed of all the latest developments and trends across all disciplines, so that he may have a more broad and solid foundation from which to build the directions and strategies for the development of the seminary.