A Familiar Community
An Interview with Rev. Ip King-tak
Ip King-tak, an alumnus of the seminary, is an honorary supervisor for students’ field education of the seminary. Dr. Ip, having already served the Lord for over 20 years, came back to the seminary to be the speaker for our academic forum in March. In 1984, when about to finish his Master of Divinity degree in the seminary, Dr. Ip began to do liaison work at the Chaplain’s Office of Hong Kong Baptist College. Three years later, he applied for leave in order to study for a Master in Theology degree in the United States. After graduation, he went to pursue his Ph.D. study in the United Kingdom. He never dreamed that, after having received his doctorate degree, he would return as a faculty member at Baptist College. Even more unexpected was, after having successfully taught for over 10 years, Dr. Ip felt God leading him back to the Chaplain’s Office last year as chaplain. Dr. Ip has met with challenges that he had never encountered before.
Repeatedly found himself in a familiar university
“After having finished studying ethics in the United Kingdom in 1992, I was again employed by Hong Kong Baptist University (the former Baptist College). I started to teach at the Department of Religion and Philosophy. Even though I mainly taught subjects in ethics, I also taught courses like “Introduction to Philosophy,” “Chinese Culture and Christianity,” “Introduction to Christianity,” “Chinese Folk Religions” and so on. On a university campus, the main concern inside the classroom is academic pursuits, not preaching the gospel. But sometimes when some issues relating to faith and religion are discussed, we are able to talk about religious beliefs. I would always seize the opportunity to talk to students interested in knowing more about Christianity and encourage them to pursue their interest further by joining church meetings. During my days as a lecturer, besides students of my department, I was able to get in touch with students from other departments when I taught classes in general education. Some students thought that studying religion and philosophy in general education classes was a waste of time. Later when they started to work in society, some would come to understand the merits of this subject. Feedback from graduates can be gratifying to teachers!”
It seems that God intends to bring Ip King-tak and Baptist University together. In retrospect, we see how Dr. Ip has been led step by step by God after receiving God’s call. It was in Form Seven, he studied history at Hong Kong Baptist College. After graduation, he taught in the matriculation program at the college. Then he began studying theology at Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary. After that, when he started to serve the Lord, he remained connected with Baptist University. He was aware of how Baptist University, so familiar to him, was constantly changing. In God’s mind, what was He designing for Ip’s life?
Accumulated pastoral experience outside the university
“The university is a vast ocean. It shows you things at many different levels. But what can be seen is still limited. In retrospect, as I look back at the road I have traveled, I find that, on the one hand, God has allowed me to stay in the university; on the other hand, he has also let me extend my ministry beyond the university. In the past, God gave me opportunities to serve in different churches. I preached sermons, taught Sunday school, delivered talks on special topics and served as an adviser in a Christian fellowship for workers. Also, since 1995, I have worked as an adviser for Onesiphorus Church. At first, the church did not have a pastor. Besides leading the Sunday worship and helping in the deacons’ meeting, I also needed to plan the direction of the church and handle the administration work. For ten years, God led me to serve the sisters and brothers at Onesiphorus Church. Three years ago, I was ordained pastor by that church. Now the church has additional ministers, making my workload considerably lighter. Now I only preach and help serve the Eucharist.”
Rev. Ip was elected Chairman of the Faculty and Staff Christian Fellowship of Baptist University between 1993 and 1995. In the following ten years, he was active in the ministry among staff members. Now he devotes his energy to church ministries. But the God who led him to serve in the Chaplain’s Office and to be the Chairman of the Faculty and Staff Christian Fellowship, is also the God who led him to work in the same university for over ten years and to accumulate pastoral experience at the same time. In fact, God had been preparing him all along to start on a new path in ministry.
Returned to the Chaplain’s Office after some 20 years
“After Rev. Kong Chun-fat had left, the post of Chaplain was vacated for more than six months. During that period of time, I came to feel that I should go back – back to the Chaplain’s Office. I think I have a role to play in gathering the strength of the Christian faculty and students and making our impact felt on the campus. I was not surprised last July that God led me to take up the post of Chaplain. Little did I know that God was leading me to face the greatest challenge in my ministry.”
“After Baptist University was incorporated into the Government system, the Christian atmosphere in Baptist University began to change. I hope that as its Chaplain, I can gather strength from the Christian faculty and staff members, as well as from Christian students, encouraging them to take a more active part in campus affairs and find new ways to manifest their Christian witness.”
Rev. Ip has by no means given up teaching completely. He continues to teach in the Department of Religion and Philosophy. He currently teaches a course entitled Marriage and Family Ethics. He feels that a Chaplain who is both a pastor and a scholar can better fit in with the overall university’s ethos.
As a pastor and caregiver, he prays that God will grant him patience to understand what people think and also what the objective facts are. He prays that he can maintain independent thinking and that what he thinks, says and does will be monitored by his Christian faith. When dilemma arises, he still aims to maintain a pastor’s character and principles.
Having been away from Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary for more than 20 years, he is no longer a young man, yet he feels that God still let him embrace the “courage” he had as a young man. The difference is that after the tempering of years of ministry and accumulation of experience, God has given him “wisdom” to face different situations.
Feeling his way forward in the new post
“I have to thank my wife for walking hand in hand with me. I also cherish the mutual support from my co-workers. They are very important to me. Today I am still feeling my way forward in my new post. I pray that God will help me reflect on the direction of the Chaplain’s ministry and make appropriate adjustments.
“Baptist University will open a secondary school, a primary school and an international college offering sub-degree programs in Shek Mun, Shatin. The Chaplain’s Office needs to start a ministry there. Moreover, there are more scholars and students coming from the Mainland. There is also a ministry in the hostels. In fact there are many more ministries to be explored and new challenges to face. The University has set up a fund for the Christian ministry on campus. Although it provides part of the fund for the Chaplain’s Office, we are financially independent and still have to raise more than two million dollars each year. I have to learn to depend more on God’s provision and to allocate manpower and resources appropriately as we seek to expand our ministry.”
God has led Rev. Ip to be a student, a staff and a faculty member at the Hong Kong Baptist University. And now he has become the University’s Chaplain. Today, God instructs him to pastor this community and serve it. We believe that God’s gracious blessings will continue to be showered on this community which He knows and loves so well.
