Signs of God’s Grace: Stories of HKBTS’s Campus Extension

The growth and development of the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary (HKBTS) has been attested by God’s grace, which allows us to experience deeply God’s wonderful and true guidance.

It All Started with a Beautiful Deed

In early 2009, soon after I assumed presidency, a Christian who loves HKBTS promised to donate a considerable sum of money for the construction of a new building on our Sai O Campus. As the seminary was faced with many difficulties at that time, the priority of implementing a campus extension project was not high and the project was therefore put on hold. Meanwhile, I devoted most of my attention and efforts to the rebuilding of the seminary’s team by nurturing the teachers, students and staff and increasing the synergy between them. Moved by God, I was inspired by the Holy Spirit to make more visits to alumni and donors, in the hope of reconnecting one another on the basis of mutual trust and thanking them for walking with us in the past.

As a result, I made a number of visits. On one such visit, the donor told me I need not visit her anymore as she was too old to be able to make further donation to HKBTS. But why should that matter to me? I continued to visit her on her sickbed, just out of gratitude and care. To our total surprise, the seminary received a substantial donation in her will after she had passed away! After this incident, I realized that God had never turned His eyes from the replanting needs of our seminary. This unexpected and beautiful deed has become a significant sign of God’s presence with HKBTS.

Be God’s Good Steward

On another occasion, a couple approached me proactively with care and made a donation to the seminary. They told me that they could only donate $100,000 to the seminary as they did not have much spare cash. Understanding that it was their donation of love, just like what the “poor widow” in the gospels made (Mk 12:41-44; Lk 21:1-4), I invited them to come to our seminary so that I could receive the cheque from them in front of all the teachers and students, witnessing the couple’s faith and love toward God and making the teachers and students understand that we should be thankful all the time and always be ready to be God’s good stewards who use every dollar and cent wisely. Only by doing so will we not fail the donors who saved money in order to give so generously.

Later, while looking for someone to be the director of a foundation, I came to know a veteran accountant, who is a partner of one of the Big Four accounting firms in Hong Kong. During conversations with him, I unofficially learned some financial concepts from him, understanding that we have to let people know that the seminary is cautious and responsible in managing its finance before people can make donations willingly. This valuable lesson learned has become an important concept of financial management for me to guide our colleagues in the use of money and other resources.

On its path of growth, the seminary has encountered hurdles at times. In 2016, someone mentioned some trouble from the past, giving others the wrong conception that the problem still existed at the seminary. The incident has dealt blows to the seminary in one way or another. Despite this, we continued to follow God closely and fought against all odds to move forward steadily. In those years, HKBTS cultivated intensively to implement the edification of theological education in a practical way. With planting and watering going on day by day, the seminary gradually grew in the hands of God. In recent years, the theological education and academic research of HKBTS has even gained recognition from various non-Baptist churches and academic bodies, which has gone beyond our expectation indeed.

Steady Growth with Campus Extension

With the ongoing growth of the seminary, there was a need to open up more campus space for future development. The need was recognized by the Board of Directors, hence its establishment of the Working Group on Property Purchase in mid-2014 to negotiate matters concerning the purchase of village houses in the Sai O area on the seminary’s behalf. At that time, several directors and I made site visits to a few village houses for sale under the scorching sun, only to find that they all failed to meet our needs. What made matters worse was that the government had just introduced the so-called “Double Stamp Duty,” which greatly increased the cost of purchasing properties. The seminary’s plan of purchasing village houses was hence shelved.

After a number of cautious considerations, we finally came to a consensus that constructing a new building on the Sai O Campus would be the best way out as it would facilitate both the re-planning of land use and the future administrative and security management at the same time. In early 2016, the Board of Directors agreed on the implementation of the Extension Project of the Sai O Campus (Phase 3) and simultaneously set up the Campus Development Committee and its Building Committee to assist the seminary’s gradual implementation of the plan for the construction of the new academic building.

Navigated by God and Followed by All

Right at the initial stage of the Campus Extension Project, we experienced the wonderful guidance of God together. At that time, the seminary applied to the Lands Department for the addition of a building area of 8,000 sq. ft. for the Sai O Campus. The first premium the Department quoted to us was HK$37.97 million. All the committee members considered the amount too high as compared with the market price for an equivalent area for the same purpose. It was therefore unanimously decided that the seminary should appeal to the Lands Department, demanding a re-assessment of the land premium.

At that time, bearing in mind that every cent required by the extension project was a dedication of love from the brothers and sisters in Christ, I firmly believed that the seminary must not take a weak stand on the premium issue. The seminary would rather withdraw the extension project if the premium could not be reduced to a reasonable level.

After a number of serious efforts, the seminary submitted plenty of documents to the Lands Department, together with sufficient rationale. As a result, the premium was significantly reduced to HK$16.57 million and finally we managed to complete the deal at an even lower amount of premium, i.e. HK$15.91 million. This amazing experience has enabled us to declare firmly with faith again: God is the only Lord of HKBTS. The whole campus extension project must be navigated by the Lord and on our part, we had to follow Him closely in His will.

Closely following was the work of designing the floor plans of various stories in the new academic building. Members of the Building Committee contributed their expertise again. Meetings were held in a happy atmosphere, and everyone enjoyed the interactive exchange of ideas around the meeting table. There were neither arguments nor wasted time and energy. Everyone was dedicating their own efforts wholeheartedly for the greatest benefit of the seminary and for the prospect of theological education. Amazingly, everyone experienced unity in the fellowship despite the hard work; we appreciated and complemented one another, testing and approving what God’s will was.

Unchanged Mission amid Turbulent Changes

While the campus extension works were progressing step by step, Hong Kong encountered earthshaking changes, which made me ponder again if we should proceed with the huge construction project: fellow believers might have financial difficulties; besides, as different people might have different perspectives toward the future of Hong Kong, would the churches in Hong Kong still support HKBTS’s theological education ministry? After praying earnestly to seek God’s will, I firmly believed HKBTS must continue to keep its roots in Hong Kong, carrying forward the mission held by its Baptist predecessors to provide theological education and forging ahead into the future to preach the gospel and train up the servants of the Heavenly Kingdom.

With such determination, we marched forward steadfastly, braving winds and waves by the grace of God. Again, God let us experience His wonderful deeds on the issue of raising funds for the campus extension project.

More Beautiful and Touching Stories

I happened to know a lady believer who had at that time recently joined a Baptist church after leaving a local church with a different background. We met each other as we had the opportunity to worship together. When she learned that HKBTS’s campus extension works were in progress, she took the initiative to make donations well before any large-scale fundraising event had commenced for the project. To date, she has donated over HK$3.4 million for the campus extension project.

In mid-March this year, I went for a follow-up visit to a clinic at the appointed time. The cardiologist I visited had donated HK$1.1 million for the project in response to our call for donations. On that visit, I meant to thank him for his offering as well. To my surprise, he offered to donate an additional HK$2 million after asking me if there was still need for funds for the extension project. What a wonderful sign of God’s grace to us! He had donated a considerable sum for the campus extension already. It was simply logical not to expect any further offering from him under the current circumstances in Hong Kong today. But he donated even more than the previous time!

Since the commencement of the construction works for the new academic building, two members of the Building Committee, Deacon John Pak and Mr. Sam Chan, have been entrusted by the seminary to be the on-site supervisors, overseeing the contractors’ work according to our plans and schedules. They spared no effort in contributing their own time and expertise. Feeling indebted to them, we meant to give them a token of thanks by means of an insignificant amount of honorarium, but when we were about to do so, we received a cheque of HK$1 million offered by Deacon Pak instead!

In mid-June, while I was having a meal with a couple whom I had not met for a while, they gave me a cheque of HK$1 million as offering for the campus extension project. I know there are still many brothers and sisters who have given offerings of love, ranging from hundreds or thousands of dollars to millions, just because they were moved by God, they had a calling to support theological education, they loved and cared for HKBTS or because of the encouragement of church pastors and deacons. Regardless of the amount, their selfless offerings to HKBTS in fact stood for their love for God and a vote of confidence to the theological education ministry of our seminary. There are many more beautiful stories like these, which cannot be detailed here. I hope there is a chance to share their stories in greater detail in future.

As a scholar and pastor, I do not know how to raise funds or how to carry out the campus extension works. There are too many things that I am neither experienced nor talented enough to handle. However, God has moved his faithful believers to help the seminary, fulfilling one after another beautiful deed in this place where servants of the Heavenly Kingdom are nurtured. By recounting these touching and beautiful stories, we are able to see God’s blessing for HKBTS’s campus extension project through the Christians in various churches—and their response of faith to God’s calling. All these are imprinted in our hearts so deeply that we thank and praise God from the bottom of our hearts.

Stories Engraved on HKBTS History

As of this moment, when the article is being written, the amount of offerings received by the seminary for the campus extension project has reached approximately HK$27 million. Although this is well below our fundraising target of HK$70 million, I am fully confident that God will take us forward step by step.

I remember writing down a Bible verse while I was waiting to see the cardiologist: “And they exceeded our expectations: they gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us” (2 Cor 8:5). I hope that all the donors will pray to God first, deciding to offer themselves, and then willingly respond to God’s calling with concrete actions according to the faith and abilities apportioned to them by God, and reveal their will toward God with their offerings in today’s Hong Kong.

Afterward, I encouraged the donors to have their names engraved on the history of HKBTS firmly and confidently as memorable signs there: whether their names are to be engraved on the structure of the new academic building or in the “Donors Report” in our Newsletter, so that their good testimonies and examples will become beautiful clouds surrounding HKBTS.

On May 20, a simple but solemn Topping-out Ceremony for the New Academic Building was held. The ceremony was organized by two voluntary staff members, who had been a principal and a deputy principal in secondary schools before retirement. The ceremony was successfully and smoothly held, with everyone praying to God with a thankful heart. Our prayer was that God would help HKBTS excel in theological thought and practice, bringing blessing to the Church and guiding fellow believers to put their faith into practice together and share the goodness of faith, hope and love.

Every time when I think of the brothers and sisters who support HKBTS and make offerings to the seminary, I am so deeply moved that I would like to keep a record of all these beautiful stories. I earnestly hope that your willingness to help and support theological education will also be engraved in the stories of HKBTS.

Aug 2021