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Chinese Baptists enrich next-gen ministry


LONG BEACH, Calif. (BP) — The Chinese Baptist fellowship added a next-generation ministry leader to its executive team at its 20th biennial conference, enriching ministry to second- and third-generation Chinese Americans.

William Eng, who retired in 2016 from the pastorate of Chinese Baptist Church of Orange County, Calif., joins the executive committee of the Chinese Baptist Fellowship of the USA and Canada (CBFUSA) in the new post of vice president for Next Gen Ministry. Eng has more than 30 years of experience leading and discipling Chinese Americans born in the U.S.

About 200 Chinese Baptists and their family members attended the conference Sept. 24-28 aboard the Carnival Inspiration cruise ship, boarding in Long Beach, Calif., for an excursion including Ensenada, Mexico.

“The conference on board a cruise ship was meant to be a time for participants to take a break from ministry and be refreshed spiritually, and have something to take home to help them in ministry,” CBFUSA Executive Director Amos Lee told Baptist Press. “We praise God for His grace that made it happen.”

The CBFUSA of more than 300 churches adopted as priorities helping churches become healthy, training and coaching church planters and achieving holistic ministry, Lee said, in addition to reaching the next generation. The group adopted a two-year budget of $208,000 to support fellowship ministries.

Canadian-American Old Testament scholar Daniel Block was the keynote speaker at the conference focused on Proclaiming the Kingdom. The Wheaton College professor of Old Testament was previously the John R. Sampey professor of Old Testament interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Joining Block as speakers were financial adviser and retired United Commercial Bank CEO Sau Wing Lam and associate senior pastor Ting Yik Leung of Crosspoint Church of Silicon Valley in Milpitas, Calif.

Officers elected at the 2016 biennial conference were re-elected to second terms: president Benny Wong, pastor of First Chinese Baptist Church, Los Angeles; vice president Alan Chan, pastor of Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles; vice president Peter Liu, pastor of Chinese Christian Church of Greater Jackson, Miss.; vice president Jack Yuen, pastor of Richmond Hill Chinese Baptist Church in Ontario, Canada; secretary Andrew Tong, pastor of Hawaii Chinese Baptist Church, Honolulu, Hawaii; treasurer Howard Li, pastor, Trust in God Chinese Baptist Church, New York City; and financial secretary Jady Lo, deaconess of Vancouver Chinese Baptist Church, Vancouver, Canada.

In addition to biblical exposition, the conference included workshops on preaching, financial management, leadership succession, next generation ministry and Baptist heritage. All sessions were well attended, Lee said, with special activities designed for ministry spouses.

The 21st Biennial Conference, set for September 2020 in San Francisco, will mark the fellowship’s 40th anniversary, Lee said.