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Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Asian pastors and wives recently gathered in different areas of the state to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Asian churches from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, representing more than 10 countries, gathered to worship and praise Christ, listen to God’s Word, fellowship, and share a meal at New Life Gospel Church in Lewisville, where Thomas Wang is the pastor. The event was sponsored by the SBTC and organized by Hyoung Min Kim, who serves the convention as a consultant to Asian churches.
Bruno Molina, SBTC’s language and interfaith evangelism associate and president of the National Baptist Hispanic Network, started the event with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving that celebrated diversity, the grace of God, and the unity of all the Asian pastors. Tony Mathews, SBTC’s senior strategist over missional ministries, preached the message.
Referencing Matthew 1:18-25 during a message titled, “God with us,” Mathews encouraged the Asian pastors to rejoice in the fact that God is with us in the person of Jesus Christ.
“The incarnation is amazing,” Mathews said. “‘God with us’ was not an ordinary Son because He was born of a virgin. He identified Himself with us as an everyday human, and He understands us because He was tempted but did not sin. You are not alone because God is with us. [He] is our Savior. ‘God with us’ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
“In the manger, a Christian can find justification, adoption into the family of God,” Mathews continued, “which gives us access to the Father—where we can find protection, refuge, provision, and the discipline of God.”
Pastor Angelo Tolentino from Mosaic Fellowship Church in Lewisville shared his testimony of how the Lord has been present in he and his wife’s lives during the sickness and healing of their baby, who was born weighing only two pounds with heart problems. “I learned that because God is silent doesn’t mean He is absent. He will walk with you in the valleys of our lives,” Tolentino said.
Jung Yun Kim praised the Lord with her gift of music by playing her violin. She offered a masterful rendition of “O Holy Night,” and the general worship time was provided by the worship team from Great Commission Church.
Pastor Darrell Vang, from Unity Point Church, guided the group to play games and have a moment of laughter. All received a gift provided by president of Hanna Isul, Myung Hoon Jeong, while the children were ministered to by Jihyun Kim from Child Evangelism Fellowship.
Guided by Hyoung Min Kim, the participants had a time of group prayer, where all prayed in unity for various prayer concerns including the religious persecution Christians are facing in Myanmar (Burma). They all prayed the same prayer concern in 11 languages. At the end of the event, Albert Seung from 4C Fellowship offered the benediction.
SBTC Asian churches from the Houston area also gathered with the same purpose, to honor the Lord Jesus and celebrate His birth. The Houston Asian pastors and family Christmas banquet was coordinated by Pastor Michael Liga of International Victory Christian Church in Pearland.
Molina represented the SBTC at this gathering, as well. He greeted participants on behalf of the SBTC and encouraged pastors to continue their ministries and know that the SBTC will be with them and praying for them. “We are glad about what God is doing in and through the Asian churches in the Houston area, and we are looking forward to a fruitful collaboration in 2023,” he said.
Pastor David Mai preached a sermon based on Luke 2, encouraging pastors to be as faithful and grateful as Mary, and to depend on God in their ministries. Pastor Clifford Lee of River Oaks Chinese Mission gave a wonderful testimony regarding God’s faithfulness in and through his family and ministry.
