What kind of power would drive a person, even with his family, to willingly leave everything behind and head into an uncertain future in response to God’s call, wholeheartedly and unwaveringly proclaiming the gospel of God’s grace?
Our dear brother, Luke Chang, was ordained as a missionary pastor in California on October 29, 2023, and we, as a family in the Lord, rejoice and give thanks with them! For over a decade, their family has served and set an example for us, living a life of genuine faith and bearing witness to the Lord’s faithfulness and mighty power in every aspect of their lives. Luke and his wife Joy (Jin-Er Lin), a preacher, moved with their young son, Elijah, from Canada to Seattle in 2007 and joined our big family at Evangelical Chinese Church. At the time, Luke was studying for his doctoral degree while working at Microsoft. He noticed that many of his colleagues at Microsoft had not yet known Jesus, so he took action, organizing Bible study sessions during lunch breaks to share the gospel. At the same time, he also organized the Career Family Outreach (CFO) at the church, attracting numerous seeking families in need of spiritual guidance due to the stresses of work and introducing the concept of living water, our Lord Jesus, to them. Meanwhile, the passionate preacher, Joy, also saw the need for family spiritual growth in the church. As the church’s elders and pastors were tirelessly occupied with the restoration of many family relationships, she began the church’s family ministry and Sunday school classes to equip and strengthen each family, enabling brothers and sisters to have the power of the Lord to face the challenges of today’s generation. When she saw the need for spiritual growth in sisters and younger brothers and sisters, she provided one-on-one discipleship training and fervent prayer. I am grateful for them, but I have also been concerned that their fragile bodies could not bear the strain without rest. Their response was always, “God’s grace is so great; how can we not give our all to the Lord’s work?” Their sincere and faithful love for the Lord deeply influenced me and those around them to follow the Lord. Their service, lives, and work, though busy, are continually fueled by the fire of God’s inspiration in their hearts. They continuously seek God’s guidance in their lives, and the transformation of brothers and sisters in Christ who experienced the goodness of God’s grace repeatedly affirmed God’s call to them. They started to receive training at Dallas Theological Seminary. God also clearly moved Luke through the message of a summer camp speaker. In 2017, Luke left his enviable job and relocated the whole family to Dallas Theological Seminary to pursue a full-time Master of Divinity degree. While searching for a field of service, they were willing to surrender sovereignty to God, praying continually and not considering their own preferences, only seeking to understand God’s will. God, with His loving guidance, led them step-by-step toward the mission field. In 2020, as a united couple, they began serving in the Chinese Ministries of the Far East Broadcasting Company, with a clear vision of following God’s trust to expand His kingdom.
Let us, as a family, bless our brother, Pastor Luke Cheng: “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid nor be discouraged, for wherever you go, your God is the Lord Almighty; He will fight for you and will never leave nor forsake you.” “May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Amen! (Joshua 1:9; Numbers 6:24-26)