"He is cool". "He is cool". "He is cool"........
You may be wondering who is this 'he' who is so cool? He is our new English Pastor, Luke Chen. By the fourth time I checked him out among the youth, college, and young adult groups, I had to tell them, "You may not use 'cool'. Enough is said about his being cool".
Then, came the more specific compliments such as,
"It is easier for us to relate to him", or
"He is very organized", or
"He provides leadership and direction for our English ministry", or even
"He is a computer wizard"!
So, let's find out who he is and why he is so cool from the beginning. Pastor Luke was born in Taipei, Taiwan. The reason for his coming to the States was not exactly a common one. As a four-year-old, he came to be operated on a deformed rib. His mom left his elder sister and brother behind and admitted him to St. Luke Presbyterian Hospital in Kansas City. Incidentally, this was how he got his name. Later, the family moved to Chicago where he stayed for twenty-three years and grew up to be a fine young man. But, life was not all that rosy. His parents went through a divorce in the mid sixties. Mom became not only a single parent with three children to raise but a full-time working mom.
"It was my personal relationship with God saved me during this very difficult period of my life. While I questioned God why this had to happen to me, I kept telling myself 'He is love and He is real. He will carry me through it'. And, he did".
During his senior year at Northwestern University, he started feeling the call from God to serve Him full time. His initial reaction, probably as most young men would do, was to resist it. After graduation, he got a job as a bio-chemist. In the meantime, he was very involved in the youth fellowship in his home church, Chinese Christian Union Church in Chinatown. The gracious Lord thus rewarded him a companion for life, his wife, Ruth.
Ruth was born in Jamaica. When she was five, her father could no longer resist the callings but turned himself from a jeweler to a pastor. It sounds like the story of her life. First it was her father, then it was her husband. So, Ruth's father took over a rural church which looked like a shack sitting on seven acres of land. He focused on camp ministry for young people. Fourteen years later, it was no longer a shack but a beautiful, well established church when her father came to the States in 1978. They also left behind them all the farm animals of pigs, chicken, goats, rabbits, and birds which were more like pets to them.
Ruth actually came to the States in 1975 for her education at HoughtonCollege outside of Buffalo, New York. She was turned down by her first choice of Wheaten University in Illinois because she was too young. Age discrimination! She spent three years at Houghton and another two years in nursing in Philadelphia. The end result was a Bachelor's degree in Biology and Nursing. She then came to Chicago to work for Belmont Community Hospital.
One of her cousins introduced her to the Chinese Christian Union Church where she met Luke.
"Was it love at the first sight?"
Both denied it.
"Well, how were you attracted to each other then?"
"I was totally unprepared. I was dating someone else at the time, and also thinking of going to medical school. But, he impressed me with his love and desire to serve the Lord. He seemed to be more intellectual and outgoing than other young men. He is a thinker too".
Luke obviously had different opinions about her . "She was pretty and cute with a distinguished individuality, definitely not a wall flower. She sparkled in a group. Of course, her faith and belief in God were critical too". In order to further test out her faith, Luke recalled that on their first date, he told her about going into the ministry just to see how she reacted.
Apparently, things were going very well for both of them because they got engaged a year later and were married nine months after the engagement. The wedding took place on July 3, 1982 so that her uncle who was also a pastor, could have everyone there to celebrate his birthday the next day.
Luke kept his promise by going to seminary in September at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. It took him three years to finish the courses and training while Ruth worked as an out-patient surgical nurse. They also welcomed the first addition of their family. Janine was born in December, 1984.
After seminary, Luke and Ruth move to Toronto for a year of ministry before he served as Youth Pastor for the Chinese Evangelical Free Churchin Monterey Park for five years. For the next seven years, he served at Walnut Evangelical Church until June, 1997. Then, he took a year off to work on his Doctorate of Ministry. Their second daughter, Jennifer, came to them in August, 1987, and Jessica in March, 1996 came as a wonderful surprise. However, Jennifer would like to take the credit because,
"I have always prayed to have a baby sister'.
By the way, isn't there the 'unwritten rule' that all who wish to serve full time for CBC must have a minimum of three children? You may check it out for yourself.
Then, came this significant summer evening in San Diego in 1998. Pastor Lam thought he had a meeting with the English Pastor Search Committee. The meeting was actually re-scheduled but Pastor Lam decided to stay anyway in the church and do some work. The phone rang. It was from Luke who came across the 'search' ad printed in the web page. They chatted for over an hour. I bet Pastor Lam, that very evening, thought he found the 'perfect' English Pastor. But, not Luke. Not yet.
He and Ruth came down in July, meeting with the Lam family, the Search Committee, and the Deacons. Oddly enough, recalled Ruth, "I knew, at the time, we were moving to San Diego. I liked everything I saw, I liked the church and the people'.
Luke was looking for stronger signs. He tried to eliminate his choices of four or five including one in Sacramento, one in Maryland, and one in local Los Angeles down to the ultimate one. He also had a vision of starting a multi-ethnic Asian church attended by Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Philippinos, etc. but all used the same spoken language: English. However, he has long learned about God's perseverance.
"I've found out that it is so much easier to first know what God wants to do and join Him rather than doing what I want to do and ask for his blessings."
During the last meeting with the Deacons, he was told that he matched all their requirements. To reaffirm the final decision and as a sign from God, he presented them with his expectations which he thought was a very tough list.
"You know what? They also met all my expectations!"
Pastor Luke and his family have been here for more than a month now. He preaches, teaches, administers, gets to know the congregation one by one slowly but surely.
"I feel very encouraged. I want to develop people's maturity and skills in evangelizing. I would like to focus on the college, career group, and couples fellowship. I am very grateful for the working environment and the wonderful peer relationship with Pastor Lam."
As for Ruth,
"I am going to take a little time to find out where I can best fit in. My primary job is of course to support Luke's ministry and help our children settle down. I have experience working with children. I have taught Sunday School. I would like, in the future, to help the children ministry. I would also like to help start a women's ministry in English where we get together once or twice a month for fellowship.
You know, God has been so good to us. He always provides more than what we ask. I always think of what it says in Ephesian 3:20,
"Now to Him who is able to do unmeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us".
For example, after we decided to come here to serve, we sold our house full price in a week. The house hunting in San Diego is going well. I have been invited to lunch with the college women, and to the RB family fellowship. People are so warm here and have really made us feel at home. Caroline offered for me to call her anytime if I feel lonely".
The reason that this is a 'Love Story' is because it tells how two people love God, love each other, and love people around them.
