A Credible Witness
Three months ago if you told me if I would be leaving on jet plane today to attend Seminary to do my Masters I would have laughed in your face. Yet in less than 12 hours from now, I am going to be starting a new chapter of my life doing a 2-year part-time MA in Theology and Ministry at King’s College London.
I actually thought I never would have the desire, much less the opportunity to attend a seminary. However, the dream of getting a formal theological education actually started 2 years ago when I had an epiphany that if I were going to get only one shot at life, I would want to live a life that was truly significant.
But what kind of significance? Did I want to be a famous person? A hot shot entrepreneur? Have a great career and live the high life? What kind of legacy did I want to leave behind? What did I want to be remembered for when I left this life? And what was I going to miss most when I passed on?
Over some time of reflection, I arrived at these answers:
1. I want to be able to stand in front of God when I pass on from this life to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
2. I want to be remembered by people as an effective and credible witness for God; a person who knew God and His heart for people.
3. I want to be remembered as someone who loved God and loved people.
4. I want to be remembered as a good friend, family member and a person who made a positive contribution in the lives of the people he encountered.
5. I want to have loved deeply and passionately, and be loved as much by a partner.
6. I want to have the finances and the ability to lead and manage people and use those resources in a way that would be a blessing to those in need.
I knew that as part of the journey, I needed to be equipped theologically and vocationally. Most of my training so far has come from watching other ministers, and learning from them at conferences such as the Hillsong Conference.
While surfing the web about 3 months ago, I came across this new Masters programme that was being offered by King’s College London (KCL) this year - a Masters in Theology & Ministry - both theological and vocational - and was being offered as a part-time 2-years programme.
The more I read about it as well as the course outline, the more I felt that this programme was ideal both in my interests and to bridge that gap between where I am today and where I needed to be in my own personal equipping. But I thought it would have been an impossibility for me to attend for the following reasons:
1. Unlike miak, I did not have any savings whatsoever to be able to afford the programme, nor a scholarship.
2. I had been called up for a 25-day overseas reservist in Taiwan at the end of October, which was right in the middle of the school term.
3. I had to keep my job in Singapore to support myself and my financial commitments.
4. I wanted to be honest about my sexuality, the church that I served in and the ministry areas I was involved in - one of the main reasons why the local seminaries would not admit me into their programmes.
5. I wanted to be able to continue serving in FCC, even while I am studying.
So I made my application, only my cell group and 2 people in the Council knew about it - Clarence and Susan, as I had asked them to support my application by being my references. I kept it very quiet because I honestly did not think that I would be accepted, much less have the opportunity to go even if I were to be accepted.
After submitting the application, I prayed with my cell group over it and told God that if He produced the miracle, I would know that that was my burning bush, and I would go.
So here’s what happened since:
1. I have been given an unconditional offer to the programme - one of only six places offered this year.
2. I have been medically downgraded and exempted from my overseas reservist commitments.
3. I received the support of the Council, my family and my employer to go for my Masters.
4. I have been given permission to continue working at my current job, and have had my plan to work remotely out of the Nokia London office approved by management. As such, I would be able to pay for most of my degree programme and living expenses from my salary.
5. I had sufficient annual leave to cover my study days and did not require me to take any no-pay leave.
6. I am able to complete most of my course work from Singapore even though it is not a distance learning programme, thereby allowing me to continue serving in Church and cell group.
7. I will be travelling often between London and Singapore in order to manage all of this and friends who are members of FCC have already pledged to redeem their frequent flyer miles for me to be able to come back to Singapore regularly.
When the last approval came in 2 weeks ago, I knew that I had my burning bush in front of me and I decided to respond to the call to go. Like Moses, I’m excited by the opportunity but terrified at the same time. How on earth am I going to pull this off? I haven’t picked up a text book in more than 12 years and I don’t know how I’m going to manage work, studies, church and all that travel! I really can understand how Moses felt when He responded to God’s call in Exo 3:11 saying, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
But God responded to Moses in the next verse saying, “Go, and I will be with you.”
And that is the promise that I am going to hold on to and brace myself for yet another step in an amazing journey ahead.
I actually thought I never would have the desire, much less the opportunity to attend a seminary. However, the dream of getting a formal theological education actually started 2 years ago when I had an epiphany that if I were going to get only one shot at life, I would want to live a life that was truly significant.
But what kind of significance? Did I want to be a famous person? A hot shot entrepreneur? Have a great career and live the high life? What kind of legacy did I want to leave behind? What did I want to be remembered for when I left this life? And what was I going to miss most when I passed on?
Over some time of reflection, I arrived at these answers:
1. I want to be able to stand in front of God when I pass on from this life to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
2. I want to be remembered by people as an effective and credible witness for God; a person who knew God and His heart for people.
3. I want to be remembered as someone who loved God and loved people.
4. I want to be remembered as a good friend, family member and a person who made a positive contribution in the lives of the people he encountered.
5. I want to have loved deeply and passionately, and be loved as much by a partner.
6. I want to have the finances and the ability to lead and manage people and use those resources in a way that would be a blessing to those in need.
I knew that as part of the journey, I needed to be equipped theologically and vocationally. Most of my training so far has come from watching other ministers, and learning from them at conferences such as the Hillsong Conference.
While surfing the web about 3 months ago, I came across this new Masters programme that was being offered by King’s College London (KCL) this year - a Masters in Theology & Ministry - both theological and vocational - and was being offered as a part-time 2-years programme.
The more I read about it as well as the course outline, the more I felt that this programme was ideal both in my interests and to bridge that gap between where I am today and where I needed to be in my own personal equipping. But I thought it would have been an impossibility for me to attend for the following reasons:
1. Unlike miak, I did not have any savings whatsoever to be able to afford the programme, nor a scholarship.
2. I had been called up for a 25-day overseas reservist in Taiwan at the end of October, which was right in the middle of the school term.
3. I had to keep my job in Singapore to support myself and my financial commitments.
4. I wanted to be honest about my sexuality, the church that I served in and the ministry areas I was involved in - one of the main reasons why the local seminaries would not admit me into their programmes.
5. I wanted to be able to continue serving in FCC, even while I am studying.
So I made my application, only my cell group and 2 people in the Council knew about it - Clarence and Susan, as I had asked them to support my application by being my references. I kept it very quiet because I honestly did not think that I would be accepted, much less have the opportunity to go even if I were to be accepted.
After submitting the application, I prayed with my cell group over it and told God that if He produced the miracle, I would know that that was my burning bush, and I would go.
So here’s what happened since:
1. I have been given an unconditional offer to the programme - one of only six places offered this year.
2. I have been medically downgraded and exempted from my overseas reservist commitments.
3. I received the support of the Council, my family and my employer to go for my Masters.
4. I have been given permission to continue working at my current job, and have had my plan to work remotely out of the Nokia London office approved by management. As such, I would be able to pay for most of my degree programme and living expenses from my salary.
5. I had sufficient annual leave to cover my study days and did not require me to take any no-pay leave.
6. I am able to complete most of my course work from Singapore even though it is not a distance learning programme, thereby allowing me to continue serving in Church and cell group.
7. I will be travelling often between London and Singapore in order to manage all of this and friends who are members of FCC have already pledged to redeem their frequent flyer miles for me to be able to come back to Singapore regularly.
When the last approval came in 2 weeks ago, I knew that I had my burning bush in front of me and I decided to respond to the call to go. Like Moses, I’m excited by the opportunity but terrified at the same time. How on earth am I going to pull this off? I haven’t picked up a text book in more than 12 years and I don’t know how I’m going to manage work, studies, church and all that travel! I really can understand how Moses felt when He responded to God’s call in Exo 3:11 saying, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
But God responded to Moses in the next verse saying, “Go, and I will be with you.”
And that is the promise that I am going to hold on to and brace myself for yet another step in an amazing journey ahead.