Greetings from Pastor John Zhang!
I am currently a Missionary in ChingMai Thailand and I have been serving as the senior pastor of ChingMai Chinese Church for Christ since January 2019.
In 2001, I was baptized as a Christian in Beijing. Soon after, I started my services in Christ as a parttime pastor in three different house-churches and a Student Fellowship at the Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2006, I answered the Lord’s call giving up my job and followed Jesus Christ becoming a full-time servant for Him. I continued my pastoral services in those churches before applying to the Christian Witness Theological Seminary in California. In May 2009, I received my Master of Biblical Studies degree, then later my Master of Divinity from CWTS in May
2013.
Before being baptized, I attended the Third Military Medical University and a language school in China for several years. I was pursing a life that I could restore the health of many people and improve their living quality in China. However, a historic event happened in 1989 that completely turned my life upside down. I was arrested and put in the Qing-chen prison for two years soon after the crackdown of the student movement in Beijing. This unforgettable experience (to say the least)
has deepened my understanding of life’s harshness and difficulties. It taught me how to comfort people when they are suffering and in despair. My former professional experience, my conversion to the Christian faith, and my part-time pastoral ministry in China frequently led me to reflect on the relationship between faith and everyday life. The theological education at CWTS enlarged my vision of serving the Lord and provided me an opportunity to explore the rich resources of the Christian faith, which in turn equipped me to integrate my Christian faith with the practical actions in the society.
While still in the seminary, I started serving at the Bay Area Reformed Evangelical Church (BAREC) in 2008 as an intern, and then as an assistant pastor upon my graduation in May 2009. After serving at BAREC for four additional years, I was ordained by the church in 2012 (the ordination committee of which was composed of eight pastors from different denominations).
In August 2012, during a visit of the DC area, a brother in Christ introduced me to a group of brothers and sisters in Maryland. These brothers and sisters formed a bible study and fellowship in December 2007 in Clarksburg, Maryland. They prayed earnestly for several years for a pastor to lead their Bible study and evangelical efforts. I was moved by their dedication and fervent love for Christ. In July 2013, I and several families officially formed “The Rock Church of Christ in Clarksburg” and began my first church planting mission with assistance from the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. The Convention provided me with resources and guidance while we were planting a church.
The Lord gave me a heart for China even when I just accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. I knew one day I would be there to serve Him. During my two short-term mission trips to China in the past I sensed a call from the Lord to serve in China again though I did not know how or where to serve. Those details all came into focus as I met with the Senior Pastor Ezra in November 2015. The Lord confirmed with me that Beijing is where He wanted me to go. After serving in the U.S for nearly 10 years, I joined the Beijing Zion Church as one of their pastors to serve at one of the branches of this church.
By the end of 2018, after serving at the Beijing Zion Church for more than two years, my ministry in Mainland China was abruptly ended due to the widespread religious persecution of God’s church in China.
Although I didn’t know where I would go next, I knew the Lord still wants me to spread Gospel to the non-believers and feed his sheep. I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to open a door for me and use me to plant new churches for him.
When looking for a field to serve, the Holy Spirit led me to know some brothers and sisters of ChingMai Chinese Church of Christ (a new evangelical church founded by several missionaries a few years ago). The majority of the congregation consists of parents from China who are accompanying their children attending the international schools in Thailand. The elders of this church invited me to join their service team. In January 2019, I was accepted by them as a senior pastor of CMCCC, and at the same time worked as a missionary in Thailand sent by the Global Life Enrichment Center (GLEC).
Our church currently has about 40 adults and 16+ young students. In the past 6 months, we were laboring in this new environment and collaborating with other missionaries to reach out non-believers and equip our brothers and sisters.
Many challenges and opportunities are waiting ahead of us! Although we are weak and facing both the financial and spiritual needs in a rapid growing harvest field, Jesus Christ is already doing miracles there. Many new seekers attended our bible study groups and some persecuted young believers from China (20+) came to our campus for a short-term (one-month) educational exploration. We were also teaming up with faculties from GLEC providing extended theological education to our church members and other believers in the area. I am so excited to see what
Jesus Christ is doing in Ching Mai and greatly encouraged to work with His team in the field.
In Christ,
Rev. John Zhang
Missionary in Thailand
Tel: +1-6508883845(U.S.A);
+66-988217860(Thailand)
E-mail: zhangqianjin89@gmail.com