Southern Baptists Asian pastors and wives recently gathered in different areas of Texas 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 Southern Baptists of Texas Convention 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, referenced Matthew 1:18–25 during a message titled, “God with us” and encouraged those in attendance 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.”
Testimonies
Pastor Angelo Tolentino from Mosaic Fellowship Church in the Arlington area 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,” Tolentino said. “He will walk with you in the valleys of our lives.”
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.
One purpose
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 encouraged pastors to continue their ministries and know that the SBTC will continue praying for them. “We are glad about what God is doing in and through the Asian churches in the Houston area,” he noted, “and we are looking forward to a fruitful collaboration in 2023.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Clara Molina and originally published by the Southern Baptist Texan.
