As I pen this final reflection for SBC Heartbeat, my heart overflows with profound gratitude. Standing at the threshold of our 73rd Graduation and the conclusion of my decade-long tenure as Principal, I look back not at our achievements, but at how the Triune God has faithfully steered this vessel through changing tides—three and a half years before the pandemic, three years during it, and three and a half years after.
I want to acknowledge all the Board members, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters of SBC; you are truly our brothers, sisters, and friends in Christ. As Proverb 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (ESV). A heartfelt thank you to you all!
I am leaving a parting gift to our graduates and guests at the Graduation Ceremony: a copy of my recent book, Doing Theology for the Church: Contemporary Challenges and Sustainable Vision 呆为教会做神学：时代挑战与永续异象歹. This volume represents my reflections on theological education gleaned from the past ten years at SBC. I hope it serves as a map for navigating the internal and external crises of the church in this age.
1. Sacred Ties: The Unbreakable Tripartite Partnership
In the book, I reaffirm that theological education does not exist in a vacuum. Church history confirms an unchanging truth: the church is the mother (the womb) of theological education, not its product. We operate within a sacred, tripartite partnership:
- The church (sending agency): You identify and nurture the called, entrusting them to the seminary for the
recovery of the scholar-pastor identity in the tradition of the Reformation. - The seminary (training agency): We function as truth-watchers, equipping servants with a holistic education
that integrates orthodoxy (right belief), orthopathos (right affection), and orthopraxis (right practice). - The mission field (serving agency): All theological education must eventually point toward missions, participating in the Missio Dei (the Mission of God) to win the nations.
“A cord of three strands is not easily broken” (Ecc 4:12 CSB). SBC remains resolved to carry on God’s mission by training faithful servants to edify the body of Christ and make disciples of all nations!
2. Altar First, Then Well: The Spiritual Principle
A central focus of my reflection—and a key chapter in the book—is the narrative of Isaac in Genesis 26. Like Isaac, we must honour the past by re-digging the “wells” of our founding pioneers, that is, the fundamentals and principles of SBC, namely, being Christ-centred, Bible-based, Church-oriented, Missions-directed, and Context-relevant. Though we also face “wells of conflict”—the hardships of the pandemic and AI disruption—we endure today’s problems by trusting God through every quarrel and opposition.
However, the spiritual DNA of SBC must adhere to this order: first the altar, then the well. At Beersheba, Isaac built an altar to worship before his servants dug his well (Gen 26:25). This establishes that worship precedes work, and so identity in Christ precedes the ministry.
Ultimately, Christ himself must be the living water from which we draw—only he can truly sustain the flocks and the shepherds: “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again” (John 4:14 ESV).
3. New Era, New Leadership: Succession
It is with great joy that I am passing the baton to a leader who embodies these preceding principles. The Board has appointed Rev. Dr. Patrick Fung (冯浩鎏) as the eighth Principal of SBC, effective 1 July 2026.
Dr. Fung is a veteran missions’ leader who made history as the first Asian to become General Director of OMF International. Initially trained as a physician, his encounter with Christ redirected him from healing bodies to saving souls. As the current chair of the Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelization (CCCOWE), he brings a visionary global perspective balanced with a deep heart for local churches. I am confident that under his leadership, SBC will continue to dig “new wells” and train faithful servants who are effective communicators of God’s Word, servant-leaders, and integrative thinkers.
A New Chapter
To the Class of 2026: finally, as Paul exhorted in 2 Timothy, be steadfast. Henceforth, let your spiritual character determine the quality of your work. It has been my highest honour to serve as your Principal. May we continue to build altars and dig wells until he comes again.
In all things, let us say this with one heart and one spirit: soli Deo gloria. Amen!
