A Great Shepherd and Teacher -Rev. Dr. Wong Tik Wah

A Great Shepherd and Teacher-Rev. Dr. Wong Tik Wah

Le Hui Yi ( Faculty-in-Development)

Rev. Dr. Wong Tik Wah was a faithful servant of God. He was an extremely important shepherd and teacher in my life. If late Rev. Yip Kwak Hoong was Rev. Tik Wah’s mentoring teacher who had a significant influence in his pastoring life, then Rev. Tik Wah  himself was definitely my mentor in my theological education.

In 2004, right after graduating from high school, I enrolled in Isaiah School, in which Rev. Tik Wah was the Dean for his last year. He was also the Senior Pastor of my church, Bountiful Grace Methodist Church. During that time, he and his wife would bring me and the other two sisters to serve at different churches      where he was the preacher and we would perform songs.  I remembered that within the same week, when I received my calling from the Lord, Rev. Tik Wah asked me if I wanted to become a full time ministry staff in the church; he was the first to approach me to serve full time.

After that, when I studied at STM, he would connect me with many spiritual directors and teachers from different countries. The year when I finished my thesis, he encouraged me to continue my studies. Since      then, I embarked on a journey which was beyond my imagination. In 2021, I became his assistant –      both of us co-taught the course of Christian Spirituality at STM. He helped me to see my possibilities and abilities. I remembered he said, “Huiyi, you never know how much more God will expand your life.” After every conversation with him, we would pray for each other. I thanked him very much for not only regarding me as a student but treating me as his colleague.

Rev. Tik Wah was genuine and sincere.  To be precise, he had the courage not to please everyone, and for that reason, he was often misunderstood by others. Sometimes when others couldn’t follow his vision, he would stop and show them.  But sometimes due to a tight schedule, he might take action immediately and that caused conflicts. Having said that, his action always came with good intentions even if it might have caused discomfort.

Rev. Tik Wah sought after the heart and desire of the Lord very much. To him, receiving the peace and assurance from God was of utmost priority. He demonstrated the quote ‘Disturb the comfortable, comfort the disturbed’ in his pastoral care. If he encountered believers who were too comfortable in life, he would challenge them to serve God more fervently. If he came across believers in distress, he would offer comfort and support.

Rev. Tik Wah returned to the Lord in peace. He set an example, a very good one, for us to follow. He finished his race with a remarkable performance.  Now it  is our turn to offer our lives to the Lord and strive  on till the end.