Meet Nancy Yang, our new Associate Pastor for Chinese Ministry
Pastor Nancy, we are so glad that you will be our new Associate Pastor of Chinese Ministry.
Tell us about yourself.
Our family immigrated to Canada in 2008. In China, I got my bachelor in English education and my master in linguistic studies. I earned a Certificate of Spiritual Formation from Carey Theological College in 2015 and a Master of Theological Studies from Regent in 2016.
How did you come to salvation?
After we settled in Vancouver, we sent our 12-year old son to a local church with hopes of improving his English. He enjoyed Sunday School and family nights for kids so much that he went there every Sunday and Friday night, and soon was saved. In God's mercy, he shared the gospel with me by telling the story of the prodigal son. I came to the Lord and was baptized in August 2009, and half a year later, my husband and my son were baptized at the same time.
You have been volunteering here at our church with Chinese immigrants for a while. Tell us about that work.
We moved to Ladner about 3 years ago, and noticed that more and more Chinese moved here, with no Mandarin speaking church around our neighbourhood. Last year, when I heard that a group of Chinese people gathering at an English-speaking church in Tsawwassen were greatly affected by a cult, the Lord called me to share the truth with them. That's why I asked for a place to have gospel class at Ladner CRC. Praise the Lord, we were able to attract over 20 people to attend our gospel classes, and 40 people for special gatherings. From that group, 8 people have accepted the Lord.
What are your other experiences in ministry?
I volunteered as a Sunday school teacher at Heather Bible Chapel after being baptized there. Later I was trained and volunteered at the Vancouver Chinese Short-Term Mission Training Center. In my Regent years, I also volunteered as an ESL teacher at Trinity Baptist Church. In 2015, I became an intern pastor at Granville Chapel; later I became an interim pastor at Vancouver Baptist Church; before I joined Ladner CRC, I worked at Immanuel CRC for 3 years as an assistant pastor of Mandarin Ministry.
What are your hopes and dreams as our pastor of Chinese Ministry at Ladner Christian Reformed Church?
I do believe Jesus is the only way for salvation, and I love to share the good news to Chinese people in this area and invite them to become disciples of Christ. But Chinese ministry cannot flourish by itself. There are so many immigrant families, who came to Canada with an intention of receiving a good education for their children. That's why each year we have over 100 international students around this area; and some mothers are here with their kids. I hope we can build up a strong Youth Ministry, so that the teens will feel at home at Ladner CRC and bring their friends and families to our church like what my son did before. That will attract international students from other countries and local families and their children as well. For me, this is the real kingdom work.
Hannah Yao was recently hired as our Director of Children's Ministry. How do you see your jobs intersecting?
I praise the Lord for such an arrangement. Hannah will be very helpful in talking with Chinese parents, and inviting them to join our Chinese fellowship. In fact, some local churches do have a strong Children Ministry and attract many Chinese kids, but because of the language barrier, most parents do not get involved. Hence, I think it is God's grace for us to have Hannah.
And just for fun, what is something our readers would be surprised to learn about you?
I am the mother of a movie-star, and the wife of an artist. My son is working in China now, my husband and I live just across the street to the church - the green duplex with bamboo surrounded, and he teaches fine art there.
Thanks, Nancy! May God bless you richly so that your work at Ladner CRC may flourish.
The Chinese gatherings for Sunday worship began meeting on September 20 at 10:30 am. The children can join Sunday School when it begins. The first week saw 15 people attending and 12 the next week. Pray that God will add more. Nancy is assisting Hannah in leading a Bible Study Fellowship group for Chinese-speaking women on Wednesdays (10:00 to 11:30 am) and hopes to add a men’s fellowship on Zoom. She will also coordinate a monthly parenting outreach on Zoom beginning October 3.