When I was still in Ukraine I received a divine call
to serve as professor of Old Testament at a new seminary
in Asia in the city of Hong Kong. Because this was
a very important decision, I decided to wait until
I returned to the United States so that I could talk
with my colleagues on the seminary faculty in the
United States. After consultation with them and others,
the Lord led me to decide that my future ministry
would no longer be in America, but in Asia. At first
I was going to teach one semester at Wisconsin Lutheran
Seminary and then move with my wife to Hong Kong in
early 2004. I received an urgent request to abandon
that plan and teach as soon as possible in Asia. Twelve
students were ready to attend classes. So I left America
the first week in October. My wife remained in the
United States because the Lord was about to bless
us with two new grandchildren. One was born on September
27. Another is coming in December. So Phoebe remained
in America and I flew alone to Hong Kong. The board
that supervises the seminary in Hong Kong then appointed
me to be president of this new seminary. So today
I serve both as president and professor of Old Testament.
Thank you, professor. But
this seminary does not exist independently, does it?
Does it train ministers for the church? Tell readers
of the Banner about it.
I grew up in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
(WELS) where I received my training and which I have
served since I was ordained in 1973. The Wisconsin
Synod has supported missionaries in Hong Kong for
over 30 years. Today there is a daughter church in
Hong Kong that is called the South Asia Lutheran Evangelical
Mission, abbreviated SALEM. It has three pastors and
eight congregations and about 1000 to 1500 members.
The members of SALEM are brothers and sisters in Christ,
also with the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. I worship
with them and I'll be a preacher there. I will also
receive holy communion with them. They are a young
church, they have good pastors, and they hope and
pray that they can be as successful in Hong Kong as
the ULC has been in Ukraine.
SALEM had its own very small seminary until just
before 2000. Until then the WELS missionaries were
the teachers. Because of the small size SALEM, this
seminary could not be continued when SALEM became
an independent church and missionaries were not replaced.
Two years ago the Wisconsin Synod made a complete
study of mission opportunities, not only in Hong Kong,
but also in all of China—in fact in all of south Asia.
China alone has 1 billion, 300 million people. A decision
was made by the WELS that its best opportunity to
share the Gospel was to reopen a seminary in Hong
Kong, not just for SALEM, but for all of Asia. So
the seminary received a new name and a new start.
Asia Lutheran Seminary will be supported directly
by the WELS for Asia. Many of the students that I
currently teach had taken courses in the old seminary
and now they are interested in finishing their studies.
We also have two students from Taiwan and hope to
attract others from outside Hong Kong.
Professor, you have served
for many years in the USA as a professor of Old Testament.
You have taught courses for students at St. Sofia
Seminary in Ukraine. And now you work in Hong Kong.
Do national peculiarities influence the unity of Lutherans
in Christ?
As a pastor and a professor my first thought is that
all people are the same. All of them are sinners.
All of them have weaknesses. God's Holy Spirit works
in all of them for repentance and for the desire to
be baptized. Once they are baptized they become part
of one universal church and receive the same spiritual
benefits, whether that's in America, Ukraine, or Hong
Kong. Having said that, I would also tell you that
this world is a very interesting place and every country
and every nation is slightly different. I said to
the Sobor in November that I considered Ukraine my
second home with America being my first home. I really
mean it! The people of Ukraine have been so kind to
me. I have enjoyed serving here so very much . I would
say also, brother Vasyl, that my one and a half years
in Ukraine gave me the courage from God to take this
new assignment in Asia. People in southeast Asia have
no long history of Christianity. That is one major
difference. The ULC has built on top of a long history
of Christianity in Ukraine and have a beautiful liturgy
and a beautiful tradition. None of this exists in
Asia. Everything involved in Christianity in China
is borrowed from elsewhere.
Chinese are a people that have a strong sense of
respect for older people. I am now 61 years old and
that is an advantage because immediately I have respect
for my age. Chinese also have a high respect for education.
In fact in Hong Kong it would be very difficulty to
be a Seminary professor without a doctor's degree.
They expect that. Almost all of the people in Hong
Kong are going to some kind of school—practical school,
trade school, also schools for theology. Everybody
seems to be in school. It is important for true Lutherans
to have a seminary with strong professors. I hope
to borrow teachers also from the ULC and invite men
from other countries to be guest professors at my
new seminary. I have been invited by Rector Webber
to teach one Old Testament course at St. Sophia each
year in the future. So I look forward to leaving Hong
Kong for Ternopil in March 2005. I would like Bishop
Horpynchuk to teach at Asia Lutheran Seminary someday
soon. He has a doctorate now and this will be a good
opportunity for him to teach in another part of the
world as I have done.
One more thing about the Chinese people. They have
a strong sense of what they call "saving face."
This means that they don't like to be embarrassed
in front of others and are quite sensitive. If you
have a problem with someone you must be extremely
polite and careful. Usually you work through a third
person. If you and I had a problem, for example, I
would not talk directly to you at first, but would
talk initially with a mutual friend. This is strange
to Americans. We prefer to be direct. But being blunt
in China gets you in trouble. So you see that I have
many things to be careful about.
Ukraine has taught me so much. And before I went
to Ukraine I taught three summers in India. I have
been many other places so when this call to Asia came,
the Lord told me, "John, you have the had a life
full of experiences around the world. There are few
people who have all the qualifications to teach in
Hong Kong. How can you say 'no'?" Vasyl, my heart
is still in Ukraine, but the Lord has called me to
work in Hong Kong. Fortunately, I have been in Hong
Kong for two months now. I can say that I have no
second thoughts, no regrets. I'm happy to be here
at the Sobor. I'm very happy to be with you, but God
asks you to serve where He wants you to be, not always
where you may want to be.
Professor, how do you manage
to teach, not knowing the language? Do you work through
an interpreter?
My first job is to run the seminary and teach like
Rector Webber runs the Ternopil seminary and teaches
there. This is my major task. To do this I will use
English, which is the second language in Hong Kong.
Yes, I will use interpreters, just like I have done
in Ukraine. And, Phoebe and I will begin to take lessons
to learn to speak Chinese in everyday life. Only God
knows if I have the ability to learn another language
at my age. I will also preach and give lectures to
the people of SALEM in English. There will be a translator
at my side to repeat what I say in Chinese. I have
already done this in Ukraine.
