Giving thanks for the Lord’s grace, EFCCA has now journeyed through nine years since the dedication thanksgiving service for our church building in November 2017. Looking back, we have deeply experienced God’s abundant grace and faithful leading. As EFCCA celebrates its 30th anniversary, I would like to count the Lord’s blessings together with our brothers and sisters and testify to His wonderful and awe-inspiring works.

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:2)

The Lord’s Grace and Protection

Whenever we are willing to step out in faith, we see God’s wonderful provision.

In 2015, God made it clear that the proposed church site at the corner of Balmoral Road and Dominion Road, although ideally located near a Chinese commercial district, could not meet earthquake-strengthening requirements. Continuing to use it would have required enormous expenditure for strengthening or even demolition and rebuilding. At that time, this was a burden EFCCA could not carry.

As we sought God’s leading, He prepared the property we now occupy at 101 Great South Road. It already had a usable building and required only renovation. Even more remarkably, God enabled the old property to sell for far more than expected. The proceeds were sufficient not only to purchase the new property, but also to cover the preliminary costs of changing its use to a church. God’s provision truly exceeded all that we asked or imagined.

Looking back nine years later, had we not taken that step of faith, the sharp increases in construction costs, prices and inflation in recent years would have imposed a far greater burden and might have delayed the advance of the gospel ministry. God knew our need and accomplished His good purpose at the right time.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

The Unity of Co-workers

The year after the building was completed, Senior Pastor Michael Chen, whose wife required long-term care and whose children were not nearby, voluntarily proposed beginning the pastoral search even though two years remained in his term. He wanted the church to prepare for its next spiritual leader.

We saw in this the selfless heart of a pastor. He had faithfully led the church through the building project, and in the handover he guided the co-workers to seek God’s will rather than human preference.

In March and April 2018, we formed a pastoral search committee led by Pastor Chen, with seven elders, deacons and ministry representatives. From the beginning, God gave us two important agreements. First, we would approach only one candidate at a time and contact another only after confirming that the first was unsuitable, rather than comparing several candidates. Second, any appointment would require the unanimous agreement of all committee members rather than a majority vote.

We expected the process to take at least one or two years and perhaps require an overseas search. Yet God heard our prayers. Within only a few months, we met Pastor Yongjun Dong, who had just completed his ministry at Northcote Baptist Church and was seeking God’s next leading.

A pastor of his experience was beyond what a church of EFCCA’s size would normally have expected. Yet God Himself prepared him. Pastor Dong was the first candidate contacted by the committee and also the last, because God gave every member the same conviction that he was the pastor prepared for EFCCA.

A Vision Given by the Lord

Pastor Yongjun Dong began serving at EFCCA in September 2018. He tirelessly visited every brother and sister willing to receive him—young and old, long-standing and new—so that he could know them personally.

During that period, the outgoing and incoming senior pastors, Elders Qinmiao Ren and Chun Zheng, and I also met, prayed and shared intensively, often several times a week for nearly six months.

As we sought God together, He clearly gave EFCCA the vision for its next stage: to build a cell-based church oriented towards discipleship training.

At the end of March 2019, Pastor Michael Chen retired one year early. Pastor Yongjun Dong succeeded him and became senior pastor the following year. We believe this was not a human arrangement, but God’s step-by-step leading.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

Repaying the Building Loan

After the building was completed at the end of 2017, the church still carried a bank loan of about $1.2 million. For an EFCCA congregation of fewer than one hundred people, this was a heavy burden.

We expected repayment to take more than ten years. Once again, however, God’s grace exceeded our imagination.

Under the leadership of a new pastor and a new vision, many newcomers joined the church. The transition to a cell-based church encouraged more brothers and sisters to serve, new groups were established one after another, and the church was filled with vitality.

In November 2021, at EFCCA’s 25th anniversary, we unexpectedly completed repayment of the entire $1.2 million building loan ahead of schedule and offered this gift to God. All glory belongs to Him.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

The Testimony of the Founding Families

After 2020, we experienced another precious grace. The families who founded EFCCA and were later sent out for church planting gradually completed their assignments and returned to the mother church.

In addition to Elder Zhenfa Zhang and Sister Baoping Pan, who had served faithfully at EFCCA for many years, Minister Nancy Yeh and Brother Qingsiang Liu, Minister Susan Lin and Elder Stan Lin, and Elder Stephen Yeh and Sister Xiubi Zhang also retired from different church-planting fields and returned to EFCCA.

Although they had laid down the heavy responsibilities of church planting and pastoral ministry, they continued to attend actively, care for the church, support co-workers and shepherd brothers and sisters. Their gentle, humble and faithful example has been a great blessing to those who follow them.

“Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” (Hebrews 6:12)

The Pandemic Could Not Stop God

The year 2020 cannot be remembered without mentioning the COVID pandemic. Yet the pandemic did not stop God’s work.

“But God’s word is not chained.” (2 Timothy 2:9)

After the pandemic began, Pastor Dong led the elders, deacons and co-workers to care even more actively for brothers and sisters. Through phone calls, online contact and visits, they sought to accompany everyone in need.

The church also established online prayer, Bible reading and devotional gatherings. These continue today as important platforms through which brothers and sisters watch over one another.

In 2021, while Auckland remained under COVID Alert Level 3, our 25th anniversary celebration planned for November was postponed until early December, when gatherings of fewer than one hundred people were permitted.

During those difficult days, “Treating One Another with Grace and Demonstrating the Lord’s Love” was not merely a slogan; it became the vision and mission practised by the whole church.

Building Pastoral Care and Governance

Under the Evangelical Formosan Church system, the board of elders and deacons is the governing body of a local church.

As EFCCA transitioned to a cell-based church, the need for pastoral care increased. We came to understand that pastoral care and governance should not be separated, but should work together. The church therefore included pastoral leaders in the board of elders and deacons, giving pastoral care and governance equal attention. This created a healthier balance between structure and shepherding and laid an important foundation for the church’s next stage.

Pastor Dong devoted extraordinary energy to ministry development and pastoral needs, identifying, caring for and training co-workers. Many were encouraged, their lives were transformed, and they became zealous for the Lord.

The board, now balancing governance and pastoral care, doubled in size yet remained highly efficient. Many matters were discussed beforehand, allowing meetings to become opportunities for fellowship and unity.

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

Counting the Lord’s Grace and Looking Ahead

Looking back over these nine years, not everything happened in the way we expected. Yet many things that seemed like obstacles at the time were actually God’s protection.

Just as God closed the door to the original building site but opened a more suitable way, He knows our needs and gives grace appropriate to our capacity.

We also experienced setbacks, including co-workers leaving and the Lautoka church plant in Fiji not developing as hoped. God allowed us to experience failure not to discourage us, but to teach us to depend more fully on Him. If everything had always gone smoothly, we might easily have forgotten that all is grace.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

We have also seen that the planting of North Shore Grace Church and the development of the mother church’s evening congregation required adjustment, learning and unity before they were established step by step. Today we must continue the mission and church-planting vision entrusted by God and pass the flame of faith to the next generation.

We will all grow older, but God’s work never ceases. May a new generation be raised up by the Lord, and may we all have the heart of John the Baptist: “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30)

May the Lord continue to refine our lives and enable us faithfully to fulfil the vision and mission He has entrusted to EFCCA. Amen.