MILL VALLEY, Calif. (BP)–For the past 10 years, Alfred Yiu Chuen Kong has been accustomed to giving students diplomas at graduation as president of Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary. In late May, he was on the other side of the diploma in receiving his doctor of ministry degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.
“Dr. Kong has done amazing things at Hong Kong Seminary during his presidency,” GGBTS President Jeff Iorg said. “A passion for the church is evident in his life, and his leadership and vision is tremendous. I am so grateful that our paths have crossed.”
Kong, who has been president of the Hong Kong seminary since 1995, including a 1997-2004 economic recession, nevertheless was able to move the institution to a new state-of-the-art facility in Sai O, Hong Kong, in 1999. Established in 1951, Hong Kong Seminary currently enrolls approximately 1,200 students preparing for service to the church.
Kong started his doctor of ministry at Golden Gate in 1992 while pastoring Danville Chinese Baptist Church 30 miles east of San Francisco. He finished the coursework for the D.Min. in two years but was asked to become president of the Hong Kong seminary before he could complete his thesis and, with the new demands as president, was unable to finish the final component of the D.Min.
“It was quite tough because the administrative work was continuous without any stop,” Kong said in looking back on his 10-year presidency, “especially the first two years, because I had to tackle the financial deficits, push the new building project and also get adjusted with the relationship with faculty and staff and churches.”
It wasn’t until 2003 when the Hong Kong seminary’s board of trustees allowed Kong to take a six-month sabbatical that he was able to complete his thesis and his D.Min. degree
“I thank God that the trustees were very understanding, supportive and encouraged me,” Kong said. “Because of their generosity, I was able to finish.”
Kong said he hopes to start a doctor of ministry program at Hong Kong Seminary in two or three years. “The design of this D.Min. program is very good and has been very beneficial to me. I hope that our program will follow the same model as Golden Gate’s.”
The D.Min. program offers several tracks in different areas of the western United States and Canada and in specialized areas such as collegiate ministry, missions administration, spiritual formation and a specialized track in the Korean language.
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary is a Cooperative Program Ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention and operates five campuses in Northern California, Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, Arizona and Colorado.
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For more information about Golden Gate’s D.Min. program, visit www.ggbts.edu or call 1-888-442-8703.
