As you know, Pastor Young G. Chai, the senior pastor of Seoul Baptist Church of Houston retired last Sunday. The installation worship service for Pastor Sookwan Lee was followed by the retirement worship service for Pastor Chai and they were both beautifully done. All of us who were there felt extremely thankful and we rejoiced that we are all part of this healthy church that God is using in a very special way. And there were moments when we had a hearty laugh. However, we couldn’t stop shedding tears because it was our beloved pastor’s last day with us as our senior pastor.
Pastor Chai has been a special person in my life because God has used him to teach me how to be a pastor God is pleased with and how to build God’s church according to the New Testament. Therefore, it was a very emotional week for me as I saw him depart to Korea for a year.
The following is what I posted on Facebook the day after he retired, reflecting on what he meant to me.
“I am a blessed man! I am a blessed man because God has given me a mentor that I prayed for 20 years ago. I have had the great privilege of serving the Lord together under the leadership of my mentor for nearly 18 years in the same church. After finishing 20 years of ministry faithfully and gloriously at Seoul Baptist Church of Houston, he retired yesterday. His retirement ceremony has taught and proven to me once again that the Bible is true. It is when we die to ourselves that we truly live and bear fruit. A countless number of pastors, missionaries, believers and unbelievers have been touched forever because one pastor chose to die to himself and live for God. He loved God, loved His Word, loved His church, loved God’s people and loved those who needed to be God’s people. He has taught me that if the pastor dies (to himself) the church will thrive, but if the pastor tries to live (for his own self-centered desires) the church will suffer. In a world where people are desperately crying out for a mentor, God has given me a great role model to follow after. I praise God for giving me Pastor Young G. Chai. It has been 18 great years serving under him! God is great and He answers our prayers! I pray that I may be able to finish my ministry the way he did.”
Please pray for me that I may be able to do so.
Your pastor,
Eric
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