Who Holds the Destiny of This Tumultuous Age? - An Interview with Chaplain Leung Kam Wah
Written by Felice Cheng
ThM 2016
MDiv 2009
Recounting Our Journey of Faith
God has been accomplishing life-changing events on insignificant people. This is what our Chaplain Kam Wah firmly believes.
"The passing of generations is defined by historical events as we take the time to account for them in details,” Kam Wah analyzed. He said when we open the Bible, we see that in the history of Israel, God’s turnaround power did not happen to an era anytime and anywhere, but on insignificant individuals and at invisible places, where He implemented major events that transform lives. In this vast generation, we must learn to see and believe that God is also doing great things on every little one. Therefore, no matter how unpredictable the surrounding environment has become, the only correct and most promising direction is to believe in God and cast everything upon Him.
Kam Wah (2nd from left in front row) and
the Spiritual Formation group in the first year as
the Chaplain of CGST
Kam Wah can truly relate to the struggles of the CGST classmates who are faced with the immense pressure from their pastoral ministries. He reminds them that while at the lowest point of our life, it is also the right moment for us to recount our spiritual faith. We need to detangle ourselves from the illusory situations and our own hearts. We need to humble ourselves before God and reflect on our relationship with and our faith in Him. To what extent do we believe that God is in control of everything? Do we believe in God’s righteousness and mercy? Do we believe in His time? Do we believe that God has huge plans like ravines of mountains? Do we believe in God?!
Casting All Things on God
Cast all things on God! It is easier said than done. However, it may not be too hard for Kam Wah to do that. He recalled that after graduating from social work studies in college, he actually ran off to become a journalist-something he would never had imagined. After working in journalism for a while, when least expected, he dedicated himself as a school social worker. Then in 2000, he went to CGST, where he pursued his Master of Divinity. By the time he graduated in 2003, when least expected, he became a pastor. After many years, he felt deeply inadequate and started pursuing counseling studies. But after he completed the study in counseling, when least expected, he realized he was not the right person for church ministry. This led to his resignation from the church. What specific plans did he have when he resigned? None! However, and again when least expected, a week after he had handed in the resignation from his pastoral position, he received an invitation from CGST to be their chaplain. This was also not in the least part of his original plan.
Spiritual Formation group during the first year of MDiv study
Three years of social work was not a long time but proved to be very helpful to Kam Wah’s ministry later. In the past, when a student came to his office, he was able to tell the kind of systems affecting the student’s life: the relationship among the students; the relationship between the teachers and students, among the teachers, and between the teachers and the school; the school system and its operations; and the family relationship of the student. Looking into all these intricate relationships allowed him to get a good grasp of the source of the issues. Today, when he sees a CGST student, he also sees several systems behind him: the student himself; his relationship with his family and church members; the operations of the church… Many interactions between parties are involved when he deals with various student cases, whether it is the social welfare sector, the medical sector, or even the police, etc. The job of the social worker is to assist the student with getting through his immediate hardships, for example, to cope with an exam. This way when the student prepares for another exam in the future, he will be capable of doing so because of his previous experience.
Listening Is More Important
However, CGST students are very mature in handling issues and dealing with people. Their problems also seem more complicated than those of high school students. In many cases, he must suppress his own anxiety and stop himself from jumping to conclusions solely based on past experiences. After all, listening is more important than giving advice!
Kam Wah is widely known as a passionate trailwalker. The perseverance of climbing over mountains and wading out of water is exhausting and tiring. Just when it pushes you to the brink of desperation, you start to see a glimpse of hope as you turn the corner. This often makes him think of the growth of life, the various situations of spiritual pastoring, and the ultimate value and significance of life. It is very similar to the job of the accompanying walker. He does everything possible to make sure the trailwalker does not get lost, lose his footing or simply quit. Kam Wah has expressed that the faculty members at CGST have the gift of being the accompanying walker, just as how he is determined to uphold this tradition by walking side by side with his students.
What is his plan or expectation for the chaplain ministry? There is none! Didn't he already say that? Everything will work out for the best in God’s hands!
Yes, God has been doing life-changing things on every little one, and that is what we firmly believe.
The classmates of CGST have been participating in Trailwalker activities since 2001
