This is Part 6 - the conclusion of my personal testimony and my spiritual autobiography which I submitted to SBTS as part of my application to their M.Div program.

A few months later while listening to a sermon by John MacArthur on the emerging church, I felt my heart tugged by God to contend for my faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. I thought of all the friends and coworkers I came in contact with over the years, and realized that they could not call on Him in whom they have not believed. Honestly, “how are they to believe in Him if they have never heard of Him? How are they to hear without someone preaching the Gospel message to them? And how am I to preach unless God sends me?” (Romans 10:14-15) It was in those moments that I felt the quiet, constant voice of the Father beckoning me to be trained for ministry of His Word—a calling I am unworthy of but purely a gift of grace. 2006 consequently became a year of fruitful ministry that continually affirmed my calling—internally by the Seed of His Word and externally through friends and church leaders—and a time of learning about the weaknesses of the emerging movement and how to defend my faith with a humble orthodoxy.

Why am I applying to Southern Seminary? The answer is simply that I have heard of many of the renowned professors from this great seminary, and believe in much of what they preach. Specifically, I have been convinced that SBTS is where I would feel most comfortable yet challenged theologically, after hearing President Al Mohler’s chapel & New Attitude messages, listening to his radio show reading his blog, hearing Dr. Bruce Ware’s lecture’s on Systematic Theology, and reading Dr. Thomas Shreiner’s work on substitutionary atonement. Furthermore, my friend Shuling Lee attended Southern for a year (2005-2006) and has encouraged me that the seminary would suit me very well due to its strong emphasis on biblical and systematic theology and expository preaching. Many of the Chinese pastors in English Ministry I have come across in Toronto all come from Tyndale, and unfortunately, their lack of expositional preaching puts a shadow rather than a light over that school and what’s taught. I have come to know Southern as a school that has its foundation in the all-sufficient, inerrant Scriptures, and is purposed for the training and preparation of ministers for faithful Christian service. For this very reason, I choose Southern and find myself called to be a humble learner at this seminary. While my past academic performance may not show that I am a capable student, I believe Southern is the place where I can learn to enjoy my studies and be challenged to glorify God by excelling in my studies.

In this series: (Download PDF of the entire autobiography)

• Shaped by the Cross, part 1
• Shaped by the Cross, part 2
• Shaped by the Cross, part 3
• Shaped by the Cross, part 4
• Shaped by the Cross, part 5
• Shaped by the Cross, part 6