Pastoral Ministry Begins with “a Father’s Heart”
When discussing pastoral identity, Pastor Dong first emphasises that the people a pastor shepherds do not belong to the pastor; they are the flock entrusted by God. Jesus Christ is the head of the church. A pastor is one member of Christ’s body, carrying a particular function given by God.
Whether a church has 3, 30 or 300 people, the nature of pastoral identity does not change. Growth in attendance, or the praise or criticism of others, must not lead a pastor to treat the church as a personal achievement.
“This is not my church; it is the church of Jesus Christ.”
For Pastor Dong, a pastor’s most important posture is “a father’s heart”. Parents do not stop loving their children because they behave badly. In the same way, even when church members offend, confront or oppose a pastor, the pastor cannot decide whether to continue caring for them solely on the basis of personal feelings. At times, difficult people may require more time.
Eloquence, knowledge, leadership ability and experience all matter, but they cannot replace a life of self-giving, faithfulness and unselfishness.
Calling Is Not a Passing Feeling
Pastor Dong places great importance on a clear call. By calling, he does not mean merely enjoying helping people or believing pastoral ministry is meaningful. It is the gradual conviction: “This is what God wants me to do.”
Before entering full-time ministry, he worked for many years in business and the wider workplace while giving substantial time to church. He once believed he could be used by God just as effectively in the workplace, would not require the church to pay a salary, and could continue to give. For many years, therefore, he did not enter full-time pastoral ministry.
Through sustained prayer, service and discernment, he gradually became convinced that full-time ministry was, for him, the path through which he could be used more completely by God. The decision was not caused by one dramatic event; it emerged gradually across his whole life.
His earlier experience of leadership, judgement and handling complex relationships in society later became part of his pastoral preparation. Pastor Dong does not attribute his formation to one person or one training experience. He believes the different experiences before and after a person comes to faith can all be transformed and used by God.
A Pastor’s Roles Require Different Priorities in Different Seasons
A pastor is simultaneously a preacher, shepherd, leader, manager and missionary. Pastor Dong believes this is not a matter of “equal balance”, but of giving different priorities to different seasons.
When he first arrived at EFCCA in 2018, the congregation did not yet know him, so the pulpit was an important place for building understanding and trust. Through preaching, people gradually came to understand his faith, theological direction and pastoral voice. Years later, with relationships established, pastoral influence no longer depended only on frequent preaching.
He compares the role to that of an organisation’s chief executive: a leader does not need to handle everything personally, but must focus in each season on the responsibilities that cannot readily be delegated. A pastor’s roles are therefore not managed by mechanically dividing time, but by discerning what most needs his personal attention at that stage.
Faithfulness, Self-Giving and Not Protecting Self-Interest
The pastoral qualities Pastor Dong identifies include faithfulness, self-giving, unselfishness, courage and a father’s heart. Before making an important decision or statement, he examines his motives: are personal interests mixed into it?
If he is satisfied that the decision is not for himself, but arises from faithfulness to God and benefits the church, he need not withdraw out of fear of criticism. This courage is not force of personality. When a person does not need to protect personal interests, they are better able to withstand opposition and misunderstanding.
He also does not define pastoral fruit only by attendance or the number of ministries completed. If several hours with one person positively affect that person’s life, it is meaningful ministry. His purpose in accepting this interview was not only to help a seminary student complete a research project, but also to build up the interviewer and future readers.
Authentic Devotion Is Not the Replication of One Form
Pastor Dong reads Scripture and reflects after waking in the morning, when his mind is clearest. He records important insights and also prays with other believers.
The church offers morning prayer, evening prayer, a Tuesday prayer meeting, fasting and prayer, online Bible reading and daily devotions, but he does not make his own practice the standard for everyone. He respects those who rise at four or five in the morning to pray, but does not require the whole church to follow the same pattern.
For him, spiritual practices may take different forms; the key question is whether a person has an authentic relationship with God.
Family Support behind the Pressure
When facing the pressures, disappointments and misunderstandings of pastoral ministry, Pastor Dong draws partly on resilience formed through earlier experience. He also has essential family support. His wife is his closest spiritual partner and confidante. They often walk together for forty minutes to an hour in the evening, sharing the day, discussing concerns and helping one another process them.
He openly acknowledges that a senior pastor finds it difficult to maintain a conventional work–family balance. Over many years, his wife carried much of the responsibility for family care, the children’s upbringing and the later-life needs of both sets of parents. Pastor Dong therefore makes clear that his ability to serve wholeheartedly is inseparable from his wife’s support and their division of family responsibilities.
This reminds readers that a pastor’s ministry is not an isolated personal achievement. Behind it is often real sacrifice by a spouse and family. When speaking about a pastor’s faithfulness, the church should also recognise, appreciate and care for the pastor’s family.
Difficulty Can Also Form a Life
Pastor Dong does not deny that pastoral ministry brings misunderstanding, attack and disappointment, but he believes difficulties are often settings for spiritual formation. An uninterrupted path may not produce maturity, and continual success can even feed pride. As a person moves through hardship with God, life can take a genuine step forward.
A pastor’s example is not only a public image in the pulpit. It is seen in how the pastor loves God, loves his spouse and fulfils responsibilities at home; how he treats those who oppose him in church; and whether he continues to embody the love and self-giving he teaches when conflict comes.
Interview highlight | The fruit of pastoral ministry is not limited to organisational scale or completed activities. It is also found in a life being used by God to influence and build another life.