Philip Chiu’s Testimony to God’s Grace, to be presented at Truth Theological Seminary,
Arcadia, California on September 14, 2020
I feel honored to have been asked to share with you God’s grace in my life. Frankly I feel so
humble in front of you all. You have taken up this sacred mission of equipping Christian leaders
for the Kingdom’s work. In my opinion, nothing is more noble and Christ-like than what you are
doing, despite all the trials and tribulations of such a ministry. May the Lord bless each one of
you mightily.
The little that I have to share may sound miniscule to you. Nonetheless, the Lord has certainly
changed my life. In every instance, the Lord has turned my weaknesses and foolishness, my
arrogance and blindness, my doubts and hesitations, my despair and failures, my lowliness and
sinfulness to all that is good according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
My testimony in the following video is an introduction to two major aspects of God’s grace for
me: firstly, God showed His great love for me even while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8). He
sent His angel to comfort me when I was weak and despaired, being laid up in a tuberculosis
sanitarium. Secondly, He spared my life when I was close to death. In both instances, He healed
me.
I have to say that no blessing is greater than my conversion to Christianity. I was 33-years old
when I moved my family from Toronto, Canada to Southern California. I joined Kaiser
Permanente as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist. We started going to the Chinese Baptist Church of
Orange County in Anaheim (CBCOC) to learn more about the Bible, but I could not convince
myself that I needed Jesus. After all, I prided myself in being a upright person: harm nobody and
break no rules. Oh, how foolish and arrogant of me! Little did I know that when temptation
struck, my own conscience failed me. One day, when I went to the store for some sprinklers and
wires, the cashier misread the price label. I knew he gave me too much change, but I remained
silent and pocketed the extra money. When I got home, I felt crushed and so ashamed of myself.
My heart was broken and contrite. I knelt down and prayed, “Lord God, I have sinned greatly in
what I have done. Please take away my sin, for I have acted very foolishly” (2 Samuel 24:10).
There was much relief after that. The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, came
over me, “guarding my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). I got baptized that
year in 1981. Since that time, through God’s grace, I was transformed. I had a chance to grow in
Christ, learning more about the Bible through Sunday School, while worshipping God and
sharing fellowship with other Christians. Eventually, I was honored to become a Sunday School
teacher, and ordained as a Deacon and Minister of the Gospel in 1999. During that time, the
Bible taught me wisdom and serving taught me prudence. I became a better physician, a better
husband and father, and a better servant of God.
In my conversion to Christianity, I realized my own weakness. As an obstetrician-gynaecologist,
I have to do battle with sexual temptation daily. Proverbs 27:12 has been my alarm bell: “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.” Ever since I started practice, I have
always insisted on having a female assistant present when I do gynecological exams. When
pornography pops up spontaneously on my computer screen, I remember what the Bible says:
the Lord has “seven eyes” (Zechariah 4:10) and they “run to and fro” (2 Chronicles 16:9). “The
eyes of God are everywhere” (Proverbs 15:3); “nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight;
everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account”
(Hebrews 4:13). In Matthew 5:28, Jesus tells us that “anyone who looks at a woman with lust has
already committed adultery with her in his heart.” I refrain from sexual sin not because I fear
punishment (1 John 4:18), but I simply wish to follow Christ out of love for Him (2 Timothy 1:7).
Truly, “the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…discerning the
thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
In my heart, I wanted to serve Christ and His Church better – not out of obligation, but out of
love. The flexibility of my profession made it possible to take part-time courses in the Brea
campus of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. It took me 6 years to complete the M.Div.
degree in 2000. By then, my wife Rosangela and I were ready to accept the commission of
Southern Baptist Convention SBC to serve in East Asia for 3 years (2001-2004) under the
Master’s Program. That was not an easy decision though. We were not sure how we could
manage financially should I stop practicing medicine and take on a second career as minister. We
had struggled with this decision for several years, especially when we were still caring for
Rosangela’s sick mother at home. After repeated prayers and the passing of her mother, we
answered God’s calling with “Here am I. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). In return, God’s grace truly
saved me from certain death (as you have seen in the earlier video). I was gifted with a new life:
the life of a minister, chaplain and clinical pastoral educator.
At first, I was serving as a physician in Hope Clinic, Macau, which was set up by SBC a number
of years ago. It was God’s grace that provided me and my wife with basic living expenses
through SBC. Macau was not foreign to the gospel, tracing back to the late 19th Century, when
the Morrisons (Robert and his son John, who was born and buried in Macau) were active in their
ministry. Many had heard the gospel but their hearts were hardened. God eventually opened my
eyes to the fertile field yonder in Mainland China.
Even though I was born in Guangzhou, my family left for Hong Kong in 1949 when I was only 2.
Frankly, I didn’t have any kindred feelings for the people in the Mainland, until Tian An Men
Square student demonstration in 1989. The image of the dauntless young student challenging the
might of an approaching tank made me cry. I could identify with him in his dream for a better
China, but I really pray that China would one day become God’s people, “who are called by His
name, and who shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from their wicked
ways,” because God has promised to “hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their
land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).Jeremiah 42:3 was another inspiration to me: “Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where
we should go and what we should do.” God had opened my eyes, and filled my heart with
compassion for the Chinese in the Mainland. In order for me to stay in China for a longer period
of time, I needed a “platform.” While working in Macau, I came to know that openings were
available for chaplaincy training in Hong Kong Nethersole Hospital. I seized upon that
opportunity, and was accepted. The next hurdle to overcome was to get approval from my
supervisor. Even though the organization’s general policy would not be in favor of granting a
leave of absence for further training, I persevered. Proverbs 3:5-6 was a big help: “trust in the
LORD with all your heart… and He will make your paths straight.” My supervisor was
sympathetic to my vision and supportive of my cause. I received chaplaincy training in
Nethersole Hospital in the next 3 months.
At the end of my initial chaplaincy training, I wrote 40 letters to the major hospitals in China,
volunteering my service in pastoral care and counseling. At that time, chaplaincy was non
existent in China. Only one hospital replied, and accepted me. That happened to be a hospital
right in my own home town. My ancestral home was still standing near the town center. It was
there where my father was born. I truly believe that all of this became possible, not by chance,
but simply through God’s grace (Ecclesiastes 9:11).
I spent the next 15 months in Southern China as a pastoral caregiver and counselor, together with
two other like-minded sisters-in-Christ whom I recruited. During a family gathering before my
departure for China, my cousin, Betty Chiu (aka Mrs. Tung Chee-hwa), helped me to put
together a fund of HKD300,000 for the intended use of setting up a Counseling Center in the
hospital that I was going to. I never had to use this fund, because the hospital graciously
provided both the space and furnishings for our three staff members in the Center. God’s grace
was again at work.
(Picture: An article from the Hong Kong Association of Hospital Chaplains, recognizing our
pioneering chaplaincy ministry in China for the very first time. Praise the Lord!)
The hospital which played host to us was very much interested at the time in the holistic
approach recently championed by WHO (World Health Organization), which had defined
healthcare in four dimensions: physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing. Another major
hospital had heard about this and wanted to keep pace with modern healthcare advances. Thus,
our staff was invited to present this topic to these two hospitals, where their full staff had to
attend. We were given a stipend of 6,000 RMB for the presentation, which showed how much
the hospital valued holistic healthcare, which includes the spiritual dimension as well. For that
reason, we invited the pastor and church leaders from the local Christian church to join us in our
presentations, as we sang together “愛的真諦 What is True Love?” with lyrics from 1
Corinthians 13:4-8. Some of the Christians in the audience also joined us in singing out loud,
“Love is patient; love is kind… ” Praise to the Lord! In our subsequent ministry, God’s grace was clearly evident when a 17-year-old girl with
leukemia was able to use part of our Center’s reserve fund to have a bone marrow transplant,
giving hope to her and to her family, and letting them know of the love of Christ and of His
Church.
(Picture of their gift to the Center in the slide presentation)
The spring of 2003 was a particularly trying time, when SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome) hit China, and our hospital was one of those hospitals that treated SARS patients and
isolated suspects. We were notified to evacuate, but one of us, Ms. Law, a devout Christian
servant, insisted on staying. Because of Ms. Law’s dedication and faithful service, a patient
under her care became Christian. This patient said to me, “Dr. Chiu, I was deeply touched by Ms.
Law’s selfless giving and her sacrificial love for people like us. I see Jesus in her.” Indeed, some
people may wonder, “Why does God allow SARS or Covid-19 to make us suffer?” Perhaps, it is
around just “such a time as this” that God has framed His purpose. We know in biblical times,
God brought Esther to a position in the Persian king’s court to save the Jews from certain
annihilation (Esther 4:14). I can well understand why God brought Ms. Law to a position where
she could do His will at such a time as SARS. Ms. Law didn’t take credit for herself. She
proclaimed, “To God be the glory!” What an amazing God!
Towards the end of our service in China, God’s grace was again amazing when I was called to
questioning by the Hospital’s Communist Party Discipline Committee. One Party member was
floating rumor that some people were calling the hospital to find out the time of a scheduled
meeting with me. She was trying to slander me by implying that I was organizing illegal
meetings in the hospital; a big “no, no”. I was stunned and wondering what I should say in return.
It was again God who made me strong and wise. He put words in my mouth, and covered me in
the shadow of His hand (Isaiah 51:16). I told the Committee that I was attending the local three
self Christian Church, where I was given the honor of leading a small group in the Church (and
not in the hospital) for studying pastoral care and counseling, What really happened was that
some members in the study group thought that they could contact me in the hospital to confirm
the meeting time. So much for that. Then, the next question came: was I evangelizing in the
hospital? Again, God, the very fountain of wisdom, guided me in my reply. I explained that I
have an obligation to encourage patients to rediscover their hope and support them in despair,
especially the terminally ill. This involves psychological counseling as well as bringing different
faiths into perspective, including the comfort of teachings from the little that I know about
Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Communism (all of which are officially
recognized as justifiable faiths in Communist China). I emphasized that I respected and
supported each patient’s own faith, and would never force my own on any of them. The Party
Secretary of that Committee nodded as I spoke. Evidently, Satan “meant evil for me, but God
meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). That reply, as the Spirit guided me, enabled us to continue
serving patients in that hospital for another 5 months. (Pictures in the slide presentation: Letters of gratitude from the Medical Director of the Chinese
hospital I worked in for 15 months, and from a patient’s daughter. This is the fruit of God’s grace;
to Him be the glory)
While in China, I was able to further my theological study online. Golden Gate Seminary was
given permission to start its first online Th.M. degree course with a small cohort of students. I
joined, with six others. Only three of us finished the course. At the time, I was just interested in
learning more about theology, but later on, I realized that God guided me in this direction for a
purpose.
When my three-year assignment to East Asia was up, I returned to the U.S., ready to start a Ph.D.
program in Theology and Psychology at the Claremont School of Theology, which has long been
affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Through God’s grace, I received a Merit
Scholarship offered by Claremont’s Professor Clements in Pastoral Care and Counseling, in
addition to a government student loan, and a grant from my mother church (Chinese Baptist
Church of Orange County/ CBCOC) in Anaheim. I selected as my concentration Clinical
Pastoral Education (CPE) Supervision for the training of chaplains.
It was not easy for me to adapt to such a role change. In my application to the Los Angeles
Children Hospital for an unpaid chaplain internship, the interviewer, a Chinese lady physician,
questioned whether or not a physician like me would be empathetic and compassionate enough
as a chaplain. True. I did know my own weakness. As a physician, I lean more on the cognitive
side than emotional side. I was more a thinker than a feeler. Nevertheless, I was in despair at this
rejection. Yet, once again, God opened another door when one remained closed (see Acts 5:17–
25 on imprisonment of the apostles). He enabled me to find an internship down in San Diego,
even though I had to commute by Amtrak daily back and forth (4 hours round-trip) from
Fullerton for 6 months. I would park my old Honda in the Amtrak lot in Solano Beach at night .
From there, I drove every morning to Father Joe’s Village to serve the homeless, and to VITAS
to care for hospice patients. It was a blessing to have CPE supervisors in San Diego from various
backgrounds: an 80+ -year-old Catholic nun, a lesbian Jew, and a liberal theologian with a Ph.D.
They all contributed immensely to my growth, and offered something that I would find missing
if I had stayed in Los Angeles hospitals. These 6 months of commuting to San Diego, while
eating my meals and doing my homework on the train, were well worth it. The experience of
being rejected at one place and enriched at another has made me appreciate God’s grace and
provision even more. In going through this CPE training, I have learned more about myself, and
how I can best minister to others with the gifts that God has seen fit to equip me with.
It was God’s grace that finally got me through two degrees in Claremont (2004-2010): a Master
of Arts (M.A.) degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling; and a Ph.D. degree in Practical Theology
and Psychology. Since I already had a Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree from Golden Gate
Seminary, I was not required to take any more Theology courses in Claremont, which is a very
liberal theological school. It was God’s grace that allowed me to remain solidly grounded in conservative Baptist theology, while at the same time, allowed me to follow the path of our
internationally renowned professor, Dr. Howard Clinebell, a United Methodist minister who
pioneered a pastoral counseling approach by combining psychotherapy and theology. He co
authored or edited over 20 books, some of which have been translated into eight languages,
including Chinese.
My quest for a Ph.D. degree is another story of God’s grace in my academic pursuit. As you all
know, Ph.D. is a teaching and research degree, and it is incumbent upon each Ph.D. candidate to
be versed in at least one foreign language. I took the German language exam, and flunked twice.
I began to wonder if I was a fool in pursuing the wrong degree. Professor Clements comforted
me. He told me that he flunked his language exam 7 times before he finally passed! So, without
giving up, I prayed to God for help. Wow, I passed with my third try! Why? Because the
question was related to a chapter from Sigmund Freud’s book, which I happened to read shortly
before the exam! Some call it luck, but I prefer paying tribute to the grace of my Lord and my
God.
Between 2004 and 2015, my wife and I made it a point to return regularly to China on an annual
basis to share with Christian pastors, ministers, church co-workers and lay leaders what I had
learned in CPE back in America. Each CPE unit would last 3 months. Each group would have no
more than 7 students. I brought this CPE model from America to China. Though I never did
reach the level of CPE Supervisor here in America (remaining still as a Candidate), I have
reached the goal that the Lord had set for me. He has seen it fit to give me the privilege of
ministering in China to the needs of His people, and to equip them for a compassionate and
caring ministry. Despite my failing health, I was able to pass on the torch of such commitment to
one pastor who attended my first unit and continued for at least 5 more units to become a CPE
Supervisor himself, supervising others after I retired in 2015.
Despite my fervent desire to teach or serve in a seminary, I never did have the honor to do so,
except for teaching a course once in Macau Bible School. However, I firmly believe that God has
a plan for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11). Yes, there were things I wished I could have done, but
God’s ways are different from my ways (Isaiah 55:8). I say to God: “You make known to me the
path of life; in Your presence, there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand, are pleasures
forevermore (Psalm 16:11).
All in all, when I looked back, I realize that I have been growing in the grace and knowledge of
my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). God has chosen me to serve Him despite my
weaknesses, foolishness, lowliness and sinfulness. His grace has strengthened me, made me wise,
raised me up, forgiven me and set me straight, all according to His purpose and His goodness (1
Corinthians 1:27–31). Whatever good may have come from my ministry, I have nothing to boast
but of the Lord.Currently, I make myself available to God in different ways: as a translator, as a ministry website
administrator (GraceFoundationInternational.com), and together with my wife, as coordinators of
medical and educational services to the needy in Northern Thai via a non-profit Christian
charitable corporation, Grace Foundation USA, that we have set up. During this pandemic, God
has also led me to another project. I have been working on a simplified version of the book Hard
Sayings of the Bible. I hope to make the explanations easier to understand by laymen, and to
translate such content into Chinese, so that more believers can gain a better understanding of the
Bible.
As to what is my ultimate goal in life? Apostle Paul is my best example: “to live is Christ”
(Philippians 1:20). I will never forget how God’s grace upon grace has blessed my life, which I
have truly lived to the fullest. All the glory goes to God and God alone (Isaiah 42:12).
Thank you for your time.
