4 March 2013 by James Hoh-
Enterprising Rev Tang Chee Sing and wife Lee Ching Mun now own Joy to the World Community Services which runs eight non-profit charitable homes besides his fish farm, ice cream and online costume jewelry businesses. But he came from such a poor background that he even thought of suicide at the age of four!
“My parents were so poor that we used coconut shells as cups and rice bowls. I even thought of becoming a monk because I felt so hopeless that I just wanted to end my life,” he added.
Feeling bitter? “No. I regard this as part of God’s nurturing, to groom me for better things in life,” he told me in an interview in Taman Kinrara in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Rev Tang came from a Taoist family. His father was a factory worker and mother as a construction worker, earning barely enough to make ends meet. At 11, he helped his mother selling Nasi Lemak and fried Mee-Hoon.
“All my childhood days, I was using third-hand clothes passed down from my two elder brothers. When I was about to graduate from secondary school, I was hoping to go for my tertiary education in Taiwan or locally as my elder brothers did.
“I thought our finances were a bit better then but my mother told me she had no more money for me to go to Taiwan. She said she had no money for me even to get married,” he added.
Rev Tang graduated in 1984 from Catholic High School in Petaling Jaya. At the young age of 19, he followed his teacher Mr Ong Ka Ting (now Tan Sri) to join MCA. He was an assistant to Mr Ong who was then the secretary to MP Tan Koon Swan. He learned politics and soon was appointed as the Youth Vice Chairman at the MCA Sri Sentosa Branch in Old Klang Road.
The Turning point
“When I turned 19, my life turned around. I got to know my wife, accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and at the same time, received the calling to serve Him full-time,” he recalled.
“But at the same time, I also received the Letter of Appointment to be the Youth Vice Chairman of the MCA Branch. In my heart I was reluctant to serve God because I do not want to be a Pastor.
“To me then, being a pastor means being poor. I told God that I rather became a rich businessman and give plenty of money to God! But I felt God wasn’t listening.
“To get out of the situation, I prayed the most unreasonable prayer to God. I prayed that if God really wants me to be in the ministry, He would cause the Letter of Appointment from MCA to be invalid. Knowing that this could not happen, I had a 99% chance of winning.
“But it really happened. I was shocked. God beat the odds!” He explained that there was then an internal struggle within MCA that resulted in a re-election. The Letter of Appointment was declared null.
“God turned everything upside down. Today we know it’s for the good of those who love Him.”
So Rev Tang said goodbye to his teacher-mentor who brought him into politics because he knew God had a bigger plan for him. Subsequently, he went to Bible College Malaysia to prepare himself for the full-time ministry.
Rejoice in Suffering
He married his wife in 1989 at the age of 24 and in 1992, he started his ministry with only a two-year financial support from Gereja Charis, Kuala Lumpur. The salary he received, after deducting operating expenses, was hardly enough for the family.
There were times they didn’t have money to buy milk powder for the daughter. Rev Tang said he had to preach five times at weekends to support the family.
“Whatever opportunities came by we took it up. I started an eatery, a kindergarten, orphanages, doing renovation works…you name it, I had done it,” he said as he recalled those desperate years.
“People called me the brother of McDonald because I was called “Mud-Too-Low Pastor”, which in Cantonese means dabbling in all kinds of businesses.
In 1998, Rev Tang was ordained and received a prophecy from the then Central District Superintendent Rev Ong Sek Leang, saying that “for now you may be looking for resources and people to help you in your ministry, but soon God will raise you up to create and become a resource yourself.”
But we were still struggling that time and life was lots of ups and downs. “There were times I have a few thousand ringgit in my wallet but many times only hundreds and sometimes only a few ringgit,” He went on.
“If I tell people that I don’t have salary, many would not believe,” Rev Tang added. He and his family in fact stayed in the orphanage for more than 20 years to save cost.
“I am a big orphan myself,” he joked. When I told him that we were never orphans in God, he agreed and we broke out in laughter.
God Proved Himself
One day, his wife Ching Mun heard from God that because they had gone through so much hardships and sufferings, God would bless him to become a wealthy pastor – not only in their finances but in all aspects of life. In return, he would bless others who are in need, including pastors and ministers in the Lord.
“We told God, we were going to give to others even before He makes us rich.” He explained that no one could really define richness as someone who have a hundred ringgit and feel rich but others may still say they are poor until they have millions.
“So we didn’t wait, we started blessing people who were in need.”
Today, Rev Tang has set up a few businesses to continue to support and bless Joy to the World Ministries (www.joy.org.my) that he started and also to bless those who are in needs.
The prophecy given by Rev Ong has been fulfilled.
His Advice for the Younger Generation
He said many young people want to serve God but they also submit a list of terms and conditions for God to agree before they agree on serving Him.
“This is wrong. In fact, this is not a true calling. If you have such attitude, please don’t consider serving God full-time because you wouldn’t stay on in ministry when pressure comes,” he said.
“True calling is training, a life-long training. It is even more difficult and tedious than attaining a PhD. God trains a person’s character and you can expect life to be more and more difficult because God uses pressure to train characters.
“But when you are willing to make sacrifices, you will learn from God His love and faithfulness as you can see in my life.”
Rev Tang said it would help when God provides a mentor to help in our growth. And in this respect, he was grateful to Rev Florence Teh who taught him in the BCM. Rev Florence, he said, guided and supported him all these years in his ministry.
Dear Viewers in Christ, if you find this article edifying to you, please share with your friends or loved ones by using the social media plugs (Share, Email to this article). The Lord will surely bless you as you bless others. May the Lord’s peace and love be with you. Amen.
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