Posted on 5 Sep 2020 by CERC
CERC Foundation Day Celebration
12 Years a Servant: Here’s to Forevermore
ft. Elder Mark Leong
As a church with a primary concern for Christ-centered, God-glorifying ministry, Christ Evangelical Reformed Church (CERC) reflects this in our commitment to quality word ministry, which flows from the pulpit all the way to our growth groups, various ministries and the individuals being discipled one-on-one. Being a church without compromise for God’s gospel means an active defense of the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and staying faithful to the tenets of historic orthodox Christianity by placing the Bible in its rightful place above any notion of culture and institution, including the church’s.
This Foundation Day, we look to honor and celebrate the ministry of our pastors-in-training and elders, who, as word ministers, humbly derive their authority from Christ’s authority as they work to nurture healthy Christian growth in the people of His church. The life of a word minister is one of full dedication to producing Gospel-committed Christians through creative and sacrificial evangelism by the work of His Spirit, including speaking the truth in love, at every level of word ministry and church operations such that it reflects God’s glorious goals for His kingdom.
IT Manager in a Malaysian financial technology company (2018-present)
Elder, Christ Evangelical Reformed Church (2018-present)
Growth Group Leader
– SS2 (2019-present)
– Klang (2017-2019)
– Various tertiary (2013-2015, 2017)
– Kelana Jaya (2012-2015)
Head of CERC IT Department (2011-present)
Gospel Growth Fellowship Partner (2011-present)
WWSC Tribal Leader (2011-present)
WWSC Lifeguard (2011-present)
FES Staff Worker (2010-11)
UCCF Relay Worker (2009-10)
Computer Science and Business Management, University of Birmingham (2006-09)
Mark was gripped by the gospel while studying Computer Science and Business Management at the University of Birmingham, England. As a student, he was actively involved in his campus Christian Union and joined the Relay training programme run by Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) upon graduation. During the year with UCCF, Mark grew increasingly burdened by the gospel need back home, leading him to return to Malaysia in 2010 on the lookout for ways in which he could invest his life to grow the gospel. Today, he’s an Elder in CERC and continues to serve the cause of gospel growth in the Klang Valley and Malaysia.
Mark currently works as an IT Manager in a local fintech company and is looking forward to further equip himself with theological training in the future. Ultimately however, despite what the world would typically think, he believes that what defines good Christian leadership isn’t professional qualifications or having climbed the corporate ladder — but godly character.
Christlikeness doesn’t come from having climbed the corporate ladder and it is not professional qualifications but godly character that matters in leading God’s people.
So although a day in the life of an Elder might look pretty similar to that of yours or mine — with regular roles and responsibilities at home, hobbies, chores, doing church work that looks just like doing any regular job using conventional skills, it is the transforming work of Christ that allows us to reframe our purpose and work — giving us the reasons for why we might live and work the way we do in order that we might build up the body of His church.
Just as every facet of one’s life — be it family or personal experiences, will influence and guide the character of a Christian leader, a faithful leader would allow himself to be shaped and informed by the Word — which is fully sufficient for ministering to every aspect of the life of the church, therefore being equipped to do the same for those under his care and leadership.
Mark’s leadership of his growth group and of the IT department has impacted many brothers and sisters in Christ, and they too reflect on how gospel growth is driven by loving and serving one another in faithful leadership.
This Foundation Day, we celebrate and thank God for the quality of the preaching in CERC, as we treasure the gospel that has been passed down to us. We are committed to preserving its purity and to fight against heresy and the false gospels of today. We thank God in his sovereignty, and are grateful to men and women who have invested much of their time and resources in their love for this church in a small region of the Klang Valley.