Posted on 24 Aug 2015
We welcome Adrian Miller on board as the fifth apprentice of CERC’s Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) program!
Adrian graduated with a degree in engineering and worked as a research engineer over the last five years. He is married to Erin Chong and they both have been committed members of CERC since its early years in 2009.
In this interview, Adrian shares with us on his decision to give up his secular job as an engineer and pursue ministry through this apprenticeship.
The Millers in their new apartment at CERC Central
CERC: When did you decide to take up the MTS program?
Adrian: My decision to take up this program happened from the time I understood the bible, about eight to nine years ago. I remembered that after one of my bible reading sessions with Pastor Robin, he was talking about the need for more trained pastors in Malaysia.
So I told him: “Train me! Train me!” naively. But that was probably what prompted me to start thinking about full time paid ministry seriously. I did have thoughts of becoming a pastor earlier on, but it was not an idea with conviction.
Why did you decide to join CERC’s MTS program?
I have realised that qualifying for pastoral ministry requires much more than just seminary education. I’m sure there are more things that are needed to lead God’s church than I currently understand, but as far as I can see, being a pastor requires certain abilities, like the ability to preach and teach, ability to understand people and be able to take care of them, especially with regards to their spiritual growth. He must also be able to manage and organize the various ministries, able to handle conflict, whilst also persevering in dependence on God and working in obedience to him. Different pastors have different strengths and weaknesses but an elder still holds great responsibility. As far as I can see, MTS in CERC is designed to test, assess, train and equip a person in these areas.
Also, much like how internships help students prepare themselves for making the most of their university education and gears them for the workforce, I think that MTS in CERC prepares one to be better able to think about applications to ministry locally when studying in seminary, if they pass their MTS assessment.
For me, CERC would be the best place for me to do my training because it’s the church where I have grown as a Christian and it’s where the people know me. It’s probably best for me to be assessed and trained under Pastor Robin, who has been pastoring me in CERC.
On top of that, there are certain things that Pastor Robin has exemplified that I hope to learn and be able to work on myself. I see in his life and ministry a deep concern for Jesus’ gospel and His reputation, a care for people that they know Christ and are growing in him, persevering in service and hope in Him, a dedication to serving Christ faithfully by careful and clear preaching of God’s Word and an awareness to the kind of ministry needed in the Klang Valley.
Above all these things, doing MTS in CERC enables me to help out with the abounding ministry needs in CERC. At the same time, the various ministries that we have will help in my training and assessment.
It has almost been a decade since you decided that you want to take up this apprenticeship. Why now and not earlier?
When CERC first started as a church, it couldn’t afford to take on an apprentice. So, I had to keep working as a programmer. Also, Erin and I needed to work out some issues in our marriage before thinking about apprenticeship.
There’s a difference between a married apprentice and a single apprentice. For a single apprentice, he is sort of free. He has all of his time to think about ministry and he doesn’t have to think about family needs.
But for a married MTS, like me, being down is going to affect somebody else — Erin. So the spouse has to be able to handle the apprentice’s down moments and all the other disappointments that he could possibly encounter during training.
On my part, as an apprentice, I have to be able to handle being down and at the same time being able to take care of my wife. Our relationship has to be stable enough for this. This is good training to become a pastor and this is what Erin and I had had to work out over the last few years.
What are some of the life changes you see happening from this apprenticeship?
Well, Erin and I are staying in the church premises — CERC Central — because it is better training for me to be closer to ministry and to the students who will be coming to the church premise quite frequently. Living within the church premise will also train us for life with the church in a closer way.
What do you think you will gain from this MTS apprenticeship?
I see myself being put on the spot more often. So there will be less hiding space for myself and instead, more disciplined and concentrated effort. As an apprentice, you’re always put on the spot to be discipline and to not lose sight of the goal.
It will also be testing me and my gifting. Sometimes, things aren’t so clear on what I should do.
Ideally, I think I am suited to stay as a programmer and earn lots of needed money for the church. But these last few years, I’ve been putting that aside in order to get a good grounding in the bible. So I don’t work like those who live for this world, but I work as I should.
My extra time is needed to train my bible skills and learning to lead others in the bible. I don’t think I’m fully tested on that yet. So, MTS will be able to test me on that, whether I’m supposed to continue my job as a programmer and earn money or serve as a full time paid minister.
However, Klang Valley is in need of pastors. So at this point, even if I’m not as good a bible teacher, I still need to be thinking about full time paid ministry seriously.
