Our President
陳宗清 牧師
Rev. Grant Chen
Rev. Chen graduated from the Department of Mathematics at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan in 1975. After completing his military service, he entered full-time ministry in August 1977.
In 1985, he enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary in the United States, completed his coursework in 1988, and received the Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree in 1989.
In 1989, he began advanced studies in missiology at Fuller Theological Seminary. Although he initially intended to pursue a doctoral degree, financial considerations and an invitation to serve at Bread of Life Church in Los Angeles led him to suspend his studies after two semesters.
In 1997, he resigned from pastoral ministry and entered Trinity International University in Chicago to pursue a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies. His doctoral research focused on a comparative study between Christian theology and Neo-Confucian ontology. While studying, he continued part-time pastoral ministry and completed his doctoral degree in 2002.
While still a university student, Rev. Chen developed a deep burden for rural evangelism in Taiwan. In 1977, he joined the Village Gospel Team (later renamed Village Gospel Mission). Two years later, after many coworkers had left the organization, he was invited to serve at Taipei Bread of Life Church, where he oversaw the church-wide Christian education ministry and staff training.
Since 1989, while still studying in Fuller, he began to serve in Torrance Bread of Life Church. In 1990 he served as the pastor of the Mandarin congregation and the chairperson of the Ministerial Committee (no senior pastor) until resignation in 1997.
From 1998 to 1999, while studying at Trinity International University, he was invited to serve as interim pastor of Northshore Chinese Christian Church in Chicago. After advancing to doctoral candidacy, he returned to Taiwan to accompany his father and prepare his dissertation. During that period, he also taught in the Doctor of Ministry program at China Evangelical Seminary in Taipei and served as a lecturer at Alliance Bible Seminary.
In 2000, he returned to the United States to complete his dissertation while again serving as interim pastor of the Mandarin congregation at Torrance Bread of Life Church.
In July 2001, he formally assumed the presidency of The Blessings Foundation, Inc. That same year, he accepted an invitation to serve part-time as a commissioning pastor at Evangelical Formosan Church of Alhambra.
In 2005, as additional coworkers joined the ministry, the organization also adopted the name Blessings Cultural Mission Fellowship alongside The Blessings Foundation.
Since 1990, Rev. Chen has served as adjunct or visiting professor at several seminaries, including North America China Evangelical Seminary, Overseas Theological Seminary, Logos Evangelical Seminary, and Truth Theological Seminary.
From 2009 to 2011, he served as interim senior pastor of Orange County Chinese Evangelical Church, and later as consulting pastor (2011–2015, 2017–2018).
Since 2019, his primary focus has been leading Blessings Cultural Mission Fellowship, while continuing to speak regularly at churches and conferences.
1. Foundation of My Faith
I was born into a Christian family. I am a fourth-generation believer on my father’s side and a fifth-generation believer on my mother’s side. My mother’s great-grandfather, known as “Uncle Gao Zhang,” became one of the earliest Taiwanese converts to Christianity in 1865 and was among the first to dedicate himself to full-time ministry.
Although I grew up attending a Presbyterian church, it was not until my final year of junior high school that I began to take my faith seriously. During an evangelistic meeting in my first year of high school, I experienced the work of the Holy Spirit, repented, and was renewed. I knew then that I wanted to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.
My years in senior high and college laid the foundation of my spiritual journey. I was very enthusiastic, always getting up in the middle of night to pray. In my last semester in high school, I went to church early in the morning every day and led a group of schoolmates in devotion. Although schoolwork was heavy, I made efforts to study the Bible to lay a solid foundation in the truth. I was inspired by John Sung, dreaming to become a revivalist and to participate in missions.
2. Training of Faith
I joined Village Gospel Mission immediately after completing military service that followed my graduation from college. I often led university students to preach the gospel in the countryside of Taiwan, for the gospel was most needed in these areas. However, VGM was poorly funded and inner conflicts occurred among coworkers due to different perspectives. I had no steady income and was often lonely. Yet I was trained to rely on God and to live by faith. It has since become a pattern of my ministry.
3. Learning to Build up a Church
Afterwards I participated in the ministry of Taipei Ling Liang Church and built up the church with other coworkers. As we tried to transform the church we sensed the importance of praying together with one heart. I served as counselor to a few fellowships and took the responsibility of Christian education for the entire church. The Adult Sunday School Planning Committee recruited some excellent coworkers and later published a book, How to Build Up Adult Sunday School, which became a reference book for other churches in Taiwan. I witnessed the blessings brought to the church through in-depth prayers. The fast growth of the church in those years inspired me and gave me great hope in the development of the church.
4. A Blessed Marriage and a Life-long Partner
My marriage was a miracle indeed. Liang-Shwu Liu and me got married on May 26, 1985. Before the marriage she served in the literature department of Campus Evangelical Fellowship as editor of the Campus Magazine.
我們彼此的事奉沒有什麼交集，所以並不相熟。但那年的二月間，神的靈分別在我們身上作感動的工作，又藉著一連串安排，讓我們明白神的美意。所以我們在第二次約會時便肯定，神要我們成為夫妻，同心協力來服事祂。
My spouse became my stable support through these years. Looking back, we always wonder and praise God's wisdom in this marriage. Though we do not have children, we enjoy the days and years working together and walking hand in hand.
5. Theological Equipment and Pastoral and Teaching Ministry
I came to America to study theology in 1985. I entered Dallas Theological Seminary in Texas and received my Th.M. degree in 1989. Then I went to Fuller Theological Seminary in California for advanced studies in missiology. I was immersed in theological learning during this period.
I became the pastor of Mandarin congregation in Torrance Bread of Life Church in 1990. I also took the position of chairperson in Ministerial Committee for more than seven years. During these years we had morning prayer everyday. Besides we had late night prayer meeting and fast and pray, etc. These intercessory prayers sustained the growth of ministries. We started new fellowships, strengthened the spirit of small groups, improved Sunday School, set up church planting manual and sent coworkers to realize it. Serving as chairperson in the Ministerial Committee in a church with three congregations of different languages, I learned in a hard way that reaching unity in a multicultural church is a very difficult task.
At this stage I taught in various seminaries as well.
I started Ph.D. program in Intercultural Studies at Trinity International University in1998. From then on up to this day I have been doing theological reflections, constructing contextual theologies, and engaging in cultural mission.
6. The Challenge from Culture
Soon after I joined full-time with VGM, I recognized the challenge of cultural barriers. I came from a Christian family with my dad as medical doctor. My background provided me with little knowledge of the peasant tradition or folk religions. As a result, I encountered much hindrance in my efforts to bring the gospel to the rural people. Although there were only a few co-workers at VGF, we all came from different places of the world, such as America, England, and various provinces of China. Cultural differences contributed significantly to the uneasy communications and the divisions in the ministry.
During the seven plus years of serving at the Torrance BOL Church, the most important lesson I learned was how to work with pastors and elders from diverse cultural backgrounds with different doctrinal positions and philosophy of ministries. The cases of complicated, controversial, and conflict- causing issues were utterly unforgettable for me.
In Trinity I concentrated in the courses of culture and mission. My dissertation explored Confucianism that has influenced China for thousands of years. After years of studies and reflections, I got more insight of how to renew the Chinese culture with the Gospel. After years of study, I felt that I should make some contribution in the cultural mission. Therefore I decided to join the Blessings Foundation and took upon myself the responsibility of the president.
7. The Ministries in BF
The spiritual warfare in the 21st century is an intense battle between different worldviews. Therefore the BF advocates "Transforming Chinese Soul with the Gospel, Rebuilding Worldview with the Truth." We understand that this task requires long-time cultivation.
We start with talent cultivation. Since 1996 we set up Blessings Seminarian Scholarship to nourish seminarians gifted in academic studies, mass media, and leadership in ministries. More than twenty graduates obtained Ph.D. from renowned universities or seminaries. Many graduates are serving in various cultural areas. Quite a number have gone back to Asia.
The academia is the frontline of thoughts-encounters. Hence we actively interact with Chinese academia. In the early years we visited Chinese universities, held all kinds of seminars, workshops, academic conferences, set up scholarship for studies in Christianity, and publish periodicals.
In the area of mass media, we publish the Blessings Magazine, discussing various issues concerning culture and faith, from tradition to postmodernity, from church to society, from science to secular thoughts, etc. We encourage churches to face the challenge of the new media, to utilize the social media. We encourage Christian scholars to establish public theology and dialogue with none Christians to influence the society.
At the same time, we participate in theological training. We establish long term partnership with Colombia International University.
Since 2014 we took a step further and became a missionary sending agency. We sent Blessings family members to Asia and Europe to do ministries in academia, theological training and church planting.
As the BF president, my major responsibilities lie in the following areas. First, uphold the original vision without wavering. Second, watch and pray for all members of BF so that they may take up their crosses and faithfully finishing the task the LORD entrusted to them. Third, work together with the Board directors to raise funds to facilitate all the projects.
2017 - Uplifting Your Spirit before God’s Throne: A Reflection on the Lord’s Prayer
2015 - Glory in the midst of Spiritual Agony: A Reflection on the Beatitude
2014 - Seeking Truth by Overriding Tradition
2014 - A Panoramic View of Cultural Mission
2011 - Blessings Foundation Devotional Series: 1 Corinthians
2006 - Blessings Foundation Devotional Series: The Gospel of Matthew
2005 - Blessings Foundation Devotional Series: Romans
2005 - Blessings Foundation Devotional Series: Revelation
2005 - The Concept of Ultimate Reality in Tu Wei-Ming and Chen Chung-Ying: A Comparative Study of New Confucian and Christian Understandings
2004 - Blessings Foundation Devotional Series: Acts
1985 - Daily Devotion: Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Micah
1984 - Daily Devotion: Judges