Pastor Stephen Tong, the founder of the Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia, delivered a keynote address on October 28 at the 14th World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) General Assembly. Speaking to an audience of several thousand, including 850 evangelical leaders from 124 nations and many Korean church representatives, he issued a fervent call for a return to the core of the gospel—to live holy lives, pursue truth and the power of the Holy Spirit, proclaim sound doctrine, and bear faithful witness to Christ.

For over two decades, Pastor Tong has been a leading proponent of the Reformed Evangelical movement, frequently traveling to the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Indonesia to conduct Bible study seminars and evangelistic rallies. His ministry has deeply influenced believers across the region. During the WEA conference, he spoke with Gospel Herald (GH), offering earnest counsel to the Chinese church.

GH: Pastor Tong, thank you for your long years of service to the Chinese church. The Apostle Paul said he had finished the race and kept the faith, and reminded the elders in Ephesus of how he admonished them with tears. Having conducted farewell crusades around the world, what final exhortation would you give to the Chinese church and to Christians?

Pastor Tong: To answer that fully would take many hours. I have, in fact, spent decades expressing these same concerns to the Chinese church.

The first issue is that faith must be made right. Only through a Reformed understanding of theology can believers truly comprehend the full teaching of Scripture. Those who simply listen to sermons casually each week and soon forget them will never build a foundation of faith or structure of conviction. The only way forward is to strengthen the roots of faith so that believers may become accurate in doctrine, firm in conviction, and foundationally grounded.

The second issue is that Christianity must produce righteous behavior born out of true faith. There must first be a revival of faith, followed by a revival of ethics: believers must correct their lifestyles, repent of sin, abandon disorder and false ideas, and align their hearts with the heart of Christ. Only then can they return to a life that reflects God’s truth.

The third issue concerns the need for a transformation of thinking. Beyond correct faith and conduct, there must also be correct understanding. Believers must form a Christian worldview—a perspective anchored in Christian truth, ethics, and cultural awareness. With such a worldview, they will not be deceived by philosophy or misled by heretical ideas. They will instead make decisions grounded in conviction and clarity, walking along the right path.

The fourth area relates to establishing a cultural foundation. Once believers possess sound faith, behavior, and understanding, they must bring the spirit of Christ into every realm of culture—music, art, philosophy, literature, and everyday life. In all cultural spheres, they must honor the Lord, allowing Christ to lead them along the right path within each domain of society.

The fifth area is drawn directly from Scripture: to present oneself to God’s will, labor diligently, lead others to Christ, proclaim the gospel, and bring people before the Lord. When the church embodies these five principles, it becomes a healthy church. These, in summary, are my exhortations. Churches should study these five areas further and continue to develop from them.

GH: And for individual believers, what counsel would you offer?

Pastor Tong: Each believer must follow these same five paths—pastors, elders, and members alike. Yet many serve in confusion. Some take up ministry carelessly, assuming that years of belief grant them understanding. Others attend seminary but still misunderstand Scripture because they have never studied it carefully or precisely. This lack of depth is widespread among them.

GH: In your view, where has Chinese theology gone astray?

Pastor Tong: In many grave areas. Many Christians have a distorted understanding of God, of the church, and of culture. Their thinking is often chaotic because they rely on hearsay rather than solid study. They build an inconsistent faith, resulting in confusion that is difficult to correct. To fix it, one must start again from the foundation.

That is why, despite the size and demands of my church in Indonesia—which is nearly as large as this (Love Church in Korea), with several thousand members—I still traveled to Hong Kong almost weekly for twenty years. Over 900 times in total. Each time I preached for more than an hour. Consider how much teaching that represents.

As the proverb says, “Life is finite, but learning is infinite.” Their lives are limited, their study never ends, and the Word of God is deeper than all the knowledge of the world. Many say, “Faith in Jesus is just about going to heaven.” That is completely misguided. There is much to learn. Without quiet and disciplined study, believers cannot grow.

Laozi once told Confucius, “If you do not train your eyes, you cannot cultivate the Way.” Even Confucius, before Laozi, was humbled because his heart was impure and his eyes undisciplined. Without inner purity, one cannot learn truth. In today’s world, this is even more difficult. People must endure hardship to attain virtue. Only those who have suffered deeply can rise to noble character.

GH: Some years ago, you spoke about preparing successors. How is that progressing?

Pastor Tong: I have already trained several hundred theology students. A few of them accompanied me here to attend this assembly; tomorrow they will return with me. Since others are waiting to interview me, I have limited time left. Let us pray:
“Lord, we pray for the Chinese church. Guide every believer to think rightly, study diligently, and understand Your Word. We give thanks and praise in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

In March 2025, Pastor Stephen Tong received the Kuyper Prize in recognition of his outstanding contribution to advancing Reformed theology worldwide. Now 84 years old, he has preached the gospel to an estimated 37 million people over his 66-year ministry. The award, named after Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper, has been presented annually since 1998 by Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary to honor those who exhibit excellence in Reformed theology and public life.