Pastor Emeritus

On June 30^th, our church expressed our love and appreciation for Pastor Hsu and Mrs. Hsu for 25 years of faithful service.

Jack Lee began the service by summarizing the history of the church.  While serving as Pastor at Berkeley Chinese Baptist Church in the early 1970’s, Pastor Hsu and Mrs. Hsu began visiting former members who moved from Berkeley to Newark.  In January 1975, they started a Bible study in Newark with five members.  Pastor and Mrs. Hsu began commuting from Berkeley to Newark every Sunday to conduct mid-afternoon worship services in the name of Tri-City Chinese Mission in Newark.  The Mission grew in numbers, and in February 1977, Pastor and Mrs. Hsu were called to serve full time at Tri-City Chinese Mission.  God continued to bless the Mission with new members, so it moved to Alder Avenue Baptist Church, and constituted as Tri-City Chinese Baptist Church in November 1977.  In 1986 TCCBC started the English worship service.  In 1987 we moved to our present location on Mission Boulevard.  In 1992, we started the AWANA ministry for the children. 

After the history lesson, several members from the congregation were asked to share about what Pastor Hsu and Mrs. Hsu have meant to them through the years.  Among those sharing were Mark Tchao, Roddy Kwan, Lucille Liang, Annie Hsu, Princeton Kwong, Wayne Wong and Wanda Chun.  Their reflections were from the heart, and were representative of the congregation at large.  Pastor and Mrs. Hsu are remembered for; (1) their selfless sacrifices for God, for the church, and for each other, (2) their steadfast teaching according to God’s Word, (3) their leading by example through humble sacrificial service, (4) their faithful caring and praying for people in need, (5) their interest and involvement in important events in our lives, (6) their joy as expressed in their smile and laughter, and (7) their ability to love others beyond our own understanding.  The people’s sharing reflected a simple truth; God has blessed Pastor and Mrs. Hsu, and He has blessed all of us by calling them to serve at TCCBC for the last 25 years.

Mark and Roddy presented a plaque from the church to Pastor Hsu.  The plaque read:  “We, God’s children at Tri-City Chinese Baptist Church, bestow upon our beloved Pastor Wilfred Hsu, a crown of thanks and the honorary title of Pastor Emeritus, for his faithful service as Christ’s Under-shepherd from November 1977 to eternity.”  Amen.