Rev. Dr. Stephen Tong is an evangelist and a theology lecturer. He is also the founder of the 'Stephen Tong Evangelistic Ministries International' (STEMI) and the 'Reformed Institute for Christianity and the 21st Century'. He is considered by many to be the most effective and prominent Mandarin-speaking evangelist today.

At the age of 17, Rev. Tong gave of himself to the LORD to serve him in evangelism. To date, his ministry has lasted more than four decades, and he continues to travel widely, preaching for the sake of the name of the LORD, His Word and His church. By the power of the LORD, he has been fighting the good fight, battling with the fallen reason and corrupted souls of men, all in the hope to bring them back to Jesus Christ.

Although he is in his early sixties, his perseverance and tenacity far surpasses that of many much younger servants of God. In the series of expository preaching he does for this region for example, his schedule starts on Sunday with two preaching sessions in Jakarta in the morning, then he would take a flight to Singapore to preach in the Indonesian church in the afternoon, followed by the expository preaching on Hebrews in the evening. On Monday, he would be at Taipei for the expository preaching on Hebrews. On Tuesday, he would be in Hong Kong for the same. On Wednesday, he travels to Kuala Lumpur (West Malaysia) for the expository preaching in the book of Romans. On Thursay, he would return to Jakarta to teach at the seminary, before starting the entire cycle again. This cycle is only broken by gospel rallies held all over the world, from New Zealand to Europe and the United States. These are the reasons why we often give thanks to God for His unique gift to the Asian church.

In the areas of evangelism and theology education, Rev. Tong has developed a unique manner of evangelism, catering to the gospel and the Christian cultural mandate. His approach is to preach the truth about Christ's salvation based on the reformed faith, apologetics and theological applications. In this manner, he has always been able to challenge the audience in a lively, inspiring and convincing manner. Under the illumination of the truth, our reason will then be brought back to the truth, and we will learn of the great love and salvation of Jesus Christ, and thus submit ourselves to God. As a scholar, Rev. Tong reads widely and is well verse in theology, philosophy and other fields of study. He examines these thoughts and subjects them under the scrutiny of the Bible, the revealed Word of God. He uses the absolute truth of God to critique human-based theories and philosophies, pointing out their inadequacies and where God's Word completes the picture.

Rev. Tong loves music, and music can often be heard at his home. He has also composed numerous Mandarin hymns and chorus, popular among many Christians. Other than his preaching and teaching, Rev. Tong's other activities revolve around conducting choirs and orchestras, and educating the church in the appreciation of sacred music.

His other talents include art and architectural design, having contributed to the design of many church buildings in Indonesia, making it difficult for one not to admire his many gifts. Due to his familiarity with so many different areas of study, he is able to use examples and illustrations from science, art, music, geography, history and current affairs in his sermons, making it easy for his audience to enjoy what would otherwise be a solemn sermon on the truth of God. In this manner, every obstacle to accepting the faith will be removed one by one.

(Translated and modified by Elder Yong Teck Meng from a STEMI publication)