Congratulations to CHC zone supervisor Daniel Lim Joon Hian on graduating with a Master of Divinity from one of Asia’s foremost seminaries.
CN PHOTO: Michelle Toh.
For City Harvest full-time staff member Daniel Lim Joon Hian, embarking on a master’s degree at the Trinity Theological College gave him the opportunity to drill deep into the Word Of God.
A father of two, Lim, 37, was conferred the Master of Divinity by the TTC on May 18 in a graduation service which saw another 44 master degrees, two doctorates and 10 bachelor degrees awarded.
The graduation service, TTC’s 63rd since it opened its doors in 1948, was held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Backed by local Methodist, Anglican and Presbyterian churches, it aims to “develop in students a mature understanding of the historic and biblical faith” through an “academically rigorous, spiritually and vocationally formative curriculum that reflects a variety of church traditions from an Asian perspective.”
The three-year course gave Lim the opportunity to understand various doctrines better in a historical and theological context, which he hopes will empower him further in his current capacity as a zone supervisor at CHC as well as assisting with preparing church-wide Bible study materials.
TTC’s alumni include many bishops from mainstream denominations in Singapore as well as City Harvest’s pastors Bobby Chaw, Tan Kim Hock and Edmund Tay.
His biggest takeaway? The friendships forged with fellow classmates and teachers. “It is both important for us to know them, and for them to know us,” says Lim. After all, these individuals will be the future church leaders of the different Christian denominations in Singapore, and he will be working hand-in-hand with to glorify the kingdom of God.
Lim was also heartened by encouragement from his teachers at TTC, who frequently tell him that they are standing together with the church in prayer. He adds that his teachers know and acknowledge CHC to be a fully theologically-sound church.
For Lim, maintaining balance was especially important throughout the three-year course, as he was juggling both work and studies concurrently. He admitted to feeling “greatly stretched” on many occasions but believes that it will enlarge his capacity in serving in his ministry.
Lim attributes his success at the end of the journey to his family, his fellow pastoral staff as well as deputy senior pastor Tan Ye Peng, who sowed a love for the Word of God in him. Additionally, he thanks SOT’s dean, Bobby Chaw and his wife Cindy, who helped him in exploring study options at TTC.
