Pastor Dong Yongjun on EFCCA’s Pastoral Ministry, Discipleship and Church Planting
An In-Depth Interview on Church Growth, Spiritual Formation and Intergenerational Partnership
“Ministry is not the goal, but a means; the main focus is not doing things, but forming people.”
Interview highlight | True church growth cannot be measured by numbers alone. More importantly, people’s lives must be built up so that they can continue to influence others.
In November 1996, four Taiwanese families living in central Auckland began meeting with a shared calling to establish a church in Epsom. Thirty years later, EFC Central Auckland has grown from a gathering in a primary school hall into a church with Chinese, English and evening congregations, as well as several church plants.
This journey is not only about attendance. It is also about how the church moved from a relatively flat structure that depended heavily on the senior pastor towards small-group pastoral care, discipleship, team ministry and collective leadership. It is also about how a church entering its thirtieth year passes faith to the next generation and continues towards mission and church planting.
To study a church that had experienced sustained growth over the previous five years, a seminary student interviewed Pastor Dong Yongjun for about three hours. The original interview contained 42 questions covering church development, pastoral calling, spiritual formation, leadership culture, evangelism and future succession. While preserving the original meaning, this feature has been organised into four themes so readers can see both EFCCA’s recent changes and the pastoral convictions behind them.
Four Themes
1. From a Church of One Hundred to a Pastoral Community with Multiple Congregations and Locations
A review of EFCCA’s development from 1996 to the present, and the changes brought by small groups, discipleship, the evening congregation and church plants after 2018. Growth did not happen evenly; it emerged as the church responded to needs, adjusted its structures and received fresh vision.
2. The Pastor Is Not the Owner of the Church
Pastor Dong discusses calling, faithfulness, self-giving, pressure and family support. He believes a pastor’s most important quality is not eloquence or ability, but “a father’s heart”. The people being shepherded do not belong to the pastor; they are God’s entrusted flock.
3. The Main Goal Is Not Simply to Get Things Done, but to Form People
Small groups provide an environment for discipleship, and ministry is also a setting in which lives are formed. Through six pastoral zones, six ministry departments, four generations walking together and the empowerment of young leaders, EFCCA is developing a culture in which more people can participate, grow and develop others.
4. Succession Is Not Simply Finding One Replacement
Looking towards the next five years, the church will continue pursuing mission and church planting, intergenerational partnership and a younger leadership team. True succession is not Senior Pastor A handing responsibility to Senior Pastor B. It means the next generation is involved in every ministry and the whole community is able to carry the mission together.
Interview Details
Interviewee: Pastor Dong Yongjun Interviewer: A seminary student (unnamed at the interviewer’s request) Interview length: Approximately three hours Original material: 42 questions across seven areas Editorial approach: Reordered from the original interview transcript, with repeated material condensed and the Chinese standardised in Traditional Chinese; the interviewee’s principal views have not been changed.