Danny Au Yeung gave up computer engineering for a low paid ministry position this year - and is challenging other young Asians to sacrifice their careers for the gospel.
Danny, who was born in Hong Kong and is the first person in his family to be a Christian, has started a Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) apprenticeship at St Andrew's Cathedral with the Asian Bible Church.
Last weekend he helped to run the first Cantonese strand of the MTS Challenge conferences (formerly Club Five).
Forty people attended the elective, with two people making the decision to become MTS apprentices next year and one deciding to enter theological study.
Danny says Cantonese speaking young people can lack direction in pursuing full-time ministry due to language barriers and limited training.
"Often they don't get much help in this area," he says.
"I spoke to a lot of people who went to the conference and a lot of the Cantonese Christians don't realise thinking about full-time ministry is a process. Helping them to see this was an encouragement in itself."
Record attendance at MTS annual training
A record attendance at the long weekend's Challenge conference is an encouraging sign for Sydney's mission to train 10,000 part time and 1,000 full time gospel workers.
Last weekend's conference had a particular focus on Asians, both Australian-born and from overseas, as well as university students.
"The key value of the conference is twofold," says the Rev Rob Smith, who works for Sydney Diocese's Department of Ministry Training and Development.
"It creates an opportunity to put before people the challenge of using their gifts for the gospel, and provides a good chance to think, talk and pray with others about these kinds of things."
Joshua Ng, coordinator of the MTS Asian network, says he was pleased to have had 150 delegates at this years' conference.
"We've been growing continuously for the last five to eight years," he says, "and this year we've started the sessions in Cantonese as well."
He says Anglican churches will need to start focusing more strategically on ministry to second- and third-generation Asian-Australians.
"There's been some language work done, but people are only just starting to get the idea that ABCs [Australian-born Chinese] are a unique culture," Mr Ng says.
Rob Smith agrees that the signs are positive for ministry growth, but says no one's resting on their laurels.
"We're very encouraged in the way that God is answering our prayers, but the reason we keep praying for workers is that the needs are still enormous," he says.
"There's a big job to be done if we're to reach the nations for the gospel."
An MTS Cantonese ministry training session will be held on 27 Nov at 7pm at Moore College. Email aydanny@gmail.com for more information.
Story by Andrew Robinson and Madeleine Collins
