My Baptism Testimony Transcript

大家早上好。我叫安天慈，(Good morning everyone. My name is An Tian-Ci), or as most of you know me, Calum. I feel like I’ve been a Christian since I was very young, having attended my grandma’s church when I was a little child, and attending weekly Bible classes at primary school. For several years though, I attended Chinese school on Sunday mornings, and so I stopped going to church.

Eventually I stopped going to Chinese school on Sundays, and started enjoying Sunday morning cartoons at home. It wasn’t until another mother at the music school we attended suggested this nearby Chinese church to my mum. Thanks Stephanie and Vanessa's mum! My mum thought it would be a good idea to attend, so that we could not only learn more about God, but also improve our Chinese!

Having only just started high school, I was thrown right into the deep end, attending Sunday School class with teenagers who were almost four or five years older than me. I didn’t understand anything. I didn’t understand anyone. As we were the new family at the church, and were not quite Chinese enough to mix with others, we became Sunday Christians.

We were like that for a few years. We attended church and Sunday School on Sundays, then went home. Sure, we believed in God, we followed his ways, and we had a Bible, but it wasn’t a major part of our lives. I remember how a couple of my best friends at high school would spend a lot of their spare time at church, and would wonder to myself, how can you spend so much time at church?

I guess back then, I had many questions. I’m someone who doesn’t like to leave anything down to chance. I wanted an answer for everything. Things pertaining to God were things I couldn’t explain. I thought that I should believe in God just in case he really did exist! I tried to have my foot in both camps. I thought, that if I chose to be ignorant of all arguments against Christianity and just believed whatever I was told at church and by others, then that would be fine.

I would try find a compromise for arguments against God. 

Up to that point, whenever people commented on my personality or on what I was like, they would ask if I was Christian. This displeased me, as I felt the way I was, was just that – a reflection of who I was, and of my upbringing. I didn’t understand why everything had to be attributed to religion.

Ultimately, all these uncertainties about God led me to hide my faith from others. I prefer to avoid confrontation, and debates about heated issues I feel I am not knowledgeable about, such as religion. I had many non-Christian friends, many who were passionate atheists. I’m sure they would’ve respected my views, but it was just something I didn’t want to talk about. I would avoid telling anyone I was a Christian, for fear of being judged.

It was not until the Oddfellows English youth group was established that God started playing a more influential role in my life. God finally started to open my eyes, and made me realise that I’m not alone. There were others my age who believed in God! Being around others who were of a similar age to me, being able to discuss issues that affected us…in English, having fun and the support and encouragement we gave each other – it all helped me become more comfortable with my faith.

Funnily enough, it was an Oddfellows picnic at Cornwall Park when I first realised, I have nothing to hide. After a day of playing games involving dress-ups and other random activities at the park with other youth group members, I came home and the first thing I did was jump on Facebook and came out of the closet. I declared to the world in my profile that I AM A CHRISTIAN!

I have nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, today I realise more than ever that Christianity and God has shaped my life more than anything. The way I am, the wonderful family and friends I have, where I am right now and what I am doing, it is all God’s work. I have developed a passion for serving the church, especially in the music field and with children. The people at this church have all helped me navigate my Christian life. 

I have been contemplating my future career path, asking myself what really matters? What can I do to make a difference in this world? Regardless of how big or small the difference I make, I know God has a plan and he will guide me along that path as long as I obey Him and His word.

The Experiencing God programme that I am currently doing with a few others has challenged me to rethink my relationship with God. I have come to realise, when you have a relationship with God, it is all or nothing.  You can’t pick and choose what you want to believe. You can’t be selective, and you can’t have it both ways. This has been a struggle for me at times, and something I am constantly working on.

I’ve always thought of baptism is something you do to show that you are, or have become the perfect Christian. That is why it has taken me so long to get to this point!

We will never be ready though. We will never will be perfect in God’s eyes. Then again, baptism isn’t an endpoint, but the beginning of a new chapter in one’s relationship with God. It is to show one’s dedication of their life to God. While I may still not be the perfect Christian, and I still sometimes have questions, I believe I am ready to dedicate my life to Him.

谢谢。 (Thank you).