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1. What have you found most challenging as a church leader?

I am the associate Pastor in my Church right-now. But I am taking leadership in some areas of ministries in our Church under the leadership of my Senior Pastor. Agape Ministries Center is been run for near 40 years. Now, nearly 400 families join together in our Church. In the Church whether its small or big, we have human resources such as pensioners, government workers, natural talented men and women of God, Health workers singers, musicians and so on, its always a challenge that if as a leader misused any of the people in a wrong way or in a wrong position, the Church will be in trouble and if use in the right way it will bring glory to God. My senior Pastor is a visionary leader. Just before we complete the ongoing vision, he starts pronouncing a new vision which we have to follow and assist our leader to achieve the incoming vision. This is a great challenge to me. As for me, we plan to plant 100 Churches by 2050. This is the vision I put up in my mission committee. Whenever we are calling a new Church planter, it’s always a big challenge to me in all aspects to send those Church Planters to the field. But the challenge unites us and push us to pray about it. So, in short, to me, as one of the Church leaders it’s always a challenge to follow the leader. As the Church, currently it’s a great challenge how to deal the coronavirus is a great challenge in and out of the Church to support the members and the community. According to the Covid19 law we are prohibited to worship together in Church, but according to the Bible we are encourage to have fellowship in the house of the Lord. What and how we are going to deal with it, and how have we been responding to this great challenge?

2. How did you become a church leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

In Christianity, I am the third generation in the family. My Grandfather was a Baptist Pastor under the directions of the missionaries from Western countries. My father is a Pentecostal (AoG)pastor and he took the position of leadership in a certain level as well. But it does not gives me assurance of Salvation. I was born in 1969 and was born again in 1987. Since I was born again, I have committed my whole life to serve the Lord as much as I can. Because I sincerely understood that God chooses me, not I(John 15:15-17). On and on I testified the death, buried and resurrection of Christ. Then late in 1990 I begun studying the Word at different Bible Schools in India, Myanmar and South Korea.

My Mom, pray for all 11 of us that we might be a full time ministers for the Lord. She pray for us while we are still sleeping, pray for us even before we born again, pray for us even if we kicks her out. Pray for us while we studying and she saved uncountable prayers in the prayer bank for us. So that, we might draws the prayers out whenever we need, we might become Church leaders.

I recognized myself that I am serving the Lord in the way I could beginning from 1987, but since 1995 my organization recognized me as one of the ministers in our denomination. In the sojourn of ministry for more-than 25 years now, some time I feel, I am on the mountain, sometime in the valley and sometime in the plain level of life. It does not matter to me in whatever condition I am, I never have a single mind to withdraw from serving the Lord. I know, I am not happy all the time. I know, I am not being appreciated most of the time. But I know I am always with my Lord. I serve as the youth Leader in 1995. I was in among the Buddhist as a missionary in 1996. I served as dean of students in 1998-2003 at Bethel Bible College. I serve as the principal of South East Asia Bible College in Mandalay in 2004. Since 2007 I have been in Agape Ministries Center as the assistant Pastor and the principal of Agape Faith Training School. At the same time I also am directing our Mission for Planting Churches in Myanmar. So, Mom prayed, Dad invested. I became the Church Leader.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

Waking up in the morning I pray to God for the day. Pray for his guidance. Going to the Church for down personal prayer. On Monday morning praying for Sunday activities epscially pray for the Words that we(the pastors) shared that might be fruitful in the life of the believers and beyond. On Tuesday, pray for the Mission, Church planters that we sent out and of course pray for Church planting projects in Mymanmar and beyond. Wednesday, I pray for my family, immediate family and extended family near and far. Especially I pray for my two sons, and my daughter and my wife.

Thursday, pray for Church ministries such as Bible School, Home care(orphanes) ministry, department committees, Women ministries, Youth department, MM, and for all the families of our Church. Friday: Pray for fellow-minister in my Church, Pastors in my town. And Pray also for my friends who are serving the Lord in several countries of the world. Saturday: Pray for Sunday activities. On Sunday, Give thanks for what the Lord has done in a week.

Then, day time, we regularly have devotion with friends amidst this coronavirus pandemic from 9-10am. Then I teach at Bible School two hours a week and overseeing its day to day life. Visiting Home(the orphanes) meeting with the leaders here. Doing some office works as office admin. Then, visiting Church members 4-5 families a week. And writing Bible study for Agape Monthly Magazine. If I missed lunch at home without noticeing my wife, she is not happy. She is always waiting for me. So I have to rush Home for Lunch with my wife when there is no other schedule. Three times a week, we have family prayer meeting. Monday night we have prayer meeting in Church for 1 hour. Wednesday night Home-cell meeting. Friday night we have Regular Church elder meeting(leadershipteam). Saturday Fasting and pray meeting. On Sunday we have 3 different services we attend all three services.

4. What one book had the most profound impact on your church leadership? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

My senior Pastor is crazy with the books of Joel Osteen. He always mention from Jeol’s book anytime he preached. It change our thinking our philosophy. To the Book of Isaiah is the most impact on my leadership because Isaiah is about the gospel. Whenever I turn my Bible Isaiah is right in my face.

My senior Pastor is crazy with the books of Joel Osteen. He always mention from Jeol’s book anytime he preached. It change our thinking our philosophy. To the Book of Isaiah is the most impact on my leadership because Isaiah is about the gospel. Whenever I turn my Bible Isaiah is right in my face.

My senior Pastor is crazy with the books of Joel Osteen. He always mention from Jeol’s book anytime he preached. It change our thinking our philosophy. To the Book of Isaiah is the most impact on my leadership because Isaiah is about the gospel. Whenever I turn my Bible Isaiah is right in my face.

5. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

To follow the leadership of a leader whatever condition it might be is always the best lesson I learned. To be submissive the Word of God and to the Leader.

6. How do you develop a healthy leadership pipeline in a church?

We create things: Before the pandemic, for regular Church service we focus on the Word of God and Praise and Worship. We give a very limited time for announcement and others. We have time to pray for the sick and needs.
Change things: Way of worship, orders of the worship service. The way of giving. The way how to have fellowship. We have 73 cell groups, 3 families in one, 5 in one, 7 in one and so on.
We have appointed 6 area pastors, dividing our City into 6 parts. Each of the area Pastors closely taking care of each area. In one area, we have 3-4 units, in one unit we have 10-15 home cell groups that way we easily communicate, pray, fellowship and even in this pandemic we could able to continue our fellowship. That brings health in the leadership of the Church.

7. If you had to pick just one story, what would be the most meaningful story from your time as a church leader so far?

Under my leadership in our Church ministry, at Bible School, there is a rule tha they should obey if not they will be punished or expel. So, once 3 students behave very badly, and as the principal, I expel them. Now, as I have been in under the Leadership of my senior Pastor, including me all my fellow ministers, all of us. We, often time violate(big or small)the leadership of our Church. But my senior Pastor never judge, he is very wise to teach us. He forgives, he shows kindness to us, He includes us always. Several time he shuts his mouth up. He encourages us. This is meaningful to me.