Reverend Stephen Tong is one of the most respected, prominent, and influential evangelists in the world; a servant of God who has preached to more than 37 million people over a span of more than 66 years of ministries in Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa and in North and South America. Born in 1940 in Xiamen, China, and currently residing and ministering in Jakarta, Indonesia (the largest Muslim city in the world), Rev. Tong was called to be a minister of the gospel at the age of 17. His primary evangelical objectives are to remove rational barriers to Christian faith and to lead people back to Christ through unified biblical principles. As an evangelist firmly rooted in Reformed theology, his dynamic messages have brought innumerable individuals to God, as well as sparked revivals among many Christians. His media ministries (such as STEMI TV and Reformed 21), through the internet and recordings, have reached hundreds of millions of people in mainland China. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of highly educated young intellectuals have answered God's calling to be full-time ministers of the gospel in Dr. Tong's various meetings worldwide.

STEPHEN TONG

In order to fulfill the cultural mandate, he also serves as a composer, conductor, artist, and architect; and has also developed a vast and extensive knowledge of arts, music, philosophy, science, antiquities, and architecture.

He is the founder and the President of the STEMI (Stephen Tong Evangelistic Ministries International), a ministry which oversees, strategize and execute Rev. Tong’s evangelistic vision and mission throughout the world. Today, STEMI has established offices in the United States, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Taipei as well as affiliates in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Rev. Tong is a member of the International Consultants of the Lausanne Committee of World Evangelization. He has delivered sessions in various international conferences as a keynote speaker; including the World Reformed Congress in Johannesburg 2006, Second Lausanne Congress in 1989, International Prayer Assembly in Seoul 1985, and as the Seminar Leader in Amsterdam 1988 which was sponsored by the Billy Graham Association. Furthermore, he became the only Asian pastor invited to preach at the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Reformation in Wittenberg, Germany on Sunday, October 29th of 2017. On May 22nd of 2008, Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree to Rev. Tong where he also delivered the commencement address to the class of 2008. In the September of 2011, Westminster Theological Seminary established the Stephen Tong Professor of Reformed Theology Endowment Chair in his honor. In the September of 2009, the Park Street Church in Boston invited Rev. Tong to speak at four Sunday Services as part of their 200th anniversary. Rev. Tong graduated from Southeast Asia Bible Seminary in Malang, Indonesia and later on served in the faculty of his alma mater teaching theology and philosophy for 25 years. He also taught at the Reformed Evangelical Seminary that he founded in Jakarta, and became a guest lecturer at many leading theological seminaries in Asia. He is the author of more than 75 books; including “Theology of Evangelism,” “Strategy of Evangelism,” “Between God and Man,” “Holy Spirit and Gospel,” “The Examples from Christ,” and “Culture and the Fall.” In 1990, Rev. Tong founded the Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Foundation; which consisted of a full-featured theological seminary, the Theological Institute for laymen, the Jakarta Oratorio Society, a literature department and a theological translation center, featuring activities such as city-wide evangelistic rallies, mass theological seminars, and youth and teenager counseling. In 1996, Rev. Tong founded the Reformed Institute for Christianity and 21st Century in Washington D.C., to equip Christians for global evangelization in the 21st Century by training them in the areas of reformed theology, apologetics, evangelism, and critical studies of Eastern and Western cultures. Since 2000, Rev. Tong dedicated his time to do expository preaching on the Gospel of John, Book of Romans, Hebrews, James, Ephesians and other topics across Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Taipei every week for more than 15 years. Rev. Tong himself regularly conducted performances of sacred oratorios including Bach Magnificat, Handel Messiah and Israel in Egypt, Mendelssohn Elijah, and Hymn of Praise with the Jakarta Oratorio Society and Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra, taking them on concert tours to major cities in Asia including Singapore and Taiwan. Rev. Tong is also an accomplished composer who has composed more than 200 hymns. As an architect, he has designed more than 30 buildings all over the world.

Rev. Tong founded and architecturally designed the entire Reformed Millennium Center of Indonesia in Jakarta. It is the largest Christian Reformed Evangelical church in the world with 600,000 square feet of space with over 90 branches worldwide. Its sanctuaries have the capacity of over 6500 seats (The Messiah Cathedral and John Calvin Auditorium were completed and dedicated in September of 2008 and December of 2007 respectively). In addition, the Center also includes a world class concert hall called Aula Simfonia Jakarta, JS Bach Recital Hall, an art museum named Galeria Sophilia, a theological seminary and library, Agape Wedding Chapel, and a 24 floor educational and apartment complex called Calvin Tower. The multi floor complex was the beginning of the Calvin Christian School — Elementary, Middle and High School — which has been recognized as one of the best schools in Indonesia for its academic achievements. The Calvin Christian School now has a brand new dedicated education complex and building. In October of 2018, Rev. Tong launched the Calvin Institute of Technology for a more advanced education, which is also based in the Calvin Tower until another fully dedicated facility is completed.

The Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia with its over 90 branches, to which Rev. Tong is the founder and senior pastor, has proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ to at least 2 million people annually throughout Indonesia, which is the country with the world’s largest Muslim population. The church is currently building many new church buildings throughout Indonesia including Bandung, Bali, Jogjakarta, Makassar, Manado, Malang, Solo, Surabaya, Ambon, Buaran, Kupang, PIK, Serpong, and so on. In the next few years, Rev. Tong will lead his Farewell Gospel Rallies in many cities around the world for the last time. Hundreds of thousands of people will have the opportunity to hear the gospel of salvation which will change their lives forever.

This is the embodiment of Rev. Tong’s commitment to the Lord, in which he said: