長子磯華

A pastor’s family is often described as living in a fishbowl because it seems everyone in the congregation is watching and there’s no expectation of privacy. I’d propose that the Teng family actually lived in an aquarium where not only the local congregation seemed to be watching, but the Church at large!

Growing up as the eldest son of Pastor Teng was not an easy task as I remember some of my church friends would often act more carefully around me just in case I’d tell on them through my parents to theirs (not that I would, of course). Or that there would be extra expectations and pressure put on me to behave and perform better just because I was “Pastor Teng’s son.”

In fact, even though I thought life would get easier by going away to college in America from the Hong Kong fishbowl, I couldn’t be more wrong — as Nyack College was (and still is) a Christian & Missionary Alliance school, most faculty members knew my father and, as the C&MA headquarters were still in Nyack at the time, so did many of the staff there! And so, I was always referred to as “Philip Teng’s son.” Except on one occasion: My father was invited to speak at my college graduation baccalaureate service at Nyack, and he was introduced as “Bill Teng’s father,” which my father thought was great!

In many ways, the Teng family life was full of paradoxes: For example, my father’s life was an enigma as he seldom talked about his past — and I had to read about them in his writings — but yet, his life was always an open book, because he was always who he was, and there was no guise about him! As I was growing up, my impression of him was that he was a disciplinarian, and yet he was always fair. Probably because of his reserved personality, I don’t remember he ever said to me “I love you,” but there was never any doubt in my mind that he did, dearly. We didn’t seem to have much growing up with six boys in the family, but we never lacked anything. And, even though I’m sure he’d have loved to have all his children served the Church fulltime, he never put pressure on any of us to do that. But, there is one thing I do know: He prayed for us each day of our lives that we would love God and serve Him to the best of our abilities, no matter where we were.

Even though my father has now rested from his earthly labor and gone into the presence of our Heavenly Father, to hear these words that we all want to hear someday: “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master,” I know he (and our beloved mother) will — in the spirit of “communion of the saints” — continue to pray for us and cheer us on in our earthly journeys, until we meet again in the eternal presence of our loving and holy Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Rev. William “Bill” Teng
Pastor of Heritage Presbyterian Church in Alexandria,
Virginia and the Chair of Leadership Council of
National Capital Presbytery, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

原載於《恩典懷清輝：滕近輝牧師紀念特刊》，頁30-31。