滕張佳音

At age 75 and after the death of his wife due to cancer, Rev. Teng did not think he would marry again. As for me, nor would I ever think of getting married at 46, particularly to 75-year-old Rev. Teng who lived faraway and had limited contact with me. I can only say it was all God’s miraculous guidance. After prayers lasting for the most part of a year and about an hour’s long distance call every day, we received affirmation from various sources about God’s guidance and, finally and courageously, took our first steps together in the last part of our life journey. It was truly a journey of faith.

As such, we discussed marriage along with funeral matters and at an early stage added both our names to the New York cemetery with the decision that whoever departed first, the remains after cremation will be buried in New York where most members of both families live.

Thank God —— we have had 16 beautiful years.

Rev. Teng was bestowed 27 years of retirement life after 65, of which he spent 10 years as dean of the Chinese department at Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary. He then returned to Hong Kong and, after marriage, taught for seven years at Christian Ministry Institute, doubling up as consulting pastor at Chinese C&MA Yau Oi Church. He also spent two years accompanying me during my studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School north of Chicago so that while I focused on my doctoral thesis, he could spend time quietly writing his memoirs, All is Grace, and a few other booklets. In the last seven years, he returned to NPAC family, participating in some preaching and as chief pastoral consultant of Hong Kong C&MA.

Gifts and talents

Rev. Teng was endowed with a number of gifts and talents to facilitate his work in a lifetime of ministry:

1. Pastor: Pastoral ministry was at the core of his life’s work.
2. Theology educator: Teaching at Guangzhou Bible Institute, Alliance Bible Seminary, Bethel Bible Seminary, CGST, Christian Ministry Institute…
3. World mission motivator and participator (see “The Life of Reverend Philip Teng”).
4. Speaker at international forums: He said with humility that he was invited worldwide just because he spoke English. His sermons centered around the Bible, which was his most favourite book. He prepared for sermons whether or not he was invited to do so, zealously writing his outline in point form. Every year, his birthday wish was to be able to preach until 100 years of age. He was a sincere outlet of God’s Word.
5. Author: He wrote fast and well, focusing mainly on the Bible.
6. Calligraphist: Penmanship with the brush had been his favourite since childhood. He used to say that an invitation to calligraphy would be his opportunity to practise penmanship, often completing the job in a single attempt.
7. Musician: He enjoyed singing hymns and had been a choir conductor while in university. His special interest was whether the melody blends well with the sound of the lyrics.
8. Prayer: He prayed for family, church, theological seminaries and a host of other needs.

Despite failing strength, sight, hearing and memory in recent years, he still enjoyed delivering sermons, singing hymns and prayers, even when he was alone.

Character and daily life

1. He was time-conscious, always early, never late. He was well-prepared, concise and to the point.
2. He was forward-looking, never backwards.
3. He often expressed appreciation and affirmation, rarely complained, criticised or made negative remarks.
4. He preached to his Indonesian domestic helper as soon as he noticed that he was not yet a believer.
5. His life was simple and unadorned, travelling the world with one suitcase, one suit, and one change of clothes.
6. He gave money and gifts to others but never to himself. I had to throw away his old clothing before he would let me buy new ones.
7. Except when he was sick, he was a happy man and enjoyed joking with me and hearing me sing hymns and tell jokes to put him to sleep.

Happy ending, yet not without regret

When we first met, he mentioned putting on his tombstone the wording “President in name”, meaning that his purpose was mainly to groom the younger generation.

Formerly named “懷智”, he changed his name to 近輝 because he loved to stay close to the glory of God. Reviewing his own life, he summarized in one phrase, “The sovereign grace of God”. His memoirs were named All is Grace, which epitomises his life.

His only regret was that he did not spend enough time to accompany his sons during their growth to maturity. He considered himself a dull and inward-looking person. His mother tongue was Putonghua but his sons spoke Cantonese, and he was too busy to communicate with his sons in those days. He had thought that children of pastors, like himself who grew up in church, would naturally become good boys. However, the times have changed whereby he could not expect today’s children to sit obediently to listen to a sermon and when not understanding or feeling dull, to read the maps at the end of the Bible and grow up. The times cannot be reverted, so he often prayed for his grandchildren.

When granddaughter Josephine wrote to him in her childhood saying that she wished to become a missionary someday, Rev. Teng waited happily, counting the days before the emergence of a fifth generation Teng family serving the Lord.

Peaceful end

Rev. Teng could still take the bus or fly to deliver sermons before the age of 80. He did not need a walking stick on his 85th birthday. Leading a disciplined life, he enjoyed good health and had hoped to preach until the age of 100. For him, aging did not become evident until March 2011 when he was 89. He was hospitalised for pneumonia, inflammation, and bacterial infection on several occasions. And last year, he stayed in hospitals and infirmaries more often than at home.

In the past year, his sons and grandchildren came back to Hong Kong to visit him. His two sons in Hong Kong had lunch (yum cha) with him each Sunday after service and watched TV with him at home, making a happy family day.

Six months ago, due to a change in domestic helper, Rev. Teng had to temporarily stay at Haven of Hope Woo Ping Care and Attention Home in Tseung Kwan O where he undertook physiotherapy daily and took nutrition meals. His health showed some improvement and I could take him by wheel chair to have desserts at a nearby Chinese restaurant.

Most recently, Rev. Teng caught a flu and had fever, later turning into pneumonia which was at first not too serious. Meals were not allowed but, after evaluation by a nutritionist, resumed and he could slowly finish his last supper —— a soft-diet nutrition meal. After that, his breathing became difficult and upon extraction of sputum, fell into deep sleep under an oxygen mask.

Accompanying patients for a long time is not allowed in public hospitals, especially during the current bird flu scare. Visits are restricted to evenings. But thank God, the nurses of Tseung Kwan O Hospital provided some convenience, even calling me up in the middle of the night to accompany Rev. Teng through the night. It was 2 am when I returned to the hospital on 19 December. Rev. Teng had been in a lethargic sleep for more than 20 hours. I sang hymns and prayed beside his ears until 2:22am when he rested in peace in the middle of his sleep. I was comforted in that I was with him during his final trip and that he returned painlessly to God.

It is a “must” for every life journey to end. Rev. Teng has faithfully served this generation. Now that he has completed his work and returned to his heavenly home, parting with the labours on earth, it is in a way a blessing. Although I am sad to see him go and will have to re-adapt to living alone, there is relief in the thought that we will indeed meet again in our heavenly home, where there will be no more death nor mourning nor crying nor pain, and where we will encircle the throne, forever singing and praising the Lord. What joyful hope!

Thank you

Thank you all for coming to see him off, particularly those of you who have come all the way from abroad. Thanks also to NPAC, Alliance Seminary and the C&MA family for lending a helping hand to the memorial services. May the Lord reward you for your love. May glory be to God and comfort to men.

原載於《恩典懷清輝：滕近輝牧師紀念特刊》，頁22-29。