Founder
Raymond Chen
Founder’s testimony
All-in Ministry Life
One Grain of Rice Feeds a Hundred Different People
Joyfully Running the Race on the Path of Ministry
There is a well-known Chinese saying: “One grain of rice feeds a hundred different people.” God truly created us in countless different ways, each one unique and special. As we face life’s many twists and turns—setbacks, successes, and challenges—each of us responds differently. In ministry, some may get hurt, stumble, leave, or lose heart. Yet others grow stronger through adversity; some are drained and exhausted, while others seem to gain more strength the further they go.
Every year, SOWIM holds an annual banquet on the eve of Thanksgiving. At this gathering, we have the opportunity to personally thank our brothers and sisters, share fellowship and mutual prayer, and update everyone on the progress and future plans of the ministry. However, the pandemic changed the rhythm of our lives. With in-person gatherings suspended, SOWIM also faced a great test.
Thus, on December 12, 2020, the Psalms Launch and Ministry Sharing Livestream became another “first” for SOWIM!
With faith and courage from God, we diligently prepared in advance—coordinating with ministry partners around the world, gathering live footage, and accelerating filming and editing work in the U.S. Amidst a tight production schedule, SOWIM faced several puzzling technical challenges. Yet, our God is the one who turns obstacles into grace!
Through this livestream, God brought together three brothers—Ming-Ching Cheng, Chia-Tung Chen, and Raymond—who became the behind-the-scenes heroes of the broadcast. Because the three of them were standing by online throughout the event, we were able to successfully present this livestream celebration.
This time, we had the privilege of conducting an in-depth interview with Brother Raymond, inviting him to share about his joyful journey of running the race in ministry.
Answering God’s Call
Brother Raymond described himself as a die-hard skeptic before he came to know the Lord. But at the age of 42, God heard his prayer and granted him a miraculous healing—after that, this once-stubborn man could no longer stay stubborn. He humbly turned to the Lord and began walking the path of ministry, serving in various roles at church as a worship team guitarist, sound technician, and deacon.
On December 12, 2009, God called his wife Susan (yes, our very own Pastor Meng!) to begin the ministry of creating multimedia Bible study materials. What a daunting, seemingly impossible task—something completely new, vast in scope, and filled with challenges. How many people, when faced with such a divine calling, are willing to step up and respond with courage? Both Susan and Raymond’s hands went up.
When the calling was so clear and evidently from God, Raymond said he immediately resolved to be his wife’s steadfast supporter, committing wholeheartedly to back this ministry. And so, the two of them began this journey—without pay, without rest, laboring day and night, step by step. Even to this day, they continue to obey God’s call and press on, upheld by the grace of the Lord.
The Principal Who Also Rings the Bell
In the early days of the ministry, every task—big or small—had to be done. To help more people get to know SOWIM, Pastor Susan made countless plans and efforts, and Brother Raymond was the solid support and supply station behind it all. Monthly videos? Sure! Raymond shouldered the camera and tripod and followed Susan out to shoot on location. From the hillside behind their home to the 85°C café in Irvine, the couple left their footprints filming videos wherever they could. Naturally, post-production and video editing were also done entirely by Brother Raymond before uploading them online.
In addition, Pastor Susan was often invited to preach at various churches in Southern California or to teach Sunday School using SOWIM materials. Want to turn these sermons and lessons into videos so more people can learn about SOWIM? No problem! Raymond kept hauling around two cameras and two tripods, filming on-site, editing behind the scenes, and publishing the videos to the website and social media platforms.
On weekends, whether filming on location or attending speaking engagements at churches, the couple seized every opportunity to let more people know about SOWIM. They frequently set up booths at churches and conferences to promote and introduce the materials. Hauling heavy equipment—cameras, tripods, projectors, monitors, and stacks of resources—sometimes for three-day or four-day events, they would return home late every night. As for how many places and how many times they’ve done this, Raymond said he’s long since lost count.
For five years before SOWIM hired its first full-time coworker, Brother Raymond was also in charge of maintaining and updating the website and Facebook page daily in both English and Chinese. For seven consecutive years after SOWIM was founded, he accompanied Susan on mission trips to Taiwan, handling photography, filming, and video editing. Occasionally, he even shared his testimony with students at the English Bible camps during these trips. Many of the video segments featured in SOWIM’s Bible study materials—such as the Scholars’ Commentaries—also bear Brother Raymond’s signature presence behind the camera.
A Trial Allowed by God
Since the founding of SOWIM, the ministry has been wholeheartedly supported by Raymond and his wife. They gave their time, money, energy, and lives fully to the work of God.
However, in 2013, SOWIM faced a serious financial crisis. The bank account was running low, and there was no funding for video production. Often, they had to transfer money from their own retirement savings into SOWIM’s account to help ease the situation. In response, Raymond and Susan made a bold decision: from the beginning of 2014 to the end of 2016—three full years—they would not buy any new clothes, bags, shoes, cameras, or electronics. They resolved to give every penny they could save to SOWIM, so the ministry could continue creating Bible study materials. Remaining faithful to God’s calling has always been their top priority in every decision they make.
After those three years, SOWIM’s finances suddenly improved. God moved the hearts of more brothers and sisters to become SOWIM Warriors, and He miraculously led the ministry through the financial storm. Through this experience, Raymond deeply realized: when the work is truly from God, He will surely provide abundantly and guide clearly!
A Secret to Joyfully Running the Race
On the journey of ministry, it’s true that we will encounter setbacks and wounds. Sometimes these don’t happen directly to us, but we often witness or hear of fellow believers stepping away from their posts, leaving church, or even turning away from God after pouring their hearts and energy into service.
Seeing all that Raymond and Susan have voluntarily done for SOWIM, no one can deny the hard work along the way. Every tear, every drop of sweat, and every hour spent is deeply etched into their story. Yet Raymond says he has rarely ever doubted. Occasionally, relational issues may bring discouragement, but he shares, “My eyes are fixed on that day when I will stand before God, and I want Him to be proud of me. I focus on pleasing Him, obeying my heavenly Father—everything I do, I do willingly and joyfully.”
If you’ve ever felt like giving up… here is a word of encouragement for you: in John 12:26, Jesus says, “Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” What an astounding honor—that we can be esteemed by our Heavenly Father! Brother Raymond says ministry is all about advancing God’s kingdom and bringing joy to God. That’s why he serves willingly, without complaint, and doesn’t feel tired.
At SOWIM, “serving God” is not just an abstract concept—it’s a real, tangible experience. It enables believers to learn Scripture in vivid and engaging ways, and it leads those who haven’t yet believed to encounter the gospel. Raymond says that every time someone comes to Christ after watching SOWIM’s Bible study materials, every time someone is baptized, or when he sees hundreds of students raising their hands to receive Jesus at mission camps, he feels great joy. In those moments, all the effort and time feel entirely worthwhile.
In this light, everyone involved in SOWIM—whether behind the scenes or in front of the camera, whether using the resources or helping to create them, whether giving or receiving—shares in God’s grace and glory together.
SOWIM’s 11th Anniversary Livestream: 12/12/202
For this livestream event, Brother Raymond admitted that he was under immense pressure. On the one hand, collecting footage from various locations took a lot of time. On the other hand, the broadcasting deadline was fast approaching, which meant post-production time kept getting squeezed. He ended up working into the early hours of the morning on the day of the livestream—exhausted but also excited and anxious for the 4 PM broadcast.
Since the livestream wasn’t pre-uploaded to YouTube, getting the correct video link into the hands of viewers posed a serious challenge for the SOWIM team. Thankfully, Brother Ming-Ching, who had extensive livestream experience, came to the rescue. He shared insider techniques that only seasoned professionals know and walked Raymond and Brother Chia-Tung through several dry runs. On the day of the event, Brother Ming-Ching handled the primary stream, Brother Chia-Tung was the second line of support, and Brother Raymond served as the third-level backup. This three-tier safety system ensured that if any technical issues occurred, someone could immediately take over the stream.
Praise God! Through the skillful hands of these three faithful warriors, SOWIM’s first-ever livestream—celebrating its 11th anniversary and the launch of the Psalms study—was successfully completed.
This livestream experience vividly illustrated why God designed us to be members of one body. Flying solo may seem fast and freeing, but you can’t go far alone. In ministry, because of Christ, we can complement one another’s strengths and cover each other’s weaknesses. We are called to be true family—especially in times of need, when family is the first to reach out and help. Through the behind-the-scenes labor of these three brothers, we clearly saw how God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him.
By now, you might be thinking that Brother Raymond must be retired to have the time for all of this, right? In fact, he’s a full-time engineer with a very busy schedule. All of these countless tasks are done in the evenings after work and on weekends. When he goes on mission trips to Taiwan, he even uses his vacation time to take two weeks off from work.
So what kind of mindset allows someone to joyfully run the race of ministry without growing weary? Is it because the path of service is always smooth, filled with never-ending grace and ease? Or is it because of a heart that is not only strong—but also born with a willingness to suffer for the sake of the Kingdom?
美國加州 2022-04-27
