We Strive

Pastor John Jackson moved to NYC from San Francisco in 2012 with his wife Carolyn. He has a B.B.A. degree in Finance and a Masters of Divinity. Before attending seminary in California, he was a missionary in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After seminary he became the pastor of a church in Chinatown, San Francisco. He was ordained in 2008.

During his free time he enjoys writing music, playing basketball, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and their dog in Central Park.

Currently he serves as the pastor of the English Congregation.

Motto: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

Pastor Vernon was born and raised in the Boston area. Before moving to NYC to serve as pastor at CEMC in 2017, he served in various ministry roles at Boston Chinese Evangelical Church. He received his B.A. in Pure Mathematics from UMass Amherst and his Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

He enjoys spending his free time playing and watching sports, being a foodie, playing guitar and enjoying good music, being in the outdoors, and traveling to different places around the world.

Currently he serves as the Assistant Pastor of the English congregation, overseeing the high school youth ministries.

Motto: “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27a)

Pastor Sam Leung was born in Hong Kong. He accepted Christ and was baptized in high school. Upon his
conversion and baptism, he felt called by the Lord to be a missionary overseas and he sensed that the
Lord has put a heavy burden and conviction in his heart for the lost souls and His church. He committed
himself to the Lord for His mission and since then, he knew that the Lord has called him to full time
ministries.

He received his college education and started serving in an oversea student fellowship as a lay leader in
Australia. While he served in Australia, he found the joy in seeing how God touched people’s hearts and
how He changed people’s lives. The Lord has given him the passion for His church and to spread the
gospel to the lost world. Throughout the years and experiences of different trials in life, he learned that
Christ is his Lord, that he could not do anything by his own strength.

In 2003, Pastor Sam moved to New York. He started his ministry as an administrative assistant in a
church in Brooklyn, New York. In 2008, Pastor Sam received his Master of Divinity at Alliance Theological
Seminary and became the pastor for the English congregation. Later on, Pastor Sam joined a church in
Chinatown, New York as a pastor for the Cantonese congregation and was ordained a several years
later.

Pastor Sam is grateful for God’s calling to be a full-time pastor. He and his family will continue to follow
God and to discern His will in terms of serving His church and living a life that exemplifies Christ’s love.
He will continue to pray that God will continue to use CEMC to make disciples of all nations for their
gracious God.

He loves spending time with his family and the church family.

Mottos:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans
5: 8)
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8: 37)