Steve Munsuang was born in Myanmar, a son of a Seventh-day Adventist preacher and teacher of the Gospel. He is now a ministerial intern, working with Ringwood Church. Here is his testimony.
I was born to a Seventh-day Adventist family and as a son of a preacher and teacher of the Gospel. Early in my childhood, at the edge of losing me, my mother dedicated my life to God saying, “if you let my son live, I dedicate him to You.” God did let me live and my mother continued her prayers of dedicating my life to God in my behalf. However, as I grew, I can remember people saying, is he really the son of Pr. Mang? I also recall my teacher in elementary school, who after I have told him that I am studying ministry and theology hugged me and in tears said, “I thought you’d be dead, thank God!”
In all honesty, growing up as a pastor’s kid does draw you away from church more than it does draw you deeper into the church as you are witness to the conflicts, the hypocrisy, the injustices and the politics that you perceive exists within the church. Moreover, as a young person you tend to focus on the faults of others and what they do rather than your own shortcomings. It was the challenges my father experienced in ministry made me detest ministry, but the challenges and conflicts in the church that I personally experienced is what drove me into ministry.
However, my pathway into ministry was full of twists and turns. It eventually came about after a few years in teaching, three years in marketing and management, nearly a year in humanitarian work with UNHCR in Malaysia and eight years as a project and settlement support worker with the Migrant Information Centre in Box Hill. These experiences have opened my eyes to the greatest need of all mankind and that is Jesus Christ who is the ideal and judge of all humankind.
In 2011, Australia became my home and country, and Ringwood Seventh-day Adventist Church my home church and served the church as a Lay Pastoral Worker from 2015 to 2019. Ringwood is a multicultural local church that is accepting of all peoples from all over the world and many believers from Myanmar has made it their home church. It is from Ringwood that I have met Pastors such as James, Denis and Brian who have made an impact on not just knowing but accepting my calling into ministry. All these pastors have been vital in my journey to rediscover my inner passion and my external pull for ministry and have given me much needed opportunities and affirmation of my call to ministry.
Many may reason and say that the existence of injustices, conflicts and discriminations are proof that God isn’t present in a church or in a movement. But from what I’ve learned, what is “truly good” attracts all sorts of people and the devil is more active amongst those who desire the truth than amongst those who do not believe nor desire truth.
I am now blessed to serve an intern minister for Ringwood and Ascot Vale Seventh-day Adventist church. I can only say God is faithful and that it is God’s faithfulness that realised a mother’s prayer and changed a heart of stone and replaced it with a heart that not only desires but is now committed to serve Him for the rest of my life.