Laurence Tom

(Extended Reading)
I was born and raised under the greys skies of the Empire City, in Brooklyn to be more specific. Learned early on that life here isn’t what it should be. Somehow I also learned that God was everywhere all the time at the age of four and that stuck with me for life. I discovered who this God truly was in high school and my world was completely undone after that. I don’t think I found him as much as he found me.

After high school, I ventured out to New Jersey and studied graphic design, urban planning and public policy at Rutgers University. I didn’t major in engineering or pharmacy but spent many sleepless nights working in studios and learning more about myself and the idea of process. Art became life or maybe it’s more the other way around, life becomes art. I was able to acquire a comfortable secure job right after graduation ensuring a certain peace of mind for my parents. It was nice for a short while but I decided to break the news to my parents that this wasn’t all there is to life. I quit and started working wtih high school students at Rutgers Community Christian Church as a ministry intern. If that wasn’t enough for my parents I told them that I was interested in a tall white girl.

I received a Master of Divinity from Biblical Theological Seminary and ended up marrying that tall white girl who happened to be one of the best volleyball players in the country but that’s her story. For more than a decade, I’ve been in the trenches of youth ministry, leading short term missions teams stateside and overseas. I also shared in the privilege of helping establish a premier evangelical college in New Jersey. Now I’m fully vested in building the future church at least with the two little boys God has given me and that tall white girl. Chinese Christian Church and Center brought me to Philadelphia and made me one of their pastors in 2006.

(Shorter Sillier Alternative)
He’s the poster child for every Asian-American parent’s worst nightmare. He majored in art and one day came home to inform his parents that he was going to quit his nice comfortable corporate job to become a minister and oh, by the way, marry a tall white girl.  As a result his mom came to love Jesus, his 6’2” wife Lauren and grandchildren Jayden (4) and Logan Xavier (1). LT is a pastor at the Chinese Christian Church & Center in Philly’s Chinatown following his passion for the development of the local and future church.

Other Interesting Tidbits:
• Laurence has worked for Apple Inc.

• A side project that he has been working on is PureCreative a design studio integrating strategy and communication through the power of connecting creatives for the greater good.

• Found Jesus at Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference (TECBC)