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Interviewer: Jin Zhou, a PhD student at ASU.
Interviewee: Bob Thompson, a Christian minister who serves God at Arizona State University.
Introduction: Bob Thompson has been serving for chinese students at our fellowship for more than 7 years. He is a humble, gentle and nice person filled with love. His amazing characters have attracted and influenced many chinese students, among which many becomes Christians.
Jin: Can you first briefly introduce yourself? Suppose you are facing many new students in our fellowship.
Bob: My name is Robert (Bob) Thompson. I am a Christian minister who serves God at Arizona State University, with a particular focus in the apartment neighborhood that is east of the campus. My office and ministry center is the Quo Vadis Christian Bookstore. My wife is Barbara. We have been married 32 years. We have three children, Bethany (married to Micah), Ben, and Bonnie (married to Casey.) Our grandson is named Elijah. My undergraduate degree is in psychology, from Miami University, in Ohio. My ministerial degree (M. Div.) is from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, near Chicago. I also have a second master's degree in Chinese Religions, from ASU, Religious Studies Dept. Currently, I am working on a third master's, from the ASU English Dept: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Jin: How long have you been teaching English in our fellowship?
I began assisting the Chinese Friday night fellowship in the year, 2001. My role is primarily that of bookstore host, but I am honored and blessed also to serve as an English Bible teacher for the group, along with Ben Joseph and Yen Phung. In 2003, I began to devote more time to helping students one-on-one with their English skill. In the fall of 2005, after I had spent a summer in Beijing, I developed the "English Corner" class, which presently meets on Mondays at 5 pm, Fridays at 5:45 pm.
Jin: How did you first come in contact with our fellowship and become an English teacher our fellowship?
Bob: I first became involved with the group in the year 2000 or 2001, when the group went by the name, "The Beautiful Gate Fellowship." A missionary pastor named John Chua led the fellowship, which usually met in an apartment in Campus Pointe, across the street from Quo Vadis. I liked to just sit in at the group and listen to everyone speak Chinese. I became fascinated with Chinese students: their culture, their personal stories, their language. God impressed me very deeply that in the 21st Century, He would be very active among the Chinese people.
Jin: Why are you so willing to teach the Chinese students? We know there are also students from Korea, India, Japan and many other places who study at ASU.
Bob: Yes. Actually, I do conduct a similar ministry with Korean students. We have a weekly meeting on the campus, and I help some of the Korean students with their English, also. ASU does not have so many students who come here from Japan, although I have become a good friend with one student in particular. At our neighborhood church, which meets at the bookstore, there are a number of students from a variety of other countries, including India. As a practical matter, my associate, Jon, who has traveled extensively in Central Asia, meets with most of the students who are not from East Asia. However, the "English Corner" is in fact open to all students. For example, there is a couple from Iran who attends quite regularly; last fall, several from India came for 2-3 months.
But all who know me will say that Bob has some special feeling for China. This is because of God's call and God's grace. Because He blesses me with His calling, he opens up human hearts to me, and my heart is large toward them– and this gives me a strong desire to be a faithful servant.
Jin: Are you interested in Chinese culture?
Bob: Extremely interested. I study the Chinese language in courses at ASU (although, I am afraid, I am so poor in my speaking and comprehension.) I enjoy art and architecture. And I find ancient Chinese patterns of thought (philosophical, religious, social) very interesting. Even, I am glad for some recent developments in Chinese culture: such as young men who like to play basketball !! This is one of my favorite games.
Jin: Can you tell us about the International Bible Church? What's the vision behind the church?
International Bible Church was established to provide a simple church model for the apartment neighborhood east of the ASU-Tempe campus. The vision is multicultural, biblical and marked, we trust, by Christian love. Revelation 7:9 is a key verse for us: After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. I sense that this is not only a Heavenly Ideal; it is also a practical vision for the global 21st Century.
Of course, we are very respectful of the many great churches near the campus that serve a specific ethnic community, including GPCCC. Our students definitely still need to hear God's Word in their own language. And the better established churches can provide so many good services. So, like Paul, I thank God for all the churches – because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:6)
