Life: Pastor Timothy Lin, 1911-2009

LA Times Obituary October 20, 2009
Lin, Timothy
January 18, 1911 - October 11, 2009

Pastor Emeritus of the First Chinese Baptist Church, Los Angeles, passed away peacefully at the age of 99 on Sunday, October 11, 2009.

Dr. Timothy Lin was born to a minister's family in Chekiang, China. In 1940 he came to the United States to study Hebrew and Greek at Concordia Theological Seminary and Washington University.

Dr. Lin was a member of one of the Old Testament translation committees for the New American Standard Bible. He was a professor in the graduate school of Bob Jones University, where he taught Systematic Theology, Biblical Theology, Old Testament Hebrew, Biblical Aramaic, Classic Arabic, and Peshitta Syriac. He was also a professor at Talbot Seminary, Los Angeles, and Trinity Evangelical Seminary, Chicago.
In 1962 he became pastor of the First Chinese Baptist Church of Los Angeles. When he retired as Senior Pastor a few years ago, the church had eight pastors, more than 2,200 in regular Lord's Day attendance, several mission churches with more than 300 in regular attendance. He served as the president of China Evangelical Seminary in Taiwan from 1980 to 1990.

Visitation will be held on Friday, October 23, 2009 from 6:00 - 8:00p.m., in the Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3888 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, CA 90601 (562)699-0921. There will be a memorial service (Celebration of Life Service) on October 24, 2009 at the First Chinese Baptist Church in Los Angeles, commencing at 12:00p.m. (213)687-0814

In Lieu of flowers, donation may be made to one of the following:
1. Dr. Lin Scholarship Fund of FCBC, LA (make it payable to FCBC)
2. Dr. Lin Scholarship Fund of CES, North America (make it payable to CESNA)
3. Dr. Lin building Fund of CES, Taiwan (make it payable to China Evangelical Seminary Association)

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Dr. Timothy Lin was one of the pastors from the First Chinese Baptist Church of Chinatown LA where I went during my younger days. He had been having some health problems which was not surprising given his 99 years. Thus, when I had heard that he had left behind his earthly tent for the glorious presence of our God, I felt, amidst sadness, a sense of assurance.

I started attending FCBC fairly regularly when I was a high schooler about 30 years ago! Pastor Lin was already 69 years old and was transitioning out of pastoring FCBC to being a professor and president of the China Evangelical Seminary in Taiwan. He would stand and preach without notes for 30, 60 and even 90 minutes expounding the Bible. He would draw from the Scriptures both Old and New Testament.

What I remember most was the passion and thoughtfulness in his preaching.

I benefit greatly from his metaphor connecting the contemplation of Scripture with the eating of food!

He would remind us that we may not remember what we had for breakfast 3 days ago just as we may not remember the sermon or the particular Bible reading from the day before but it was still food for our body (in the case of breakfast) and for our soul (in the case of that time spent grappling with the Scriptures). And so over time, with repeated hearing of the Word and reading of the Word and demonstration of the Word in the lives of others, what God cares about bit by bit becomes a part of our lives.

Though a great man of learning, he stressed that knowing Scripture though requiring thoughtfulness is not foremost an academic exercise but one of knowing God and enriching that relationship.

He would close the service with this benediction:

Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit who makes Your objective promises into our subjective blessing be with you all. Amen.

The faith and hope you held in our Lord has now been rewarded as the Great Shepherd welcomes you home with the commendation, well done good and faithful servant.