In Memory of Rev. Doctor Harry Ambacher – the most influential person in my life

Why was a Hong Kong Chinese young man named Jeremiah?

Back in the year 1985 I was still quite young and was called to serve in full-time ministry. After interviews and rejections from at least two seminaries, the China Baptist Theological College was my last and only choice. For them, I was also the only choice of that year, since I was the only student being interviewed by Harry Ambacher, the president of CBTC, and other faculty members. At that time I didn't realize that I would serve in Bible Translation ministry and be called "Jeremiah".

Dr. Ambacher taught me several courses in CBTC. In Fall 1986 he was teaching me "Old Testament Prophets."  He used to teach the course using his favorite Old Testament Prophet book, Isaiah, as an example for the course. That year he was using the book of Jeremiah. That was the only time he taught with Jeremiah in his many years of teaching that course. In the course, I was very impressed by the book and the life of the prophet, Jeremiah. One day I was on the ferry to Hong Kong City Hall for a concert and there was a kind of urge or calling for me to use Jeremiah as my name. After that, I started using Jeremiah as my name. Even though some teachers and students thought it was funny. I still recalled Miss Sue Farley was smiling and told me that I didn't look like a Jeremiah. Until today the ABWE missionaries still call me "Ying Shing" in the English way, instead of Jeremiah.

Sometimes later I thought I was unqualified to be a preacher since I didn't know how to preach. I considered myself inadequate to be a preacher/minister.  I was not wrong, I still am not adequate, so I continue to rely on God daily. One day I went to Dr. Ambacher's office and told him that I wanted to quit. I still remembered that he told me that he loved me. That's the first time in my life, I heard from a person that he loved me. He asked me to finish the study no matter I would be a businessman or do something else. But I told him that I was going to a concert that evening, then I would pack and leave the next morning. I took the ferry to the concert at City Hall with a heavy heart. As I got the program at the entrance of the concert hall, I was astonished that the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra was going to play the Symphony of Jeremiah. The vocalist was singing Lamentation in Hebrew. I had studied a bit of Hebrew at that time, and I knew that the meaning of Jeremiah was God established, appointed, or put in a high place. I could not even wait until the end of the performance. I left while I was still weeping. Next morning, I told Dr. Ambacher about what happened, and I thought God still wanted me to continue my study. Since then I kept using the name Jeremiah and started the journey with the calling to be Jeremiah.

A Tribute to Dr. Ambacher –
a version of God’s Words in our Hearts

I posted the following message to my fellow Bible Translation practitioners with the title: A Tribute to Dr. Harry Ambacher -- Scriptural Engagement for Bible Translation consultants in "Modular Aggregation of Principles for Bible Translation" on Feb, 21st of 2017.

"Today from my Chinese Bible app., I found that I completed the reading of the 66 books once in the last 365 days. I had to confess that I forgot that practice for many years. When I was in Bible college in the 1980s, Harry, I used to call him Mr. Ambacher, shared about his habit of reading different versions of the English bible every year and try to finish the reading in one year. I had been practicing reading the Chinese Bible once every year for some years. As Bible Translation practitioners in what ways can we value the Book that we spend years to make available in different languages? In what ways can we translate a living version with our words and deeds that are consistent with His words. Harry got SIL training in the 1960s and wanted to translate the language in East-Pakistan, he had never translated the Bible in the languages there, but God's word was written in my heart through Harry. Thus, this is a tribute to Harry.

Today I renew my commitment to read the word at least once every year with love to God and those spending their lives making God's words vividly available."

Today is my spiritual birthday or the day of my being born again. Today (September 6th, 2019) by His grace, I am still reading the Bible once in the last couple of years.  On the same day September 6th of 39 years ago, I decide to receive Jesus as my savior.

A role model of Minister and Missionary

Dr. Ambacher and other missionary teachers of CBTC did not encourage the students explicitly to be a missionary but their life is the illustration of the role model of a servant of God and of a Godly temperament, which students would admire. Around those years of my studies, a rather high proportion of the students became missionaries and served in different parts of the world. In the mission class, Dr. Ambacher taught the mission history of Robert Morrison and Hudson Taylor, along with the story of ABWE's missionaries in Hong Kong and China.

Dr. Ambacher was a quiet person, but he taught with passion and preached fervently.  He was pounding his chest occasionally while he preached or rather roared. I still remember that He was shouting two terms in Hebrew which he shared in the chapels, [Goel] 'redeemer' and the other [Hesed] 'faithful kindness'. Yes, Dr. Ambacher has interpreted that "his redeemer is still alive being kind and faithful even today" through his kindness and integrity to his students and to those he has been serving.

He was also a master of storytelling and illustrations. Many of his own stories in different classes are still in our minds. His preaching, especially those in Cantonese, become great lessons for those involved in cross-cultural ministry. His life, his own stories, and mission class inspired me to be a missionary and a Bible Translation practitioner.  I am not the only one, as his life has inspired many of my fellow students to be commissioned to serve as missionaries.

Loretta and I were serving in Vanuatu for the Merei Language Bible Translation and Literacy project from 1995 to 2002. On November 21st, 2000, Dr. Ambacher flew a long way from the United States to visit us in Santo island of Vanuatu of the South Pacific. We then went to a village in Big Bay. He ate a simple dish called ‘Maji Maji' [some kind of starch wrapped within leaves], as his Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Special June 9th – Fall of the old wheat and birth of the new

After this trip, we were not able to meet again until 10 years later.  At the end of 2008, I asked in the following email about whether we would meet again on or after June 9th, 2009. After I had received Dr. Ambacher's news, I told him that I would like to meet him after June 9th.

Hi Dr. HA and Pat,

My family will be back from around 7th June to HK. When are you leaving from Hong Kong, we would like to see you? I think sometime on June 9th or after could work.

BTW, I have been involving in leadership training in Nepal, Thailand, and the Philippines in the last few years. I have the opportunities in the training to share the most influential person in my life. You are the most influential person in my life. I'm so thankful that God has sent his son to come and send you to Asia.Merry Christmas.

Blessings,

Ying Shing

Loretta and I made it and we met him and Mrs. Pat Ambacher on June of 2009.  After that, I had the privilege of meeting and visiting Dr. Ambacher a few times in the United States. However, we were not able to meet him on the earth after June 9 this year, as our beloved pastor, teacher, and friend, Dr. Ambacher, had gone to be with the Lord and rest in peace.

June 9 is special for me, as I was born on that day.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."  Jeremiah 1:5

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24

These two verses are special for me today, because Dr. Ambacher taught Jeremiah in his class, hence my namesake, and in the future, just as Dr. Ambacher has gone to be with the Lord, he has fully sown the fields as in John 12.

I have been living outside Hong Kong and I did not return to preach often in Hong Kong. However, two years ago I was preaching the passage Jeremiah 1:1-10  at Wo Lok Baptist Church, the first church planted by Dr. Ambacher.  The coming Sunday, September 8^th I am going to preach Luke 9:21-27.  which is a parallel passage to John 12:23-26.

In Memory of Dr Harry Ambacher – who pouring his life for Christ

Recently I came across the sermon/message about the woman of pouring out the valuable ointment for Jesus. As Jesus taught his disciple, "Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matthew 26:13, Mark 14.9)

Dr. Ambacher is indeed the most influential person in my life and is a true example of pouring out one's life to honor and follow Christ. Life seems to some people a series of coincidences, it is a providence for me. May this article serve more than to be in memory of him but to encourage those who Dr. Ambacher had influenced and inspired to accomplish the not yet finished Great Commission.