Langston Assistance Fund – A Celebration of Rick and Laurel Langston’s Ministry

Posted by jaclyn on Friday, May 16, 2014 · Leave a Comment

After faithfully serving 23 years with the East Asia School of Theology, Rev. Dr. Rick and Laurel Langston are returning to the US. EAST have been blessed immeasurably by Rick and Laurel through the years at EAST.

As part of celebrating the Langstons’ ministry in EAST, we would like to setup a Fund to be used for the Langston Assistance Fund (LAF) for students who are enrolled in any Master-level program that has its primary emphasis on cross-cultural ministry and/or missions. As a school, we want to trust God to raise for this fund and would like you to prayerfully consider giving to the cause of this financial aid. No matter how much you give, your support to this cause will help needy students preparing for missions, enrich their holistic educational experience EAST strives to provide to our students. May their lives with us and away from us continue to touch deeply all those who are being equipped for His Mission.

Please click here to see various ways of sending your gift to EAST. You may indicate your gift is for “Langston Assistance Fund”. This will inspire staff and students to continue in their legacy with a true heart for the Lord and for Missions.

Rev. Dr. Richard L. Langston is a pioneering faculty who helped to start East Asia School of Theology. In 1991 he was appointed as Acting Director to launch the school in 1992. Since then he has been actively involved in teaching and in various leadership positions at EAST including the Director for six years and Academic Dean. He teaches courses in missions, spiritual warfare, and church growth. Called to serve the Lord in Asia after joining Cru in 1967, Rev. Dr. Langston and his wife, Laurel, lived in the Philippines for eight years before moving to Singapore in 1989. They have traveled to teach in many places in Asia since 1973.

He is the author of the book, Bribery and the Bible. The Langstons are regarded as mentoring “teachers and parents” to many students and graduates of EAST − a testimony to their conviction that theological education must stress the integration of principles with practice in the application of biblical truths in people’s lives. They raised their two children in Asia and have twin grandsons and two granddaughters.

Laurel Langston has been involved with EAST from the early years of the school counseling students and the wives of students. She has taught various counseling classes as well as teaching with Dr. Rick in the Religions of Asia and Spiritual Warfare classes. For a time, she helped oversee the EAST counseling students and arranged or supervised their counseling internships. She has also helped mentor Partner in Ministry students. Laurel has spoken in churches and at conferences in the region on the Biblical perspective of the New Age movement. For a number of years, she made regular trips to East Asia to provide missionary care to those serving there, particularly to the wives and mothers. Laurel was instrumental in bringing Dr. Neil Anderson to Singapore for his first teaching trip here and has helped many people find freedom in Christ through the Steps to Freedom in Christ.

This is one dear couple that has made most profound impact in the lives of so many students and others that they served alongside. They will be best remembered for their love, faith, faithfulness and humility as servants of the Lord. As faculty, they bowed low to lift students high. Theirs was never to pride in how well schooled they were, or how learned they are in the Bible. But they always took great pains and efforts to reduce difficult truths into its essence conveying them in simplest form…in love. Thus, the Word and His message was received with greatest ease, fullness of understanding, accuracy and joyful acceptance. It is no wonder how students and graduates love and admire them. A loving and godly couple who have truly loved the Lord and His servants, they have left a powerful legacy for us to continue.

Let us give praise to God with the Langstons over His faithfulness these twenty three years of their lives at EAST and continue to pray for their ministry beyond EAST.