Yang Jin Oung: A story of God’s Grace
Yang Jin Oung is in the centre.
My Journey to EAST: A Story of God’s Grace
My name is Yang Jin Oung, and looking back at how I came to EAST, I can only confess that every single step has been led by the clear grace of God.
Before coming to Singapore, I dedicated 12 years to campus ministry with Korea Campus Crusade for Christ (KCCC). During those years, God allowed me to witness incredible growth and bear much spiritual fruit among university students. It was a season of intense learning and passion. However, as the years went by, God began to expand my heart with a greater vision for global missions. I realised that to serve the world missions more effectively in this changing world, I needed to equip myself with sound theological training, advanced English proficiency, and professional ministry skills.
While praying about this next chapter, the Director of Cheonan CCC highly recommended EAST. As I researched the school, I was deeply moved to find that EAST perfectly aligns with the core vision and philosophy of CCC. It was not just an academic institution, but a community dedicated to launching Christ-centered leaders into the harvest fields. I knew immediately that this was where God was calling my family and me.
4Twelve Workshops
In the last few months, 4Twelve Academy, a new initiative of EAST that seeks to provide micro-credential trainings, rolled out free introductory workshops. Designed to fit into the busy lives of marketplace believers, these sessions were aimed to give participants a taste of how practical, bite-sized biblical training could benefit them.
We gathered the feedback from our participants across three distinct modules: The Skilled Helper, Strategic Leadership in Church Operations, and Theology of Work. Here is a look at what went well, what resonated most, and how we are moving forward.
Dr Jarred Jung: EAST 32rd Commencement’s Reflection
The reflection below is written by Dr Jarred Jung, an EAST Resident Faculty and coordinator for the EAST 32nd Commencement Service.
On 16 May, EAST celebrated the sending of another class of students into the harvest fields of countries throughout Asia with our 32nd commencement ceremony. As a faculty member at EAST, commencement is one of my favorite days of the year. In many careers, it can be difficult to see the fruit of one’s labour, but we get to celebrate this every year in a tangible way. It fills us with great joy to see students who we have invested in for two, three, sometimes up to four years receive their hard-earned degrees. Perhaps it is the festive atmosphere that brings about this joy, but from my experience, there is something deeper than the morning of festivities.
One deeper source of joy is our love for the students who are graduating. At EAST, a student is not merely a seat filled in a classroom, an empty bucket to fill with our own knowledge. Rather, we see our students as ministers of the gospel that desire transformation. As faculty, we make every effort to invest in their lives, their ministries, their families. Ask any EAST faculty about one of our resident students and they most likely can tell you not only the student’s name, but the names of their spouse and children, the church where they attend, the ministry for which they are preparing, and maybe even about the struggles they have overcome in their studies at EAST. Commencement is a time where we get to celebrate the transformation that the Lord has brought about in the lives of these students who we have not only taught, but also shared meals with, invited to our homes, and prayed with.
EAST Valedictorian 2026: Pang Xin Xian
Valedictorian Pang Xin Xian graduated with Master of Divinity in Intercultural Studies at EAST 32nd Commencement Service on 16 May 2026. She received the Academic Excellence Award 2026 and Sim Ai Tee Christian Character Award 2026 too.
Below is the text of her speech delivered at the Commencement Service. You may watched her delivering the graduate’s reflection on YouTube too.
Years ago, I was in Japan packing up after a year of ministry. As I packed, I was trying to figure out what would happen when I returned to Singapore. Would I go straight into long-term missions? Would I return to working as a pharmacist? Would I study online? Would I work in church? Little did I imagine that three years later, I would be standing here today with all of you, graduating from seminary. And so I left Japan and returned to Singapore at the start of June 2023.
Pray for EAST 32nd Commencement Service
EAST 32nd Commencement Service will be held on 16 May 2026, Saturday.
This year EAST is blessed with a graduating cohort of 52 students from our resident campus in Singapore, EAST Extension Centres (EEC) around Asia, and in partnership with the following partners:
- Certificate counselling program in partnership with Elim Center, Singapore,
- Competency-based theological education graduate program in partnership with Kairos University, USA and
- Doctoral programs in partnership with Asia Graduate School of Theology Alliance (AGST Alliance), South-East Asia.
These graduands are from nine countries viz East Asia, Indonesia, India, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. We rejoice with these graduands who will graduate from the following certificate and degree programs.
EAST Library Catalogue
EAST Populi
National Library Board eResources
The Digital Theological Library
