Jarred Jung: EAST 32nd Commencement’s Reflection
EAST stands on the foundations of many who have gone before in equipping past cohorts of ministry practitioners. As EAST held its latest Commencement Service recently, we praise God for His faithfulness over the decades. The reflection below is written by Dr Jarred Jung, an EAST Resident Faculty and Coordinator for the EAST 32nd Commencement Service.
On 16 May 2026, 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 favourite 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.
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.
Equip 2 Go
EQUIP 2 GO is our encouragement for your personal growth and ministry as you enroll and learn from our courses. Wherever we are in our walk, work, or service, we can learn and grow even more.
The classes run from 20 July to 20 November 2026.
There are three upcoming evening courses:
- Ageing Gracefully, Finishing Well (Onsite)
- Strategic Leadership Foresight (Online)
- Transforming Leadership (Online)
For the full list of day and other classes (a total of over 20 classes), visit this page.
Registration deadline: 13 July 2026, Monday
Graduand Mali Jana: Equipped and Ready to Go!
Graduand Mali Jana entered EAST in January 2024 and started the Master of Arts in Theological Studies program. She came from Chiang Mai, Thailand, and over the past two and a half years, she has grown through the equipping at EAST and is ready to go back home to serve. She will graduate at the EAST Commencement Service on 16 May 2026.
Below are the excerpts from Mali’s Summative Portfolio Project where she recorded what she has gleaned from her time at EAST and it will give the reader a sense of what an EAST student go through and learn.
Committed to Growing in Christlikeness
Through Field Practicum & FIRM, I was taught to pray by bowing and kneeling, which helped me express wholehearted devotion to God. Practicing this prayer posture changed me physically and spiritually and gave me strength throughout the day as I depended on Him.
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