The Miraculous in a Communist Nation

Tien “Esther” Ly grew up hearing a lot of “you can’t’s.” As a Christian woman in Vietnam’s strict climate, she struggled to find somewhere she could live out her strong internal call to ministry and pastoring amidst the limitations of her culture and environment. However, through international education, including her current pursuit of a degree at Regent University, she is being equipped with theological knowledge and practical skills. She was able to recently put into practice such training at a Franklin Graham Evangelistic Association crusade that almost 20,000 people attended in Vietnam. We had the honor of asking her about her story.

Q: What degree are you pursuing at Regent, and what is your anticipated graduation year?

Ly: I am pursuing a Master of Theology with a concentration on Biblical Studies. I am supposed to graduate in 2025.

Q: Can you please share a bit about how you began your journey in ministry?

Ly: Growing up in Vietnam, I’ve seen how the church’s patriarchal views limit opportunities for women in religious education and careers. After college, I felt a strong calling to ministry and wanted to attend seminary. However, there was only one theological school under the Evangelical Church of Vietnam, and it excluded students from other denominations. It also imposed strict rules on women, like not ordaining female pastors and requiring those with theological degrees to remain celibate to join the clergy. Some Pentecostal house churches are more open to women in leadership and clergy, but there is no formal theological school for house churches in Vietnam. They relied on informal classes taught by house church pastors, which limited students to evangelism and pastoring without a deep understanding of biblical studies and theology. Recognizing the privilege of being trained in theology, I went to Thailand for a Master of Divinity to expand my knowledge and serve my community better.

Q: And so how did Regent University come into the picture for you?

Ly: Back in Vietnam, working with the Vietnam Bible Society highlighted the growing need for biblical studies, especially in translation projects. I chose the Th.M. program at Regent to deepen my biblical studies knowledge. My goal is to bridge the gap between translators and biblical knowledge. Many lack training in biblical languages and exegesis, which is crucial for the accurate interpretation of complex texts. I aim to enhance my understanding to better support Bible translation efforts. Additionally, as a pastor, I recognize a significant need for biblical studies and theology not only in translation but in all Scripture-related work—especially in preaching and teaching. I am concerned about ensuring sound preaching and teaching, which stems from accurate biblical interpretation. My desire is for Vietnamese Christians to develop a strong, Bible-centered faith. After reviewing the curriculum, I found this program ideally suited to provide me with essential knowledge in biblical studies, particularly hermeneutics, to make meaningful contributions to churches in Vietnam.

Q: Can you describe your involvement in the Franklin Graham Evangelism organization and its crusades?

Ly: The Franklin Graham Evangelism organization partnered with house churches in Vietnam for three gospel events in major cities: Hanoi (Spring), Saigon (2023), and Can Tho (December 2024). Pastors from these churches led various activities, including arranging transportation and invitations to bring people to the events, consultations for unbelievers at the site, following up with new converts after the festival, guiding them to local churches, and intercession. In the year leading up to each event, churches worked with the Franklin Graham organization to organize fasting, prayer sessions, and personal evangelism training.

Q: How big of an event are these crusades?

Ly: I help organize the crusade in Can Tho. There were over 215 churches from 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta collaborating with the Franklin Graham Evangelistic Association. This event attracted 19,000-20,000 attendees, resulting in 2,400 new converts.

Q: Why was the crusade significant for you and your local area?

Ly: In addition to personal evangelism efforts, organizing a gospel crusade in Vietnam holds significant importance for several reasons.

Firstly, such an event allows the Gospel to be shared openly and prominently. Vietnam is a country where religious activities face many restrictions. Public missionary work is banned, and even personal and church-based efforts are closely watched. These government restrictions have led many Vietnamese to view Protestantism as a foreign, particularly American, religion. They fear persecution and being associated with what they might consider a heretical faith. A large, public missionary event, especially one with government support, could change these perceptions and present Protestantism in a more favorable light. Securing government permission for such a crusade is often seen as miraculous in this communist nation.

Secondly, Vietnamese culture places a strong emphasis on community. This cultural characteristic fosters a collective mindset, often described with sayings like “When the water flows, the duckweed flows” and “When the water rises, the boat rises.” A gospel crusade can positively influence this collective mentality, providing a sense of security and courage to those hearing the Gospel to trade their faiths from the long-history traditional beliefs of their ancestors for Christ.

Q: Do you have any testimonies from the crusade?

Yes. Amongst the crowd of thousands of unbelievers from 13 provinces in Vietnam’s western region, there was a man named Mr. Diep. He was drawn in by the melodies of the Holy Music. He entered the stadium to listen and, upon hearing the Gospel message, came to believe in God. He remarked, “I just passed by here and was very impressed with such a great program. Now I know about God and understand that God loves me and that I was created by Him.”

Also, two days before the event, Can Tho experienced heavy rains, which could be a challenge for people to come. So, we prayed for the rains to stop. A day before the event, Can Tho still experienced overnight rain, but thank God, it lasted until 3:30 p.m., just a few hours before the event started.

Q: So, what happens after a big crusade like this?

The number of believers from these crusades is often very large and somewhat unrealistic because new converts are influenced by the crowd in terms of emotions and thoughts. Therefore, the next step of follow-up and care is equally important to keep these conquered souls. My church was equipped well with this step thanks to the Franklin Graham Evangelism organization.

These public crusades are both opportunities for current missionary works in the country and a precursor to future opportunities when local churches come together to request other evangelistic campaigns.