Dean of Students: “God, my life belongs to you.”

 

Rev Dr Casey Lok and his wife Siew Leng are no strangers to EAST. Even before Casey joined EAST as a resident faculty in 2015, Casey was with EAST as a student and graduated in 2007 with a Master of Divinity in Teaching and Exposition. He went on to obtain a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Theology in Practice from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2017, and was ordained as a Minister by the Association of Mission Practising Churches in 2019. In 2018, he was appointed Associate Dean of Students to assist the then Dean of Students Dr Roland Tan. In July 2021, Casey stepped up to be the new Dean of Students.

His wife Siew Leng currently serves as a full-time staff with Cru Singapore, leading three groups of ladies in the mums’ ministry, while running a household with four children ranging from 14 to 25 years old, and being a very supportive ministry partner to Casey in his teaching and leadership ministry at EAST Their eldest son Lemuel (25) is a healthcare worker, Lisbeth (21) is a third year psychology major in university, Lazary (17) is in the first year of junior college, and their youngest daughter Latricia (14) is in secondary two.

Casey and Siew Leng came to know the Lord at different points in their lives. For Casey, it was an altar call invitation at a friend’s church back in 1984. He was barely eighteen years old then. For Siew Leng, her acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ took place during Religious Emphasis Week at St Hilda’s Secondary School when she was fifteen. They both entered into full-time vocational ministry with then Campus Crusade for Christ Singapore at the same time in 1991.

They were in the same ministry cohort and were assigned to the Polytechnic ministry. One day, when they were on the same bus back to the Great Commission Training Centre (GCTC) after ministry, the bus jerked, and Siew Leng fell. Casey, being the “hero” tried to pick her up. The bus jerked again and then Casey fell onto Siew Leng! “That fall on the bus was how we fell for each other!” quipped Siew Leng. “And that was how I became her hero!” boasted Casey.

On a more serious note, Casey related a mountain incident that nearly cost him his life at Mount Ophir in 1988 which was instrumental in him dedicating his life to God wholeheartedly. He was a relatively young Christian then, and he almost fell from the cliff at the last stretch of the mountain ascent. He had lost his strength and was holding on to his dear life by the rope. He could very well have fallen to his death at that point. But he prayed, “Lord, save me!” and his strength returned to him. He was able to reach the top. When he finally summitted, he realized how God has saved his physical life just as how he had saved his spiritual life. That very night on the mountaintop, under the stars, he prayed a prayer of dedication, “God, my life belongs to You. Use it however you want it to glorify Your name.”

At the point of the mountain incident, Casey was coming to the end of his National Service and was going to step into vocational Christian service but the Lord led him to the marketplace as an assistant engineer for two years. The calling returned in 1991 when he joined Campus Crusade for Christ as staff and has remained with him through his mid-life transition decision to join EAST in 2015. The Lord, however, had prompted Casey to consider teaching at EAST through his wife Siew Leng who was at that time taking a “Spiritual Life and Transformation” class. The thought of teaching at EAST had not crossed Casey’s mind prior to Siew Leng’s prompting. The timing was impeccable as he was also pursuing further studies on pastoral theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary at that time.

Casey then met with EAST President Rev Dr Chan Chong Hiok concerning his interest in teaching. He soon taught his very first East Extension Centre (EEC) course titled “On Being a Christian Minister” which was well received. The course has been reshaped into a core course at EAST called “Shepherd Care”. Casey’s teaching and his ministry as the Dean of Students have made deep imprints on many at EAST. It is the fulfilment of a statement Casey has made with regards to why he left the marketplace – “I don’t want to spend my whole life playing with toys. I want to spend my life used by God to touch lives.”

Prayer Requests:

1. God’s anointing and guidance upon Casey in his teaching and Dean of Students’ office.
2. God’s wisdom and favour upon Siew Leng in leading her ladies’ groups (Wow Mom – Women of Worth, Moms on Mission).
3. Our four children to love and fear God in their lives. Micah 6:8 “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”