On the evening of Nov. 6 (Pacific Time), Called to Work, a workplace ministry organization, held an online celebration marking its 30th anniversary, reflecting on three decades of workplace ministry and outlining plans to expand its global mentor network, develop bilingual resources, and organize conferences in 15 North American cities over the next 15 years.
The celebration brought together pastors, seminary representatives, workplace ministry leaders, and partners from around the world through video messages, reflections, and interactive sessions. According to the organizers, the event featured 30 speakers and 17 ministry colleagues and partners. The organization currently has a global network of more than 60 mentors.
During the opening session, founder Elder Elaine Kong reflected on the ministry's development over the past three decades. Called to Work began in 1996 at Rogo Church in New Jersey, initially organizing English-language gatherings and workplace conferences to help Christians understand the relationship between faith and work. For its first 15 years, it held annual in-person conferences, serving hundreds of Christian professionals each year.
In 2012, the ministry expanded to offer seminars in both Chinese and English in the United States and overseas. It moved to Dallas, Texas, in 2013, strengthening its connections with churches and seminaries and gradually developing a wider workplace ministry network. From 2019 onward, it placed greater emphasis on integrating resources and building cross-regional partnerships. During the COVID-19 pandemic, its online ministry grew, with bilingual videos, books, courses, and other resources reaching Christians in more countries and regions.
Reflecting on the financial support behind the ministry's development, Kong said that publishing books and carrying out ministry activities had largely been funded through her personal salary and retirement income. More than 60 colleagues have volunteered their time without compensation. She added that the ministry had never formally appealed for external financial support before, making the anniversary celebration its first such effort. Contributions and prayers from supporters will help sustain its courses, videos, publications, and other initiatives.
Several international Christian leaders sent congratulatory messages, recognizing Called to Work's contribution to helping Christians integrate faith into their professional lives.
Rev. Samuel E. Chiang, special adviser to the secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), commended the ministry for its three decades of helping Christians understand their identity, purpose, and calling in the workplace.
Joseph Vijayam, Lausanne's catalyst for workplace ministry, highlighted Kong's role in initiating the Global Day of Faith at Work. He said Kong originally proposed the observance, which was subsequently taken up jointly by the Lausanne Movement and the WEA and incorporated into their annual calendars. It is now observed each year on May 1.
Vijayam described the workplace as more than a place to earn a living, calling it an important setting for participating in God's mission and bearing witness to Christ. He encouraged Christians to demonstrate biblical values in fields including business, education, government, healthcare, and technology.
Rev. Ezekiel Tan, general secretary of the World Chinese Christian Alliance, a member of the WEA International Council, and the WEA's special envoy to China and Chinese territories, also emphasized the importance of workplace witness. He said faith should not remain within the four walls of the church but should extend into workplaces and wider society through Christians' professional lives and service to others.
Beyond its international relationships, Called to Work has also developed partnerships to make workplace ministry resources more accessible to Chinese-speaking Christians.
Leah Archibald, executive director of the Theology of Work Project, introduced the collaboration between the two organizations in translating and distributing workplace resources, including devotionals and the Chinese version of PRS.Work, a Scripture-based video resource for small-group study.
"Theology of Work Project and Called to Work share a common conviction that our daily work is an essential part of Christian discipleship, and that Christians need practical biblical resources to help them live out their faith in the workplace," she said.
Through Bible readings and group discussions, PRS.Work helps participants explore the relationship between biblical teaching and everyday work and consider how to put their faith into practice.
Another partnership initiative is the Workplace Ministry Strategic Alliance (WAMSA), established in 2021 by Kong and Elder Jerry Cheng of Home of Christ Church.
Cheng recalled launching the Workplace Light Movement in Silicon Valley in 2018 and organizing a workplace conference the following year, where he invited Kong to speak. Their subsequent cooperation led to the establishment of WAMSA, which aims to connect workplace Christians across regions and encourage them to become witnesses to Christ in their professional settings.
"When the lights in workplaces across every city around the world are lit, what a movement of workplace ministry that would be!" Cheng said.
The anniversary celebration also featured testimonies from ministry partners in different regions. Peiwen Hong of Malaysia shared that she had conducted nine online workplace ministry courses between 2022 and 2025, reaching more than 500 participants in Malaysia and overseas. In 2026, she organized workplace groups, fellowship presentations, and workshops that reached approximately 500 workplace Christians. Her other initiatives included family and parent-child faith formation programs, which reached around 1,400 Christian parents.
Elder Michael Zheng, founder of Huizhi Workplace Ministry in Vancouver, Canada, spoke about how workplace mentors had accompanied and supported him as he established a professional accounting firm and became involved in workplace ministry and church service.
Participants also reflected on how to put workplace ministry into practice through several interactive polls. One poll centered on five questions exploring the actions participants hoped to take, whom they would share workplace ministry resources with, the challenges they wanted help addressing, the experiences they most wanted to pass on, and how they hoped to participate in the ministry in the future.
The responses showed that participants particularly wanted to reconsider the "three Cs" of their lives: Calling, Career, and Community, as well as how they allocate their time between work and other aspects of life. Approximately 80% of respondents said they hoped to share workplace ministry insights with their churches. When asked about the challenges they faced, many identified how to live out their faith and bless others through their work as a key concern. Participants also placed particular value on the impact of one life on another and expressed interest in inviting colleagues and church partners to explore related courses and becoming small-group leaders or mentors.
Looking ahead, Kong said Called to Work is entering a new phase focused on leadership development, cultivating global mentors, strengthening teamwork, and expanding its ministry network. She hopes to organize in-person workplace conferences in 15 cities across North America over the next 15 years, bringing workplace discipleship to more churches, ministry organizations, and businesses.
The organization will continue developing courses and digital resources in Chinese and English. Plans include a course on the Seven Fs of Whole-Life Discipleship in May and June 2027, covering faith, fitness, family, work, finance, fellowship, and fun, followed by a life coaching course in August and September.
The team is also developing an AI tool for workplace ministry based on the content of Kong's eight books. The tool is intended to help users reflect on workplace challenges, consider their faith and calling, and identify practical next steps.
Kong announced that the next in-person gathering is planned for June 18–19, 2027, at Lord's Grace Christian Church in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California.
The celebration concluded with a prayer led by Rev. Jack Wei, director of the Workplace Missions Center at the Chinese Christian Evangelistic Association (CCEA) in Taiwan. He prayed for God's continued guidance of the ministry and its team, and that more Christians would recognize their calling in the workplace, serve others through their professions, and become a blessing to society.
