2021 ELDER CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES
Michael Chen
Michael (ChuEn) Chen comes from a second-generation Christian family in Taiwan. He was baptized at Kaohsiung Methodist Church while in college and became a member of Newtown Church during his visit to the United States in the late 80s for graduate studies. Michael has served as the deacon of the Discipleship Committee from 2011 to 2013; as Elder Chair of the Worship Committee in 2018; and as Elder Chair of the Discipleship Committee from 2019-current day. In addition to serving as a consistory leader, Michael regularly taught adult Taiwanese Bible classes; and he participated in Bible classes before Taiwanese Young Adult Fellowship (TYAF) was established, frequently leading discussions on various topics in TYAF. Michael had been an exceptional translator for Taiwanese Sunday services prior to Covid-19 and has been actively involved with coordinating the Taiwanese congregation’s return to in-person worship and the worship operations in 2021. Michael married his wife Jennie Tung in 1993. They have a daughter Juliet Chen who was baptized in English Congregation.
Chris Kuo
Chris Kuo came to Newtown Church in 1997. He met and married his wife Frances, who also attended Newtown Church, in 2001 and God led them to New Hampshire, where their two children, Nathan and Eileen were born. Chris joined the Merrimack Valley Baptist Church and served as a deacon. In 2015, Chris and Frances felt the strong calling to move to Queens, New York where they hoped to engage the diverse immigrant cultures and communities in NYC as a mission field. At Newtown Church, Chris has served most recently as a Deacon for Christian Life. He has continually served in Mandarin Congregation Children Sunday School, Mandarin Youth Ministry, and Young Professionals Ministry.
Ning Zhang
Ning Zhang was baptized at the Shanghai International Community Church in 1992. Since 1994, he attended worship at The Reformed Church of Newtown and was one of the founding members of the Newtown Mandarin Congregation in 1995 and continues to attend in the Mandarin Congregation. During this period, he served as team co-worker, team leader, group counselor, and was responsible for spiritual counseling, organizing youth fellowship study, Sunday school lectures, Sunday communion, and participating in organizing and hosting the retreats for Mandarin Congregation staff. Ning Zhang served as the Deacon of Missions in the Mandarin Congregation for one year in 2014 and went to Vienna, Austria for short missions. From 2015 to 2019, he served as the Stewardship Deacon of the church for 5 years and was managed the financials of the church. After stepping down as a Deacon, he has continued to serve as a counselor and teacher for Sunday Bible Study and a group counselor in the Mandarin Congregation until now. Ning Zhang and his wife Diana Lo were married in 1994 at The Reformed Church of Newtown. He and his wife have been enthusiastically serving in the Youth Fellowship, Young Parents Group, and Couples Group in the Newtown Church. He has a son, Alexander Zhang, who was baptized in the English Congregation and served as a member.
2021 ENGLISH DEACON CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES
Catharina Lee
Catharina Lee is a long-time member of Newtown Church’s English Congregation. She has served in the English Congregation as a Deacon of Discipleship from (2014-2016) and as a Deacon of Christian Life from (2017-2019). Catharina has most notably served with the English Congregation’s Worship ministry as a worship leader, praise team member, and sound engineer. She continues to serve on the English worship core team to facilitate live-streaming service during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as helping with the planning of the return to in-person Sunday worship services. Catharina was also a member on both of the Newtown Nicaragua Short-Term Missions teams and has participated in other mission trips as well. She also previously served at Newtown through the hospitality team and retreat planning committee for our combined and English retreats.
Irene Ng
Irene Ng is a long-time member of Newtown Church’s English Congregation. She has served in the English Congregation as a co-worker through the years. Irene served in English worship ministries through the hospitality team, ushering, nursery program, and is currently serving as the English Congregation’s YouTube Editor and helps with the Sunday bulletins. In the past, Irene also served as a teacher in Children Sunday School and Friday Awana programs. She is currently serving as one of the co-leaders for the Elmhurst Family Group and was instrumental in gathering co-workers for the church’s Garden ministry. Irene is married to her husband Diego Patino and care for their two cats Charm and Parker.