After college, Ricky Chao MDiv ’22 was discerning a life of significance and service, a path that took him around the world serving communities near and far. From California to Laos to Chicago, and back to California, his faith carried him to places and missions he never expected.
After graduating with a degree in exercise science in 2011, Chao intended to become a physical therapist and practice corrective physiotherapy. Not long after he began his career, however, he felt God’s calling to serve as a missionary overseas. He followed this call to Laos, where he lived and worked for three years as a coffee farmer, while also helping local tribes transition away from the opium trade toward sustainable crops.
When he returned from Laos, Chao began serving at a local church and was introduced to Paul Wilson, a pastor and former superintendent of the Pacific Southwest Conference (PSWC) of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), who connected him with North Park and an opportunity to join a new graduate program at North Park Theological Seminary.
“North Park Theological Seminary was not on my radar at all,” said Chao. “I didn’t think it was for me because I didn’t think I fit into my perception of what a pastor should look like, as well as the affordability aspect.”
After thoughtful prayer, Chao agreed to study at North Park and joined the first-ever Ignite cohort: a hybrid program that allows pastoral staff to earn a Master of Arts in Christian Formation in four years while continuing their ministry and building mission friendships across the ECC. The program also aims to help eliminate the financial barriers associated with seminary education.
“I thought to myself, ‘Ricky, you have the time now. Finance is not an issue, and you don’t have to go and travel anywhere.’ It was like God was really opening up those doors,” said Chao. “So, I took the opportunity and, through prayer, decided to lean in and listen.”
During the program, Chao valued the community of other students at the PSWC who were also practicing ministry while continuing their education, as well as the opportunity to connect with faculty from North Park and leaders from across the Covenant during intensives and in-person visits.
“The profound part of that experience was being able to walk alongside co-pastors where we’re not just doing academia, but we’re in the trenches already serving in our local communities,” Chao shared.
Since graduation, Chao has continued to serve in his California community, building on the mentorship and education he received at North Park to shape him into the pastor he is today, serving in three distinct roles.
As a pastor at Mien Covenant Church, Chao supports a largely immigrant and refugee community that he compares to North Park’s own Swedish immigrant history. He also provides end-of-life care as a hospice chaplain and is the codirector of The Common Table food pantry, which emphasizes food justice and ensures guests are treated with dignity as they choose their own food.
When reflecting on where he is today and his discernment of God’s calling for him, Chao quotes Proverbs 16:9, “We can make our plans, but the Lord will order your steps,” and encourages anyone in a similar position to trust in God and the story he has begun in them.
SHARE WITH FRIENDS