Andy Zhang Is Ordained
BY ARAYA MOSS
Enze (Andy) Zhang was born in Zhejiang Province, China, to a devout Adventist family. Both his parents and grandparents remained unwavering in their faith, even enduring imprisonment for their beliefs. Their courage and dedication instilled faithfulness and resilience in Zhang.
This foundation led to fulfilling experiences in education and ministry throughout his professional career from East Asia to the United States. He holds degrees in theology, music, education, and counseling. In addition to serving as pastor, he has served as a secondary teacher, associate academic dean of Taiwan Adventist College, office manager of the Center of Research on K-12 Adventist Education at La Sierra University, and director of the GraceLink curriculum translation project for Northern Asia-Pacific Division.
“We know it’s been a long journey—a zigzag journey you might say,” said John H. Cress, Southern California Conference president, “but God has been guiding you from China to the United States to this place on this day because He has a plan for your life.”
Zhang’s passion for music and teaching were also displayed at his ordination. He directed the Chino Valley Chinese church choir—where Zhang currently pastors—during a special music, and his two daughters, Joy and Jessica, performed in a string trio with another member during the service.
In his message, Cress emphasized the importance of preaching the Word. ”We don’t preach our opinions,” he said. “We don’t preach to elevate or enrich ourselves. We preach to honor God and to point to His kingdom.”
After being welcomed to ministry, Zhang thanked his parents for bringing him up in the truth, and his wife and daughters as they’ve been the strongest support of his ministry.
“Today I stand before you and God,” Zhang said. “In my heart I issue a prayer: God help me. I want to dedicate the rest of my life to the ministry of God.”
Rolando Rivera Is Ordained
BY ARAYA MOSS
It’s been a long journey, ups and downs,” Rolando (Jae) Rivera, Spanish-American church pastor, said, “but God is good.”
Rivera was born in Puerto Rico. Raised in a dysfunctional home but forced to attend church, he grew up wanting nothing to do with God. After moving to the Bronx, his life became a mess and he hit rock bottom. He later moved back to Puerto Rico and, one Sabbath, was invited to church. Once he stepped into the church, he never looked back. He soon was baptized, met his wife, Yahaira, and years after believing they couldn’t have children, their miracle child, Abigail, was born.
They soon moved to Los Angeles. A few years later, while working at the Glendale Adventist Book Center, he received a call to pastor the young people at San Fernando Valley Filipino company. It was there that his ministry began.
Rivera went on to study at Andrews University. When he was invited to be the pastor of the Newhall Spanish company, Rivera didn’t accept right away because he knew he needed confirmation from God. He prayed, and while he was in class at Andrews, God told him, “Go for it.”
Less than two years later, he was called to pastor the Shalom Spanish and Los Olivos churches. At his ordination, he was introduced as the new pastor of Spanish-American church.
Rivera thanked the pastors who were crucial to his start in ministry and expressed gratitude to friends and family who supported him along the way.
“I want to thank everyone because you’ve been a part of my life,” Rivera said. “Mostly I want to thank God, because He pulled me out from misery, from my old life when I thought I was going to die, when I didn’t want to live anymore. But His light shined upon me, and He brought me back to life. We are here today because of His grace.”
Sergio Caishpal Is Ordained
BY LAUREN LACSON
Born to Salvadoran immigrants in Los Angeles and raised in Santa Rosa, Sergio Caishpal is a proud Californian. Growing up, he teetered between career possibilities. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a physician, a psychologist, or a pastor,” he said, adding that a scholarship at Pacific Union College for theology majors encouraged him to declare the major while still experiencing uncertainty.
Yet, his uncertainty was soon gone. “I felt God affirmed me to ministry, and I was really, really grateful,” he remembered. During those years, he spent days seeking diverse perspectives.
“I would go to one professor and ask a question, and then I would go to the professor next door and ask the same question but get a different perspective,” he shared. “I would do that the whole day. That was really, really formative for me to see things from different perspectives, and that really helped shape my identity.”
In college, Caishpal interned at Santa Rosa and Ventura churches and served Rohnert Park Korean church as youth pastor. After graduation, he spent two years as associate/young adult pastor at Santa Monica church. He began pastoring at Northridge church, where he currently serves, in 2022.
At the ordination service, John H. Cress, Southern California Conference (SCC) president, recalled the “delight” SCC leadership experienced engaging in biblical conversations and ministry conversations with Caishpal during the ordination process.
Royal Harrison, SCC executive vice president, charged Caishpal to love God’s Word, God’s people, and God’s ways. “God already knew that He’d called you,” he affirmed. “Today we celebrate with you, and we acknowledge the fact that God’s anointing is upon you.”
Caishpal thanked all who were part of his journey. “Ministry is something we do together, not something I can do by myself,” he said. “I hope that we can continue to work together and that we can all be reunited together one day in the physical presence of Christ.”
