EULOGY In Loving Memory of the Rev. Dr. Duc Xuan Nguyen For His Legacy to the Church Rev. Duc Xuan Nguyen was born on October 28, 1941 in Duc Pho, Mo Duc District, Quang Ngai Province, the third son of the late Rev. and Mrs. Ba X. Nguyen in a family of 8 siblings. Family Rev. Ba X. Nguyen was among the first Vietnamese Pastors in the Evangelical Church of Vietnam. In 1930, he enrolled in the Institute of Bible and Theology in Da Nang. After graduation, he served God as a Pastor within the Evangelical Church of Vietnam for 48 years (1930-1978). During this time, Rev. Ba Nguyen contributed significantly to spreading the Gospel in many churches around the nation; first at Nuoc Hai Church (Cao Bang), then Phu Ly (Ha Nam), Duc Pho (Quang Ngai), Khanh Binh (Quang Nam), Que Son (Quang Nam), Hoi An (Quang Nam), Kontum, Vung Tau, and finally at Truong Minh Giang (Sai Gon). Rev. and Mrs. Ba X. Nguyen were used to naming their sons after the names of the places where they were serving God when the sons were born. Therefore, Rev. Duc Xuan Nguyen was named 'Duc' since he was born during the time his parents were serving God at Duc Pho Church in Mo Duc, Quang Ngai. (1941-1943) Rev. and Mrs. Ba X. Nguyen had six sons and two daughters. The five sons who were named after the names of the places where Rev. and Mrs. Ba X. Nguyen were serving God when they were born are all Pastors, including Rev. Nguyen Xuan Hong (Song Hong), Rev. Nguyen Xuan Ha (Ha Nam), Rev. Nguyen Xuan Duc (Duc Pho, Mo Duc), Rev. Nguyen Xuan Binh (Khanh Binh, Que Son), Rev. Nguyen Xuan Son (Khanh Binh, Que Son). The youngest son, Nguyen Xuan Phuoc, who was not named after a place where Rev. and Mrs. Ba X. Nguyen were serving God, was a lawyer. Their two daughters are Nguyen Thi Binh Minh (Rev. Vo Ngoc Thien An s wife) and Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan. Early Years In 1943, the Nguyen family moved to Khanh Binh Church, Que Son District, Quang Nam Province where Rev. Ba Nguyen assumed pastoral duty. Three years later, the first Indochinese war broke out, and many churches from Quang Nam Province to Phu Yen Province, including the Khanh Binh Church, were completely isolated from the main cities. Growing up in scarcity, poverty, and dangers during the war, Duc had to help his family with farming and goat keeping in his early teens. There was no primary school in Khanh Binh, so Duc had to go to Thu Bon, more than 20 kilometers away from home, to attend primary school.
After the Geneva Accords in 1954, Rev. Ba Nguyen was transferred to the Que Son Church. There was no secondary school in Que Son at that time, so Duc had to go to Tam Ky and board with his maternal grandmother to study at Tran Cao Van High School. In 1958, his dad moved to Hoi An Church. By that time, Duc had finished his junior high (grade 9), so he came back to live with his family and attended the third class (grade 10) at Tran Qui Cap High School. After finishing the second class (grade 11) and passing the first Baccalaureate exam, Duc moved to Sai Gon to attend the first class (grade 12) at Petrus Ky in Sai Gon. The difficulties and challenges facing Duc growing up along with his parents persistence in serving God left a deep impression in his memory. Those life experiences served as a major driving force that motivated him to completely dedicate his life to God in his later years. Student Life Duc moved to Sai Gon in 1960. During this time, Rev. Paul Contento, a then InterVarsity Christian Fellowship missionary, had just arrived in Vietnam and formed the Vietnamese InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Duc joined the fellowship and was active along with other well-known students such as Le Vinh Thach, Nguyen Huu Ai, Nguyen Van Hai, Vu Hoang Hai, and Nguyen Huu Cuong. In 1962, Duc began his literature study at Sai Gon College of Letters. While studying in college, he taught at Trinh Hoai Duc High School in Binh Duong Province in order to support himself and to have financial means to, in conjunction with his brother Ha, help bring the other siblings to Sai Gon to study. In 1966, after finishing his college degree, thanks to the recommendation of Rev. Paul Contento, he received a scholarship to study at London Bible College, England. In 1968, he came to the United States to pursue his Master of Divinity degree at the Golden Gate Theological Seminary in San Francisco, California. After graduating from the Golden Gate Theological Seminary, he was admitted to the Ph.D. program in Historical Theology at Drew University, a United Methodist Church University, in New Jersey. During this time, he served as the Youth Minister at the Bridgewater United Methodist Church, and also enrolled in the Master of Library Science at City University of New York. Helping Vietnamese Refugees As the wave of refugees from Vietnam coming to the United States became intense in the summer of 1975, he suspended writing his thesis and his job as Youth Minister in order to work with the Church World Service, an inter-denominational Christian relief organization, helping displaced refugees resettle and integrate into a new life. During
1975-1977, he helped resettle thousands of refugees in Fort Indian Town Gap, Lebanon, Pennsylvania. In May 1977, he married Thuan Nguyen in New Jersey. They have three children: Daniel Nguyen (1980), Samuel Nguyen (1982), Elizabeth Nguyen (1985) and four grandchildren. Daniel is a lawyer, Samuel a software engineer, and Elizabeth a piano teacher and a pianist for a Lutheran church. In 1978, he submitted his dissertation and received his Ph.D in Historical Theology. The couple then moved to California where he continued to serve God among the Vietnamese churches and actively engaged in social activities among the Vietnamese community. In order to help early refugees integrate into American society, he and some other servants of God, such as Rev. Nguyen Nam Hai, Rev. Dang Ngoc Bau, Rev. Nguyen Xuan Son, and others established the Youth Center located in the Garden Grove Friends Church. The center provided vocational training and job placement for newcomers to the United States, and served as a meeting place for them during weekends. Theological Education In 1978, seeing the need of the local Vietnamese Christians to study the Word of God, Rev. Duc and several other pastors began a Bible study program on weekends at the Youth Center. This program later merged with the Lay Leadership Coaching Program to form the Vietnamese Theological College, and eventually became the Union University of California, the only Christian institute established by the Vietnamese refugees to be approved by the California government and accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Duc was Vice President for Training and one of the outstanding professors of the Vietnamese Theological College as well as the Union University of California since its founding in 1986. He taught right up until his last class for doctorate students before he boarded the plane for his final trip to Vietnam. Dr. Duc was a studious person. Thus he had a deep affection for self-motivated students. He always strived to help many students gain scholarships to study abroad in master's and doctoral programs in theology, ministry, and education. He loved, encouraged, supported, guided and was a catalyst for those who aspired to become missionaries, pastors or servants of God in any field anywhere. He was one of the most respected professors not only for his profound knowledge but also for his altruism, sacrifice, and dedication to God's work.
Establishment of Little Saigon In 1979, after a meeting in Hawaii with the U.S. Census Bureau, he knew that Southern California would become the location of a major concentration of the Vietnamese, and so he encouraged people to buy houses and land around Bolsa Avenue in Westminster. When the number of Vietnamese settlers in Westminster and nearby cities made the shopping malls bustling, he joined with journalist Du Mien, Mai Cong, president of the Vietnamese Community Association and a number of other Vietnamese friends in the community to lobby for the naming of the Vietnamese commercial district as Little Saigon, which was later approved by the City Council. His dream was to develop a strong, healthy and growing community in all areas of life. He encouraged and helped many students advance their studies and was involved in many Vietnamese refugee activities. Founding of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer for the Vietnamese From 1980 to 1990, under the guidance of The Reverend Fletcher Davis who was then the Rector of St. Anselm of Canterbury (Garden Grove, CA), he founded and served as Vicar of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer for the Vietnamese, as well as chaplain for the St. Anselm Refugee Center. The Center aimed to help resettle and assist the spiritual life of thousands of people from refugee camps in Southeast Asia. Founding of Vietnamese World Christian Fellowship During this time he also collaborated with other pastors and lay leaders to hold annual inter-denominational conferences to help Christians overseas meet and learn from each other, and collaborate in building the house of God. At the 1986 conference, the Vietnamese World Christian Fellowship was officially established as a way of bringing people from denominations around the world together for mutual support and fellowship in promoting the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Implementation of Humanitarian Operation (H.O.) program Meanwhile, the U.S. government was beginning the process of normalizing diplomatic relations with the Vietnamese government. In 1988, Rev. Duc and Rev. Thuan Cong Ly were appointed by the Conference to go to Washington D.C. to meet with the US Special Envoy on Refugees, Mr. Robert Funseth, Mrs. Tho Minh Khuc and other advocates, in order to plead with the U.S. State Department to intervene with the Vietnamese government to release pastors, chaplains and other prisoners from re-education camps. Through this negotiation, he came to visit three imprisoned pastors - Rev. Nguyen Huu Cuong, Rev. Ho Hieu Ha and Rev. Le Thien Dung - who were subsequently released from jail and eventually allowed to emigrate from Vietnam to the United States under the Humanitarian Operation (H.O.) program. Afterwards, many military officers and officials of the Republic of Vietnam, who had been jailed for three years, were allowed to leave Vietnam together with their families. From that point on, the H.O. program was
implemented throughout the 1990s, which enabled tens of thousands of Vietnamese people to find a new life in the U.S. Director of World Vision's Indochinese Program In 1990, Rev. Duc became the director of the World Vision's Indochinese Program, helping develop the church among the Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian refugees, and training and resettling people coming to America in the Amerasians Program. He also organized the Christian Leadership Training Program for thousands of pastors and lay leaders everywhere, and raised millions of dollars to support a variety of projects and ministries in Vietnam. Publishing of the Bible and Christian Writings He and Rev. Nguyen Nam Hai co-issued Huong Moi Magazine, which focused on theological research papers and Christianity-related news around the world. During the next 20 years after the war had ended, the printed Bible was extremely scarce in Vietnam. When the Vietnamese government opened its doors, he worked with the United Bible Society and Rev. Le Cao Quy to campaign for the Bible to be printed in Vietnam after many years of scarcity. He also helped the Catholic Church in Vietnam in printing the Catholic Bible, and for this he was invited to an audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. Rev. Duc devoted a great deal of time and effort to leading the translation and distribution of thousands of Rev. Rick Warren s books, The Purpose-driven Life" and "The Purpose-driven Church," to Christian communities in both the U.S. and Vietnam. Calling for the Unity of Vietnamese Churches around the World - Vietnamese World Christian Fellowship For the past 24 years, from 1993 until the time of his return to the Lord, Rev. Duc Nguyen has been respected and trusted as President of the Vietnamese World Christian Fellowship. He was dedicated to its calling in connecting the evangelical churches at home and abroad, and in helping church leaders everywhere. Together with Rev. Cam Tu Le, he raised funds for scholarships for thousands of poor students and supported and guided many students to study abroad - preparing them for the future. 2011 marked the 100-year Anniversary of the Gospel in Vietnam. Rev. Duc Nguyen called for the unity of Vietnamese denominations and churches in order to celebrate this remarkable event. As a result, a glorious celebration marking the 100-year Anniversary of the Gospel in Vietnam was held at the Crystal Cathedral in Southern California with participation by God s people from around the globe. The celebration, through Rev. Rick Warren s messages, brought about the recommitment to God s mission among God s people and emphasized the importance of unity and affection in regards to spreading the Gospel.
2017 marks the 500 th Anniversary of the Church Reformation initiated by Martin Luther. On this occasion, Rev. Duc Nguyen was invited to be one of the main speakers in a celebration held by the Vietnamese Christian Fellowship in Sai Gon. Rest in God s Love Before his return to Vietnam, his doctor advised that he was good to travel to Vietnam even though his kidneys had been weakening for over 2 years and recently, he was put on the waiting list for dialysis and kidney transplant. Nevertheless, his passion for the ministry, theological education, and the Church remained strong. In two days, with the people of God from more than 50 Protestant denominations in Vietnam, he celebrated the 500th Anniversary of the Church Reformation. He was delighted and thankful to see various denominations and churches come together in unity, love and service towards the common goal of building the kingdom of God in his homeland as well as around the world. On Sunday, November 5 th, 2017, Rev. Duc Nguyen passed away peacefully in his sleep while resting at his hotel with a colleague after a full day of worship and preaching at different churches in Sai Gon. The Lord fetched him home in an extremely peaceful manner. He serenely joined the saints of all generations in heaven who, serving till their last breath, finished the race and fulfilled God s mission on earth. In his time, Rev. Duc Nguyen was energetic, active, inquiring, affectionate, courteous and very hospitable. His house was like a guest house, always receiving pastors and other Christians mostly from Vietnam, and especially those who had no relatives or friends in the United States. Rev. Duc had a wide network of friends and was respected and loved by everyone. He helped many of his relatives in Vietnam obtain good jobs, higher education or the opportunity to study abroad. He never refused anyone who needed help. Throughout his life he lived in a spirit of love and devotion to service. For his extended family in the United States, he served as a bridge connecting people, often organizing fellowship meals for family members to socialize. In the Church, he was a pastor who prayed for the children, cared for the old and weak, and helped the needy. He lived his whole life in the service of God, the Church, family and others. Rev. Duc Nguyen s life has served as an inspiration for so many who continue to dream his dreams and hope his hopes. He has passed on the torch of passion and commitment to the work of the Lord. Even though he has left us, his vision of unity and his example of love and service will never leave us. Let us honor him by committing ourselves to following his example of wholeheartedly serving the Lord, in order that one day we may meet with him again in the Lord's Glory. Amen!