“As a pastor, to this day, I still have images of going down into the ancient church catacombs where the early persecuted Christians were hiding...” reflects Josh Ng ’18, lead pastor of City Discipleship Presbyterian Church in Puchong, Malaysia. “It gave perspective to our lives as Christians.”

The vivid memories of ancient Italian churches from a study abroad trip to Rome — as well as the taste of endless gelato — are merely a sampling of the life lessons, skills, and relationships from his time at Geneva.

Born and raised in Malaysia, Josh's homeschool curriculum from a young age integrated a Christian perspective on learning. “At that point I was so steeped in it that I wasn’t even aware there was anything different from that,” he says. It wasn’t until he read a book by theologians Cornelius Van Til and Louis Berkhof on Christian education that he became aware of this distinctive, and began considering what he wanted in a college education.

Already looking for schools in the U.S., Josh applied to Geneva after receiving a recommendation from a Chinese-American missionary.

“I distinctly remember Geneva being very, very responsive,” says Josh. “They really took care of me throughout the admission process and I felt very welcome.”

Josh knew that choosing a college was choosing how he wanted to be formed in his view of the world. His years at Geneva were characterized by intellectual growth, lasting mentorships, and deep personal relationships.

From a young age Josh was encouraged to consider pastoral ministry, and he also entertained a dream of becoming a filmmaker. Though he wasn’t committed to a certain path, he explored both options while at Geneva as a history major. His minor in communication allowed him to operate cameras and study interpersonal skills while his elective courses included Hebrew, Church History, and Augustine’s Philosophy. By the end of his time at Geneva, he felt certain of his call to ministry.

“At Geneva, theology is everywhere. Every class you go to, there’s theology. I just continued to fall in love with theological viewpoints and learning to see things through the lens of God’s word — and to fall more deeply in love with God’s word.”

Josh made plans to attend seminary but never regretted his decision to study broadly during his undergraduate years.

“After your bachelor’s, anything you do academically is very focused,” he says. “I saw a rare opportunity at Geneva to be intellectually adventurous and take extra courses like economics, physics, and literature.”

Jokingly, Josh shares his only regret: “Maybe I should have tried to be a super senior — there were so many classes I wanted to take but couldn’t fit into my schedule!”

Many professors impacted Josh’s life, notably Eric Miller, PhD, professor of history and humanities; Byron Curtis, PhD, professor emeritus of biblical studies; and Joel Ward, PhD, associate professor of communication.

“Dr. Miller was really more than a professor to me, he was a mentor. He invested time in me that, looking back, I’m kind of baffled by because he’s a busy man, as are all the faculty. But I think he saw me early on as an international student, trying to adjust culturally and to feel a sense of belonging. He was able to see that, and he really welcomed me. He would just talk to me about life and give advice, guidance.”

Josh recalls conversations in the dining hall with Dr. Curtis, who would often show up to lunch with no agenda and a willingness to chat with students outside of formal class and office time.

“Around the time I was graduating, Dr. Curtis asked me to have lunch with him and, with tears in his eyes, told me he really believed in me. He knew I was going to the ministry, and he wished me well and blessed me.”

Academically, Josh was challenged through his communication courses with Dr. Ward, including a semester-long practicum on persuasion. His courses, including writing, public speaking, and interpersonal communication, have proven helpful in his current role. “Pastoral ministry is a lot about communication,” says Josh. “His teaching gave me a good foundation that helps to this day.”

Geneva is also where Josh met his wife, Lindsey (McCracken) ’18, through the Genevans choir. “We both were impacted by our professors and learned similar things from them in terms of how to think deeply in a Christian way,” Josh shares. “That’s been helpful for our marriage, to have that common ground.”

After graduation, Josh worked for a time at an international school in Malaysia before returning to the U.S. to marry Lindsey and attend Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Michigan. Three and a half years and one global pandemic later, Josh and Lindsey made the move to Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia as a young family, with two-year-old Levi and soon-to-be baby Chloe.

Josh reflects on the challenge of this new adventure.

“I came right out of seminary basically into a lead pastor position, which to me is not ideal, but [a product of] the situation in Malaysia. It’s part of what gave me the burden to go into pastoral ministry, seeing the scarcity of pastors both generally in Malaysian churches and also particularly in my denomination.

“So I was fresh out of seminary. All of a sudden, I was leading a church of more than 100 people. My wife was trying to adjust to living in Malaysia for the first time. I learned very quickly that I didn’t quite know how to lead a team yet... it was an interesting dynamic. I was the youngest person on the elders and deacons board, and that was quite challenging initially.”

Though Josh and Lindsey remember their time at Geneva as the “Golden Years,” the lasting impact of a Geneva education is more than nostalgia.

“There was a lot from my time at Geneva that helped me to be as prepared as I could have been to pastor,” says Josh. “I really grew socially when I was at Geneva. To me, that’s owing to the kind of community that Geneva was — just very tight knit. We really learned how to be deeply invested in each other’s lives. We weren’t going to school just to get a degree and to learn some things intellectually and get a job. There was a real sense of community that helped me know how to be cared for and how to care for other people in a deep way. A lot of that came from Geneva, even more so than seminary.”

Additionally, Josh shares the worldview shift he experienced during his college years. “Learning to help people — especially younger people, teenagers, think about different aspects of their lives, and possible future vocations from a Christian perspective ... a lot of that I got from Geneva, the habit of thinking in that way.”

Josh has also taken his love of singing the psalms with him. “Not a lot of churches in Malaysia even think about singing psalms. So introducing that to the congregation was really fun because people were very appreciative... And you know, for us to, let’s say, sing a lament — that's different from your typical hymn, right? To see the spiritual benefits of that and see how it helps [my congregation] to weave the Scriptures together, not only from sermons and Scripture readings but in their own singing. It’s really fun to be able to pass that on and bring that heritage here.”

In preaching, leading, adjusting to new life challenges, and raising a family, Josh continues to experience the fruit of his Geneva education.