Nationally recognized supporter of Asian American ministry and church planter Ted Lam died Oct. 1 in Tulsa.

“Our family is thankful for all the outpouring of love and prayers that have sustained us (after my dad’s passing),” said Lam’s son, Jed, who noted that a private family service for his father will be followed by a public memorial service on Sat., Nov. 15 at Fairview, Texas, Friendship.

In 1989, Lam surrendered to ministry and completed his theological degree from Oklahoma Baptist University. He then served as the Language Mission Specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) as he helped found the Tulsa International Baptist Church (TIBC). Lam also served on the Board of Directors for BGCO.

After retiring as Director of Church Planting for the BGCO, Lam still served BGCO as the Outreach Team Consultant. In June 2016, Lam was elected president of the newly formed Asian American National Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). He also supported various international ministries at Oklahoma City, Northwest and Oklahoma City, All Nations Church, as well as the TIBC.

Anthony Jordan, who led the BGCO as Executive Director-Treasurer during Lam’s tenure at the state convention and worked closely with him as pastor of Oklahoma City, Northwest, said. “Ted Lam was a wonderful church planter, pastor and leader. He led the church planting ministry of Oklahoma Baptists with excellence.

“His passion to see people of every ethnicity have the opportunity to know Jesus and worship Him in a local church resulted in some of the greatest days of church planting among Oklahoma Baptists. Ted and Jane were fully devoted followers of Christ and dear friends. He will be greatly missed.”

At the news of Lam’s death, Jeremy Sin, Executive Director of the Chinese Baptist Fellowship of the US and Canada, said, “Pastor Ted was a great supporter of the ministry of the Chinese Baptist Fellowship of the US and Canada, having served in the Executive Board as a church planting ambassador for many years which. Through his leadership, many Chinese Baptist churches were planted in the last 20 years.”

During an informal gathering and dinner of Chinese Baptist Fellowship of U.S. and Canada during the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in St. Louis, Mo., Lam said, “We believe that somehow God has put Chinese in your heart. We are facing tremendous challenges in Chinese ministry in efforts to reach immigrants and student populations.”

At that time, there were more than 300 Baptist Chinese churches in the U.S. and Canada.

“We give the glory to God. We do have a strategy to go out in every state and plant a church planting seed, and the church plant gradually will come up,” Lam continued. “We don’t want to plant a church modeled after China, after Hong Kong, or Taiwan, but modeled after the U.S. We believe Southern Baptists will send the best doctrine of faith to Chinese people. If we don’t plant churches for Chinese, somebody (else) will.”

Associate Executive Director for Oklahoma Baptists Alan Quigley, who worked with Lam at the state convention for a number of years, said. “Ted Lam was one of the hardest working men I have ever met. He spent many after hour hours working at his desk to increase the effectiveness of his groups work with Oklahoma Baptists. Ted had a sincere love for see the Kingdom of God grow in Oklahoma and the world.”

Lam is survived by his wife Jane; one son, Jed; daughter-in-law Michele and two grandsons and two granddaughters.