♦N 4, 2021

Montgomery Baptists will Proclaim the “Gospel Above All” by:

Meeting Human Need While Planting Gospel Seed; Revitalizing, Planting & Replanting Churches; Calling Out the Called

A Glimpse At Your MBA Missionary...

Pastor Dawson Zhang, his wife Joyce, and two sons,
John (14) and Isaiah (11), moved from Mississippi to
Pike Road in October of 2020 to plant a Chinese
church in the River Region. His journey began after
completing seminary in 2011 when a pastor friend
invited him to help plant a church in Mississippi.
The church grew enough to start constructing their
Zhang Family own building in 2016. A year later, they were able to
pay off their mortgage. Along the journey, his heart
yearned for raising up young pastors and offering mentorship. Before being
called to Alabama, he did just that. A young pastor fresh out of seminary
joined the staff, and Dawson poured into his life and ministry professionally
and spiritually. The congregation is currently thriving.

As he sensed a new calling and his time in Mississippi and his church came
to a close, Jeremy, a NAMB missionary, contacted him and let him know
that there was no established SBC Chinese church in Montgomery nor any
in the state of Alabama. Jeremy connected Dawson with Neal Hughes to
discuss opportunities in Montgomery. Because of Neal’s kindness and
passion for a Chinese ministry in Montgomery, he came. The Montgomery
Chinese Church launched in early 2020. Their doors were to open on Easter
Sunday of 2020, but because of COVID, they worshiped as other churches
did from home via Zoom. The pandemic led them to stay home rather than
start on Eastern Sunday as planned. However, upon their return to the
facility in September, they held their first baptism. Twenty people came for
the first service on-site. In June of 2021, they began having COVID-friendly
lunches together after their weekly worship services, pausing in August as
infections rose in the area. His wife, Joyce, wears many hats in the church.
She is a leader among the women offering Bible study and counseling of
other women and their spiritual and family issues.

As a gift from Pike Road Baptist, Dawson and his family were able to
remodel and move into the old parsonage. His wife takes the lead in
homeschooling their sons through a biblical approach. To help keep their
sons socialized, build character and Christian leadership skills, they are
active with Trail Life USA, “a Church-Based, Christ-Centered, Boy-Focused
mentoring and discipleship journey that speaks to the heart of a boy.” Their
son John knows his Bible well and helps to train up their youth. With his
help, the youth have tripled in numbers. Dawson praises God for His grace,
blessing his family and congregation with protection from COVID.

He asks for your prayers for revival that Chinese brothers will be raised up
to become leaders with a knowledge of the Bible and confidence to speak of
the gospel. Pray for the sisters as well and their ministry. He also asks
prayer for his son, Isaiah, who needs medical treatment for an unknown
condition that causes stomach pains and may affect his growth. Pray for
healing that he can grow stronger and healthier. Also, pray for the
congregation to build a stronger ministry and relationships alongside the
churches of the MBA, including Pike Road Baptist Church, who have been
very good to them. Finally, pray for more opportunities to express their love
and build relationships with the Chinese throughout the River Region. He
extends his appreciation and thanks to MBA’s churches and SBC churches
throughout the state.

To encourage Pastor Dawson Zhang, you can contact him by phone at

(334) 603-1513 or by email at zds2000@gmail.com.

Montgomery Baptist Association • 20 Interstate Park Dr. • Montgomery, Alabama 36109 • 334-271-6227 • www.mgmbaptists.org
This publication is made possible by your churches’ contributions to Associational Missions.