Some Personal History of Steve Amato
The Originator of the Berean
Christian Bible Study Resources
I was born in the late 1950's, grew up in Rhode Island being
raised as a Catholic and went to college at Worcester Polytechnic
Institute in Massachusetts where I became a Christian at the end
of my freshman year through the Navigators. After obtaining a
degree in Physics I worked for 10 years at Polaroid Corporation as
a research engineer. I left Polaroid to move to western
Massachusetts where I married, soon after which my wife and I
moved back to the Boston area where I obtained employment at the
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. There I've been working
ever since, about 20 years now, as a computer engineer developing
electronic cameras for the government's large ground-based
telescopes.
Influential Individuals
To mention some individuals who influenced me, first to Brad
Sargent I owe the most in that he led me to Christ and took a
good deal of time discipling me personally in college for a couple
of years, and he got me seriously into scripture memory. He later
went overseas to start a lay ministry to Muslims which he continued
in this country. I met him again briefly after over a decade and he
was still ministering to Muslims. But, sadly, 35 years after I first
met him he left the faith for another religion - Catholicism. After
him Mike Coates discipled me giving me a vision for China as
it was just opening up at the time. A former marine I'll never
forget his saying to be hard on yourself and easy on others. Then
after college was Mike Fair, an Airforce Officer, who gave
me a vision for the importance of personal discipleship and lay
ministry and the downside of institutional ministry. He also taught
me Bible study getting me seriously into the Greek. Much of the
depth of my studies I attribute to his influence. Then there was the
Reverend Tom Eynon who at the time was the Navigator
representative to international students in the Boston area.
Formerly a missionary in Hong Kong and later to the Soviet Union, he
was a gifted teacher and preacher, and from whom I absorbed some
giftedness. He helped a fellow worker in the Lord Andrew Wo
and myself to start a ministry to mainland Chinese at MIT. It
developed into the MIT Chinese Student and Scholar Bible Study Group
primarily through Andrew and his wife's efforts. I left to be
involved with the BCBSG among other things, but after Andrew went
back to Taiwan I got reinvolved in that study in the last years of
its life through which Lin San for example came to Christ
and developed a web site for that group, and who is now laboring in
the Lord to translate much of the BCBSR site into Chinese and who
has been a faithful coworker in the Lord's work to this day. The
Reverend John Tan was the next major influence in my life
also about this time period, who was also the minister at my
wedding. He was a representative of Ambassadors for Christ, a
para-church organization like Navigators but focussed on Chinese in
North America. He of course himself was Chinese, being from
Singapore. Though it was more of a horizontal relationship with John
as a colaborer rather than a vertical one of personally being
discipled, John was a rare example to follow of one gifted in
teaching, preaching, and discipling and he gave me an "in" with the
Chinese Christian community. John was also the one to start CCIM,
the Chinese Christian Internet Mission http://www.ccim.org, which
Lin San also worked on. John discipled Lin San to a degree. And the
vision I had for developing the BCBSR web site I attribute partially
to John Tan.
As for a couple of individuals who influenced my thinking
indirectly I would have to thank Bill Gothard with his unique
perspective and teaching ability to develop practical applications
from the Bible particularly concerning sin and relationships and
Francis Schaeffer with his apologetical thinking which speaks
clearly to the philosophical mindset of today.
There are of course many others, but these are the major ones who
come to mind and which I don't want to water down with an endless
list of names.
The Divorce
After becoming a Christian and having ministered for a number of
years I asked God for a wife. I asked specifically for a mainland
Chinese Christian as that was my ministry focus. I met such a woman
shortly thereafter who was interested and who was involved in
helping the Chinese Christian community. She had come to Christ
through an old Scottish preacher who also discipled her. He
encouraged her to marry me. I sought also permission from her father
and he agreed as well. We were actually married by my friend,
Reverend John Tan. All went well for a number of years. But she
drifted away, being influenced by the feminist culture and
non-Christian relationships at her workplace. She stopped being
involved in spiritual activities. She carried on affair with her
boss, a married man, and left me after seven years of marriage. She
moved away with him and divorced me a few years later. I will never
marry again, unless my wife sincerely seeks reconciliation.
I mention my divorce because I know that most Christians don't
want to associate with the divorced, let alone be taught by one,
and so I feel most would be interested in knowing this fact, else
I be accused of being evasive.
Activities while developing the Site
Discipleship
I do generally disciple personally everyone who asks. Although I
will not disciple women unless accompanied by their husbands, and
never a single woman. I've met with many couples and individuals,
sometimes for years, and have developed a systematic discipleship
series I generally take people through. At this writing I have two
such studies I'm carrying on bi-weekly.
I. The Boston Chinese Bible Study Group
My fondest memories and positives times were with this group,
which I had the good fortune to have fellowship with since the early
1980's. It was actually the first Chinese Bible study in the US, and
from which many Chinese churches sprang. Technically it's not a
church but a parachurch group supporting the local churches. But in
reality it's better for Chinese students than any Chinese church
I've been to.I was involved mostly with the English group at the
BCBSG for many years and we had a good time and did some good Bible
study. Students are great to work with being inquisitive and open to
ideas. And there were many opportunities to share. Much different
than the purely lecture format utilized in most churches which
normally doesn't even have provision for discussion or feedback. It
was for a welcoming party one year I wrote the
apologetics rap. And of course the entire BCBSR site was
an outgrowth of my involvement with the BCBSG.
II. Lexington Chinese Church
I was a foreigner at the Chinese church in Lexington, having been
invited by John Tan to help teach one of the Sunday Schools but
which basically he let me take over. I spent a year teaching
Deuteronomy and Isaiah.
III. CIBC
After Lexington church I was invited to the Chinese International
Baptist Church by a mainland Chinese Christian who I was discipling
at the time on my own. The church was very young just starting up
and I was able to start a Sunday school class there and continued to
teach for about 3 years. I was perhaps the most busiest time I've
had in doing ministry. I would visit church member's homes weekly to
disciple them often having many Bible studies a week, as well as
being involved in Sunday school and other church activities. And
whenever the pastor was away I was always available to preach a
Sunday sermon when asked.
IV. Witness Lee's Local Church
I spend a year at the church in Newton. I elaborate upon my
experience there at http://www.bcbsr.com/topics/lc.html
Next I attended the Hope Christian Church in Winchester starting
around 2000.
Generally a good church at the time, perhaps even one of the best
around, though relationships are distant due typically to the New
England culture as you find in most churches around here. Best
teaching pastor I've heard in the Boston area, Ray Bandi. Navigator
background. (I guess my bias is showing there). Tom Eynon invited
me. I don't agree with everything, but I've not been particularly
verbal about areas of dissent. The Lord had not led me to be
much involved on an institutional level until recently (2011). I use
to meet with the pastor and few other guys weekly though for a brief
devotional time and I attend a Bible study. It's been refreshing.
And lots of time to develop the BCBSR site.
Ray left in 2007 but I've continued with that church up to this
writing (2011). San and I started the "Hope Chinese Bible
Study Group" there in 2008. We'll see how that goes. At this
point San is preparing to get involved with an international
student ministry as well. I also co-lead the Men's Bible study at
Hope now, and have taught some Sunday School Classes.
However in 2011 after some changes in elder board had taken
place, they came out with a church policy banding Bereans from
teaching Sunday School, the elders sent me official notice banning
me from teaching there. They went on later to apply that policy
not just to teachers. Then on March 22, 2012 the elders of HCC
sent me a notice expelling me from HCC altogether.
Until there is a change in the elder board which rescinds their
decree, and which allows for Bereans, I don't recommend Hope
Christian Church to Bereans. Presently if you scrutinize the
teachings of the elders at HCC, as any Berean should do, you can
now expect to be met with this kind of hostility at HCC.
Nonetheless, apart from the elders, I have a number of friends
there, and who will be dealing with this on my behalf.
VI. The Wakefield House Church
Along with going to Hope I attended the Wakefield House Church for a
while until it was disbanded. The atmosphere was not much different
from my days many years ago meeting with Mike Fair at his home
fellowshipping with his team of men. Rick Thompson was the leader.
It was very informal atmosphere, attended mostly by divorced
Christian men like myself and Rick and some others, which of itself
doesn't make it too attractive to alot of Christians today. But the
format of a house church is far superior in terms of each person
having an opportunity to develop and exercise their gifts.
VII. Countryside Bible Chapel
I briefly attended Countryside with some friends after being
expelled from HCC. But after the elders there conferred with the
elders at HCC I and my friends were officially expelled from that
church. While I asked the elders there what sin I committed to be
treated in such a manner, they never responded.
Consequently I've noticed a general spirit of hatred towards Bereans
among institutional church leaders in this area. And perhaps it's
even more wide spread. There's a general megalomania and insecurity
among such people, which results in the kind of hostile reactions
which have characterized the religious elite since the time of
Christ.
VIII. BCBSR Devotional Email Groups
In 2006 we started the daily devotion email list. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbsr
San has the Chinese one http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcbsr-chinese
IX. Harborlights
From Jan 2010 to Jun of 2012 I've assisted Steve Crowell with his
Nursing Home ministry in South Boston. I preached a sermon there
once a month. See The HarborLights Sermons
X. One-on-One Discipleship
In lieu of being forced to drop the HCC men's Bible study I was
involved with for 12 years, I've been personally discipling one of
the local HCC missionaries, Ruben, who runs his own ministry to
the homeless in Chelsea. Often other men also join us. I've also
been personally discipling San, who runs the Chinese end of the
BCBSR site.
These have been my activities as I developed the BCBSR site from
1996 to about 2012
Steve Amato
The Berean Christian
Bible Study Resources
May 09,2013