Ben & Fiona Khong

We have the privilege of managing the email communication platform for OIC, providing Staff and OIC Insider Updates. Currently, we are in the survey and learning phase of our Biblical Counseling training ministry with OIC. Ben has had the opportunity to observe Church Leadership Training programs in Germany, Netherlands, and Thailand. In July 2019, he accompanied Dan Rutledge to Myanmar where they both taught an Introduction to Biblical Counseling Seminar.

In the future, Ben and Fiona plan to return to Southeast Asia as long-term missionaries to Cambodia. From there, they aim to continue OIC’s mission and carry out its strategic objective by coordinating Biblical Counseling training programs throughout the region of Southeast Asia—training biblical counseling trainers for the glory of God!

Ben’s Story

I was raised in a Christian family in Southern California by parents of Chinese-Malaysian descent, both of whom were immigrants from Malaysia. For the first 22 years of my life, I attended a Chinese Baptist church. By God’s grace it was a church that faithfully preached the gospel and taught sound theology and doctrine. However, growing up in a Christian environment does not automatically make you a Christian. There was still a hard-fought battle for my soul.

I experienced this especially during my teenage years, wherein I grew callous to Christianity and the things of God. However, in God’s faithful provision, he convicted me of how much I lacked his righteousness and how much I desperately needed his grace. He showed me that it didn’t matter what faith I was “born into” or who I associated with. Rather, what mattered most was having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and trusting in him alone for salvation and the forgiveness of sins. It was then that I committed to serving and following Christ with every part of my life—not just those that were convenient for me.

In 2015, I quit my job and decided to pursue a master’s degree in Biblical Counseling. I was considering cross-cultural overseas ministry, and I thought it would be wise to be more equipped for the task. To be honest, I didn’t know exactly what Biblical Counseling entailed—I just knew that it would probably be more practical (and therefore more helpful) for me than a degree in Biblical Studies. This turned out to be a huge understatement, and what I learned throughout the course of the program has completely transformed my life and ministry. God used Biblical Counseling to deepen my understanding of the power and sufficiency of Scripture for all of my life—not just in my initial conversion, but also for ongoing transformation of my thoughts, desires, and choices. In other words, God used Biblical Counseling to deepen my understanding of worship, and this has proved useful for every season of my life and every decision that I face. I am incredibly grateful to God for what he has taught me through this ministry, and it brings me so much joy to be able to share Biblical Counseling with others.

I started serving with OIC in 2016, when Wayne asked me to be the Director of Communications. In 2018, my wife Fiona and I officially came on board as OIC Missionaries. It has been such a tremendous joy and privilege to witness how God is using the ministry of OIC to strengthen churches among the nations, and I look forward to continuing serving with OIC in the years to come.

Fiona’s Story

I was born in Kentucky and grew up in Southern California after my parents’ divorce. My mom was a single parent, and she raised my brother and I in the church. I came to understand the good news and put my faith in Christ when I was 13 years old. Accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior changed my life. The Holy Spirit began to transform my bitter, angry, self-righteous heart into a forgiving, gracious, and less self-righteous heart. Knowing that God forgave me when I was his enemy, a sinner—even when I did nothing to deserve his love—helped me apply the truths of forgiveness and reconciliation to the broken relationships in my own life.

I’ve experienced a deep satisfaction, healing and comfort during various trials from God through the ministry of Biblical Counseling. God blessed me with my husband, Ben, from whom I learned more about Biblical Counseling during our dating and married years. We’ve gone to IBCD, ACBC, and many more Biblical Counseling conferences and trainings, and they have helped me in my own walk with God as well as equipped me in discipling the youth and peers in my church. In June/July 2018, Ben and I went to Thailand and Myanmar with OIC. I’m excited to utilize my profession as a Speech-Language Pathologist and my pursuit in Biblical Counseling certification for overseas ministry as we pray for our next steps as long-term missionaries.