I hope diaspora and UK churches can work more closely. My time at Oak Hill is helping me imagine those partnerships.
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Benson is preparing for ministry in Chinese churches and among Chinese-speaking communities in the UK. Benson’s passion is to build bridges: “I hope diaspora and UK churches can work more closely. My time at Oak Hill is helping me imagine those partnerships.”
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Benson Lai found his spiritual home in a Chinese church during university in Bristol. “It was a blessing to grow through serving in my local diaspora church,” he reflects. “But I realised over time—I needed deeper equipping to lead well.”
That realisation led him to Oak Hill.
“Coming from my church background, Oak Hill was the college I’d heard most about. I visited on an Open Day and was struck by how friendly and welcoming the community was. It helped me see this wasn’t just a place to learn—it was a place to grow.”
Now studying full-time, Benson is preparing for ministry in Chinese churches and among Chinese-speaking communities in the UK. “Ministry in diaspora contexts can be very people-driven. But we must also be deeply rooted in Scripture. That’s why theological training matters—it helps us serve biblically and faithfully.”
He’s found both academic rigour and relational depth at Oak Hill. “The teaching is excellent, but what’s really shaped me is time with the faculty outside the classroom—chatting over lunch, walking with them. You see theology lived out.”
He especially loved studying church history: “As someone from Hong Kong, appreciating how God has worked through the global and UK church was a privilege—and deeply enriching.”
And the multicultural student body? “It’s opened my eyes. Different perspectives, traditions, and cultures have sharpened me and broadened my vision for the church.”
Benson’s passion is to build bridges: “I hope diaspora and UK churches can work more closely. My time at Oak Hill is helping me imagine those partnerships.”