Reflecting on My Age in Hmong Ministry

Introduction

Being young in ministry can feel like both a gift and a burden. Many have said my youthfulness brings a sense of energy, fresh perspective, and the chance to grow early in my calling. But I think it also comes with underlying and unspoken realities within the Hmong church.

Young ministers are often measured first by age, rather than by faithfulness to God’s call. In stepping into ministry, we encounter quiet assumptions that are worth naming—not to shame, but to spark honest conversations about how we see leadership and discipleship.

“You lack the experience.”

Different perspectives and biblical convictions are sometimes dismissed simply because someone is young. The assumption is that youth equals inexperience—even when there is real experience. The concern here is not about undermining the wisdom of elders but about making sure we do not miss the bigger picture of God’s work in and through the whole church.

Our mission of proclaiming the Gospel never changes. Yet, the ways ministry is carried out adapt with each generation. If we close our ears to younger voices too quickly, we risk confusing cultural preferences with biblical truth.

“You’re just here to fill in.”

At times, younger ministers are treated as “fillers”—leading youth, helping with worship, or stepping in when no one else is available. Those roles are valuable, but when they are seen as the extent of a young minister’s calling, discouragement can grow. The question isn’t whether older leaders should hand over the reins, but whether there is space to affirm and develop God’s calling in the younger generation rather than using them only as stopgaps.

“You know the Bible, but not life.”

This often feels like a backhanded compliment. Bible education and rigorous study are recognized, yet teaching is brushed aside simply because of “life experience”. Sure, life experience matters—there’s no denying that. It would seem odd for someone who’s never been married to counsel a married couple about marriage. But here’s something I think the Hmong church tends to forget: God has never limited His work only to those with many years behind them. Throughout Scripture, He has spoken through both the young and the old. The authority of Scripture does not depend on the speaker’s age, experience, or status; it rests entirely in the Word of God itself (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

God Uses All Generations, Not Just the Old

Scripture shows us time and time again that age does not disqualify. Both the young and the old have been used by God in pivotal ways. 

Abraham was called to father a nation in his old age (Genesis 12:1–4). Moses was chosen to lead Israel out of Egypt when he was past what many would consider his “prime” (Exodus 3:1–10). Neither were called because of their “life experience”. What mattered most was their obedience and faithfulness to God, not the number of years behind them.

At the same time, God has also entrusted the young with extraordinary responsibility. Timothy was given pastoral oversight while he was still young (1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 1:6–7). David was anointed king as a boy (1 Samuel 16). Jeremiah felt too young to proclaim God’s truth as a prophet (Jeremiah 1:6–7). Jesus called uneducated teenage disciples to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.

If God could use both the young and the old in these ways, why would we assume He cannot use young ministers today? Why do we shut them out? From prophets and shepherd boys to fishermen and tax collectors, God has never limited His work to a person’s age.

Questions the Church Needs to Ask

It’s worth asking some honest (and uncomfortable) questions to foster Gospel-centered conversations in the Hmong church: 

• Do we value age more than spiritual maturity?

• Are we protecting Hmong tradition at the expense of the Gospel?

• When younger ministers speak from Scripture, do we truly listen—or quietly dismiss them because of age?

• Do we merely view younger ministers only as helpers?

• If God has used both young and old throughout Scripture, what gives us the right to sideline either today?

  
  

A High Cost

Ministry was never meant to be done alone. The church is strongest and most faithful to God’s mission when it embraces the Spirit’s work in both the young and the old. Each generation sharpens the other (Proverbs 27:17), and together we reflect Christ more fully. Both young and old bring gifts, perspectives, and callings that God can use to advance His mission. When generations work together—listening and learning from one another in the riches of God's truth—the church becomes a Gospel-centered community, equipped to reach the lost in changing times.

Times are changing, and cultures are shifting. The methods that reached the lost yesterday will not be enough today. The Hmong church needs to hear fresh voices and discern how the Spirit is leading, which will inevitably require utmost humility, trust, and change that is both Gospel-centered and Spirit-driven.

Yet if our primary focus becomes preserving Hmong culture and heritage, we risk losing what matters most—the Gospel itself and Christ at the center. Without Him, we are not a church. And we would be nothing more than another clan-based organization. How tragic it is when our unity rests on "Hmongness" rather than on Christ.

As for me, I will not let others despise me for my youth. I will press on to represent Jesus faithfully, because His calling is not bound by age.

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).