Alumni Story: Veteran Serving Veterans
Dr. William T. Young (also known as Bill T.C. Yang) is an Elder in the Church of the Nazarene and an alumnus of Fuller Theological Seminary, following his studies at Asbury Seminary (Class of 1972). Born in Tainan, Taiwan, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1985. His academic journey includes postgraduate studies at Teachers College, Columbia University (NYC); the Nazarene College, University of Manchester (U.K.); and with postdoctoral research fellowships at Yale University, Boston University, and Union Theological Seminary. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Command Staff College and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.
Dr. Young has held distinguished academic and leadership positions, including serving as the Head of the Department of Missions at Open Bible College, Academic Dean of the Biblical Seminary of the Philippines, and President of Taiwan Nazarene Theological College. A prolific author and translator, he has published over 70 books, primarily in Chinese. His recent scholarly works include Global Wesleyan Dictionary of Theology (Beacon Hill, 2013), Commentary on Song of Solomon (Taiwan Commerce, 2015), and Revelation Decoded (Taosheng, 2018). He is also a member of the Association of Wesleyan Studies (Taiwan), Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology, the American Association of Christian Counselors, and Sigma Phi Omega National Academic Honor and Professional Society in Gerontology.
Dr. Young was inspired to join the U.S. Army Reserve by his Asbury Seminary roommate, Paul Yuen (Class of 1971), as he prepared to return to the Philippines as a missionary pastor. “I joined the Army in 1983 to pay back my missionary ‘debt,'” he said. He spent the next 32 years ministering to the spiritual needs of soldiers – from Fort Totten in New York to Camp Zama in Tokyo, Manila, Okinawa, and to Germany during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In Germany, he worked in the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where he ministered to members of all branches of the armed forces. Their concerns became his concerns.
“As an Army hospital chaplain, I shared the anxiety, depression, fear, and tears with my clients, and celebrated their recovery as well,” he said. It also gave him long weekend breaks each month, when he could visit surrounding countries to enjoy and explore their art, culture, and history. Following his honorable discharge, he then joined the California State Military Reserve and served as their Chief of Chaplains for over 9 years. Upon another honorable discharge, he dedicated 14 years to serving as a Protestant Chaplain in California’s state institutions, including the California Development Center, State Hospital, State Prison, and Veterans Home.
His most rewarding experience has been ministering to veterans at the Barstow Veterans Home, where he found the unique privilege of connecting with a descendant of George Whitefield, the renowned 18th-century revivalist (see further below). To summarize his life-long ministry as a military chaplain: 1) Caring for the Living: he provided pastoral care by using “Ping Pong Devotion” to associate with his fellow veterans; 2) Healing the Wounded: he used the spiritual therapy to take care of the mentally injured clients including the palliative care in the hospice unit; 3) Honoring the Dead: he gave the highest tribute to the fallen comrades in a living memorial for their contribution to the country.
Currently, Dr. Young serves as a volunteer chaplain with the El Monte Police Department and teaches as an adjunct professor of Church History and Intercultural Studies at Gateway Seminary, the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in America, and William Carey International University (where Dean Yalin Xin, another ATS alum (Ph.D. ’08) also serves).
His favorite hymn is “No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus,” and his life verse is Acts 11:24. His advice to those entering ministry is found in Colossians 1:28, along with a recommendation to undertake Clinical Pastoral Education.
Bonus: During his time at the Barstow Veterans Home, he had the unique privilege of ministering alongside Joan Whitefield Smethey (pictured above), a Korean War veteran and the great-great-great-granddaughter of the renowned 18th-century revivalist George Whitefield.
Thank you, Dr. Young! I use my Asbury MA in Ministry serving with the Veterans Crisis Line, a suicide & mental health crisis intervention phone line. Veterans, active duty military, and their loved ones can reach us 24/7 at 988 then press 1.
Thank you for your dedication and service! As a retired Army Chaplain, I’m often told Thank You for your service. My reply is that it was my privilege and honor to serve avid and Country!
Hi Bill,
I am an alumni form ATS 1960 and was a Nazarene Chaplain from 1960-1984. Then endorser for the Church of the Nazarene from 1984-2000. Somehow I missed you as one of our chaplains as endorser, so I was surprised to see your name on the email from ATS. At any rate, it’s good to see our church and Asbury sending missionaries in uniform to the armed forces,
Appreciate the article re; Chaplain Yang, and responses from other Chaplains related Asbury.
I knew Yang in that I was class of 1972 as well.
Many common areas as with Yang and other Chaplains the added comments to this article.
I was recruited to be a Chaplain–having been recommended by Joe Miller–at Asbury and himself a Reserve chaplain. 20 of my 32 years were as Senior Chaplain for the Kentucky Army National Guard, and a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, and the the Army War College. I had 3 mobilization tours–Laundstuhl Army Hospital in Germany and in Bosnia as the Area Support Command and providing support to a Unit in Hungary. My last assignment was as a DIMA (Designated Individual Mobilization Asset), working directly for the Army Chief of Chaplain’s office and was sent to Ft Knox to work with Basic Trainees.