Employing talented financial experts for clients: Exclusive interview with accountant Sister Jiang Guizhi

Interview/Yu Guoliang

Question: As an accountant, how does your profession serve the Kingdom of God?

answer:I am a certified public accountant (Certified Public Accountant) in my own practice. I can not only serve the community, the city, and the state, but also reach out to out-of-state, foreign clients and other corporate groups. In addition to helping clients solve tax and financial issues, I am happy to provide more relevant information to clients for free. Many times, when clients need to buy a car, buy a house, get a loan, buy insurance, open a bank account, find a lawyer, etc., they will come to me to introduce reliable professionals to serve them.

In addition, I am often invited to place advertisements or make donations to charitable organizations. I am very honored to be able to serve the public at different levels. Every time I have this opportunity, I sincerely thank God for using me to serve His kingdom.

Every Saturday on Texas Chinese Channel (AM1180), there is a five-minute "Personal Finance Time" hosted by me. Every time I pray faithfully, asking God to make these few minutes a channel to expand the kingdom of God and bless every listener. This is a general radio station, not a gospel radio station. Because of this, it can reach more listeners of all kinds. Zechariah 4:6 mentions, “‘Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.’” This is what God says about my financial profession. A reminder every moment.

Question: Can Christians talk about money? If possible, how can we talk about it?

answer:Money is a tool, not an end. Christians have the status of stewards of God, and of course they must manage the money given by God well. I used to have a wrong concept, thinking that a good Christian must not be rich, but must suffer for the Lord. In fact, if you are superficial and have no sincerity, even if you suffer, God will not appreciate it. The important thing is to use a true and obedient heart to properly manage all earthly possessions that God has entrusted to us, including money. In this way, when you meet the Lord, you will be called “you, a faithful and good steward” by God!

Q: So, what advice do you have for investing and retirement planning?

answer:Establishing fixed financial management habits is as important as eating and exercising on time. Every time you receive a monthly financial report, you must check and review the income and expenditure status of all accounts at a fixed time (for example, pension accounts in the United States include 401 (k), 403 (6), IRA, ROTH, etc.). For example, depending on the amount of assets, allocate one to three hours to financial management on the fourth Thursday and Friday of each month. It can be managed by either the husband or the wife, but they will make important financial decisions together. Additionally, discuss, evaluate, and implement your long-term financial plan with your financial advisor every three to six months. Believe that by the time you retire, your investments should reach your predetermined retirement goals!

The 2008 KRC "Christian Financial Management and Investment Camp" will be held from July 19th to 22nd. It will still be taught by Professor Wen Yingqian, lawyer Zhang Lili and myself. Professor Wen will focus on biblical financial principles, and Attorney Zhang will focus on real estate transactions and estate planning; I plan to teach retirement planning, how to start a business, etc. The camp adopts a group interaction method. We are happy to provide financial management instructions that meet the needs of students. Welcome to sign up!

Question: Please introduce some of your ministry at home, work and outside the church.

answer:Every Wednesday morning from 8:35 to 9:00, I hosted the Guangzhou Society's "Soul Gas Station" program on the Guangzhou Broadcasting Network (AM 1050). I hope that through the "Guangzhou Cancer Care Network", I will contact or serve the cancer patients. The journey encourages the audience and lets them know that they are not alone in any suffering, let alone abandoned, because God loves them. They can contact us if they wish. This program has truly become a bridge for evangelism!

In 2007 we used Joel. Joel Osteen's first best-selling book, "Starting Your Best Life Now," will be released in 2008 with his second book, "Become a Better You." Based on the theme of the book, invite different friends to share testimonies or interviews. These contents were then made into CDs and condensed into articles by volunteers, which were published in Guangzhou Society's monthly newsletter, annual magazine, and the gospel edition of "Southern American News".

Question: How do your husband and daughters support your ministry? How can we balance ministry and family?

answer:My husband, Michael, is a very kind man. I didn't know how to cherish him before. I often looked at his bad side and was always picky. I almost got divorced. Thank the Lord, there is suffering in this world, but there is peace in Christ (see John 5:17). Later, God broke me and led me to repent, and the situation completely changed. Miraculously, I saw many good sides in my husband from then on, so I often called him "good person" (a kind person).

I think the most important thing is the shift in focus. In the past, the focus was on my husband’s problems, weaknesses, and shortcomings. Now, the focus is on God. The more I look at Him, the better. He and his daughter (Xinyi Catherine Leng, the author of the article about the movie "Shrek" in the English and New Voices section of the 11th issue of this magazine) are very supportive of everything I do, and I am very grateful to them.

It is indeed not easy to balance service and family. You need to manage your time well and ask God to give you the wisdom to make good use of your time. In terms of education, it is our family tradition to cultivate children's independent spirit from an early age. Therefore, what our family is best at is making decisions immediately and avoiding wasting time and energy on indecision.

Question: After all these years of believing in the Lord, what are some things that you will never forget?

answer:When I was young, I went to a Reformed Presbyterian church with my neighbor, and there was a young Pastor Joseph Lien there. He was very kind to us kids. Every time we went to church, there was not only table tennis to play, but also free noodles. It was fun to give good news on Christmas. But I truly believed in the Lord because I joined the campus fellowship.

When I was in junior high school, I had no money to attend a summer retreat. A counselor in the fellowship, Sister Chen Yuanying, saved her tutoring money and gave me the opportunity to go to the retreat, and that’s where I made the decision to believe in the Lord. I am so grateful for this kindness that I will never forget it for the rest of my life. Her willingness to donate to others also left a beautiful example in my young mind.

Question: It is often said that paying taxes and death are inevitable events for everyone. Can you share your experience in this regard?

answer:What I am very proud of is that because of my taxes, more people can drive on straight roads and enjoy many good welfare benefits in society, and the helpless people can enjoy food stamps, medical care and care. . Every time I file my taxes, I think that there are some people who can receive blessings through this responsibility, and naturally they will not be "reluctant or unwilling".

Death is emigration to a more beautiful eternal homeland. I am not afraid of death, not to mention that Christians have already accumulated treasures in heaven. It’s just that I’m not ready to see the Lord at this stage. I deeply feel that I still have a lot to improve, and I still don’t have the courage to see the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; all things have become new.” That heart-wrenching repentance in the middle of the night in July 2005 made me regain consciousness. Back to an almost broken family! I have experienced that "God will not despise a broken and contrite heart." I hope to use my professional and life experience to bring blessings to more people in the future.

Profile of Mary Chiang (Mary Chiang, CPA, CFP)
臺灣國立政治大學中文系文學士，美國德州大學達拉斯分校會計碩士。擁有美國多種會計及財務方面的執照：
$ 註冊會計師（CPA）  $ 特許人壽保險承銷師（CLU） $ 註冊財務規劃師（CFP） $ 特許財務顧問（ChFC）等。
In 1986, he started his own business and served as the head of Mary Chiang and Co. Accounting Firm. He has served as an accountant or auditor in several accounting firms (Ramirez & Jones, CPAs; Seidman & Seidman, CPAs; Jess Young & Co., CPAs). In 1993, he became a broker of New York Life Insurance Company.
Member of Lakewood Church and Fort Bend Community Church in Texas. Her husband, Michael Leng, has a daughter who is currently studying in college. In 2007, he was invited to teach retirement financial planning courses at the KRC Cultural Practice Camp "Christian Financial Management and Investment Camp", which was well received by the students.

Journalist profile

Yu Guoliang, born in Guangzhou and raised in Hong Kong, received a PhD in atmospheric physics from the United States. He is the author of two books: "Physicists Read the Bible" (Daosheng Publishing) and "John Code - Decoding of the Da Vinci Code" (Tianen Publishing). The picture shows interviewee Jiang Guizhi and journalist Brother Yu Guoliang taking a group photo at the 2007 KRC camp.