Foundation and Balance of Faith

Jimmy Lee became a Christian in high school, but InterVarsity is where he learned to integrate his Christian faith into all of his life. Today, as a director of the President’s Council on Asian and Pacific Island Initiatives, Jimmy is an influential decision-maker in Washington DC.

Jimmy Lee attended the University of Illinois from 1995-1999. Shortly after he arrived as a freshman, Peter Wong, a friend from high school, invited him to an InterVarsity Bible study. Jimmy went and met the InterVarsity staff member, John Roeckeman. The next week, when Jimmy again attended the Bible study, John greeted him warmly, addressing Jimmy by name. This small act impressed Jimmy as he thought about which groups to invest his time in at college.

Jimmy continued to attend the Bible study and InterVarsity large group. During his sophomore year, Jimmy became the leader of another small group Bible study. He learned the value of Scripture, the significance of Christian friends, and the importance ofservant leadership.

Jimmy completed his degree in business and moved back to Chicago after graduation. Though he missed the closeness of the friendships he found in InterVarsity, Jimmy continued to grow in his Christian faith became involved in a local church, ministering to the youth. He also moved ahead in his career. He worked for a while in the governor’s office and then became the director of the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. Within the past year, he has taken on new responsibilities in Washington DC as the director of the President’s Council on Asian and Pacific Island Initiatives.

In the high power atmosphere of Washington, Jimmy remembers the advice given to him early on by an older Christian, “Don’t let yourself get caught up in the race to power, but live your Christian life day by day.” Following this advice is not always easy in our nation’s capitol, but Jimmy finds that the grounding in Scriptures and the disciplines of the Christian faith that InterVarsity gave him years ago still keep him spiritually balanced. With this foundation and the help of his church in Chicago, which he visits often, Jimmy is living his Christian faith and is a witness to the love of Jesus Christ.