Long Phạm
Founding Pastor
Pastor Long’s life was a living testimony to the redeeming work of God among the Vietnamese diaspora. Shaped by suffering, displacement, and the long journey from war-torn Vietnam to the Bay Area, he became a vessel through whom countless refugees encountered the saving grace of Christ. What began as a life marked by intellectual ambition and national upheaval was transformed into a cruciform calling defined by prayer, fasting, compassion, and unwavering fidelity to the gospel. In the Bay Area, where thousands of Vietnamese families struggled to rebuild their lives, he became a spiritual father—founding Nissi Church and offering not only community but a pathway to redemption. Many who arrived burdened by trauma, loss, and cultural dislocation found in his ministry a home, a family, and ultimately salvation in Christ. His legacy is incarnational: lives changed, families restored, and generations anchored in the hope of the gospel.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
Biography
Born in Thanh Hóa
Sovereign Origin & Common Grace
Born on March 14, 1939, in Thanh Hóa, Vietnam, Pastor Phạm Đức Long began his earthly pilgrimage under the quiet governance of divine providence. Before he ever pursued human wisdom or endured exile, God had already ordered his path to become a living monument of sovereign grace.
Relocation to Saigon and Early Ecclesial Labor
Ecclesial Formation & Filial Devotion
Arriving in Saigon in 1955, young Long balanced rigorous secondary studies at Nguyễn Huệ High School with sacred labor. Alongside his father, he helped plant local congregations in Da Hóa and Tuy Hòa, learning early that human youth finds its highest purpose in service to Christ.
Intellectual Ambition and Cultural Distinction
Human Wisdom Subordinated to Providence
A scholar of formidable intellect, he studied Architecture, earned a Master's degree in Literature and Arts in 1964, and pursued preliminary medical studies before being drafted in 1967. Yet what appeared to be a trajectory of personal achievement was being prepared by God for a higher, cruciform calling.
Covenant Matrimony to Lê Thị Ngọc Mai
Grounded in Covenant Grace
On August 26, 1968, Pastor Long entered holy matrimony with Lê Thị Ngọc Mai. Their union established a covenant household that would bear five children and endure war, imprisonment, exile, and decades of sacrificial ministry together.
Professorship at the Military Academy of Dalat
Civic Honor & Public Influence
Appointed Professor of Political Science and Social Science at the prestigious National Military Academy of Dalat, he reached the heights of civic distinction. Yet even amidst public honor, the Lord was preparing him to trade the praises of men for the humble shepherd's crook.
Choosing Family Over Self-Preservation
Providential Trust Over Earthly Calculation
With national collapse looming in 1974, Pastor Long deliberately declined opportunities to flee abroad, choosing instead to remain beside his wife and young children. This refusal to secure his own future revealed an enduring trust in divine teleology over human self-preservation.
The Furnace of Re-Education
Sanctification Through Affliction
Stripped of status following the fall of Saigon, Pastor Long endured four grueling years in a communist re-education camp from July 1975 to 1979. In this crucible of intense suffering, worldly self-sufficiency was shattered, and God's unmerited grace became his ultimate anchor.
Maritime Exodus and Diaspora Exile
Providential Deliverance & Diaspora Refuge
Upon his release, he braved a treacherous maritime escape across the South China Sea to Kuku Island, Indonesia, before being resettled in California, in 1980—a displaced refugee preserved by sovereign mercy for a greater purpose.
Laboring in Exile Until Family Reunion
Humble Stewardship & Covenant Restoration
In California, he earned a technical credential at Foothill College and worked in the semiconductor industry to support his family from afar. In May 1985, after six agonizing years of separation, God faithfully restored his household in the United States.
Refugee Outreach and Church Planting
Shepherding the Displaced Flock
Turning fully toward gospel labor, he initiated 'Đêm Vui Mừng' outreach events for refugees and partnered with CityTeam ministries. In 1992, he founded Jehovah Nissi Church (Nissi Christian Church) to gather uprooted souls into the fold of Christ.
Milpitas Sanctuary Dedication
Institutional Anchor for Displaced Believers
On November 6, 1994, the Milpitas sanctuary of Nissi Christian Church was formally dedicated. What began as a humble refugee fellowship was visibly established as a spiritual home and beacon of hope for Vietnamese believers in the Bay Area.
Early Retirement for Unpaid Pastoral Ministry
Sacrificial Stewardship & Total Consecration
In 2000, Pastor Long retired early from his position as Senior Technician at Toshiba to shepherd the congregation full-time without taking a salary. He counted earthly security as loss for the surpassing privilege of feeding Christ's sheep.
Missionary Zeal and Unyielding Perseverance
Cruciform Fidelity Through Affliction
He returned on mission trips to Vietnam in 2005 and 2007 to preach the gospel. Even as severe illnesses struck—prostate cancer (2008), quadruple bypass surgery (2017), and lung cancer (2023)—he remained steadfast, serving with joy amidst physical affliction.
Generational Transfer of the Lead Pastorate
Covenant Continuity Across Generations
In 2015, Pastor Long formally passed the lead pastorate to his eldest son, Pastor Paul Pham, continuing as Pastor Emeritus. This transition stood as a triumphant witness to generational covenant faithfulness.
Completing the Earthly Pilgrimage
Eschatological Victory & Soli Deo Gloria
On January 18, 2025, Pastor Long completed his earthly race at home and entered the presence of his Lord. Having fought the good fight and kept the faith, his enduring legacy testifies that human ambition is finally eclipsed by the glory of Christ.