“To teach is to touch lives for eternity,” says new head of Teachers Christian Fellowship Malaysia

Vern Hau Ooi was giving a child a piggy-back ride when he found his calling. It was 2011. Then a university student, he was volunteering as a teacher at a learning centre for Burmese refugee children. “Ah, Teacher! You’re just like my father,” the boy squealed with joy, his arms wrapped tightly around Vern Hau’s […] The post “To teach is to touch lives for eternity,” says new head of Teachers Christian Fellowship Malaysia appeared first on Salt&Light.

Religion Mar 10, 2026 0 24 Add to Reading List

“To teach is to touch lives for eternity,” says new head of Teachers Christian Fellowship Malaysia

Vern Hau Ooi was giving a child a piggy-back ride when he found his calling.

It was 2011. Then a university student, he was volunteering as a teacher at a learning centre for Burmese refugee children.

“Ah, Teacher! You’re just like my father,” the boy squealed with joy, his arms wrapped tightly around Vern Hau’s neck, as they bounced across the room.

“In that moment, I realised how much love God had given me for children, and how He loves me as my Father,” reflected Vern Hau.

That revelation was life-changing.

“In that moment, I realised how much love God had given me for children.”

At the time, he was pursuing a double major in Psychology and Communications, intending to become a counsellor.

But after that encounter, he decided to become a teacher.

In the next decade, he would move up the ranks in the education field. At 28, he became Head of Primary at an established international Christian school in Kuala Lumpur.

This year, after more than a decade in education, Vern Hau stepped into the role of General Secretary of Teachers Christian Fellowship (TCF) Malaysia, an organisation that supports Christian educators across the nation.

“Looking back, I can see that God has always been at work,” said Vern Hau, 33, who grew up in Penang. “Even in the hardest seasons, He was shaping me.”

Seeds of faith

Though Vern Hau was not born into a Christian family, his early years were quietly shaped by Christians. His babysitter was a believer, and he attended a Christian kindergarten.

“As a teacher today, I see how formative those early years are,” he said. “In my life, seeds of faith were planted long before I understood them.”

His teenage years were marked by insecurity and a strained relationship with his father, whom he felt favoured his older brother.

After giving his life to Jesus in high school, Vern Hau has not looked back.

At 15, his parents went on holiday and left him to the care of his former babysitter, who brought him to church.

During a Christmas service, he heard John 3:16 for the first time.

“It shook me,” he recalled. “The idea that Someone loved me enough to die for me changed everything.”

Over the next two years, his faith deepened. At 17, he accepted Christ but kept it hidden from his family, fearing conflict. He prayed simply for a way to attend church and to own a Bible.

Unknown to him, his older brother had also become a Christian. When the older boy returned from Kuala Lumpur during a term break, he invited Vern Hau to church.

They attended the church in secret, but Vern Hau felt convicted soon after to tell his parents about his faith.

“Their reaction was surprisingly calm,” Vern Hau said. “That was when I knew God had gone before me.”

When he was baptised in 2010, his mother bought him his first Bible, one he still uses today.

A quick rise and painful fall

After graduating from university, Vern Hau became a mathematics teacher at an international Christian school in Kuala Lumpur. He later became Head of the Maths Department.

One of the earliest challenges he faced in his role was seeing fellow Christian teachers fail to carry out their responsibilities with integrity.

“The idea that Someone loved me enough to die for me changed everything.”

“It was a hard truth for me. It forced me to confront what an authentic Christian witness at work truly looks like. That season deepened my conviction that my work must ultimately please God, not men,” he said.

In 2018, he attended the 5th Asian Christian Teachers Conference (ACTC) in Singapore, where he was introduced to TCF Malaysia. Two years later, he joined its executive committee.

When the Head of Primary at his school announced her retirement, she encouraged Vern Hau to apply for the role. Initially hesitant, he committed the decision to prayer.

“I remember asking God to show us the next leader,” he laughed. “And the question came back: ‘Will you be?’”

Vern Hau (standing, second from left) with his church’s leadership team, an intergenerational group and important spiritual community for the young man.

Against expectations, he was appointed Head of Primary at 28 years old, overseeing more than 500 students. Soon after, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted schooling nationwide.

“It was overwhelming,” he admitted. “I was learning leadership while trying to hold a school together during a crisis.”

Those four years, Vern Hau said soberly, were among the hardest of his life.

“Almost every morning, I woke up praying Psalm 121:1-2, asking God for help, and holding on to James 1:5, seeking wisdom for the many decisions I had to make,” he recalled.

He served in the role for four years. By 2024, the strain had taken its toll. “I had lost my joy,” he admitted.

Following a change in the school’s executive leadership, Vern Hau was asked to step aside to make way for a more experienced candidate. The unexpected decision was deeply painful.

“Looking back, I see it as God’s redirection,” he said. “Leadership taught me that faithfulness matters more than approval, and that ultimately, I am accountable to God for how I steward the responsibilities entrusted to me.”

After receiving the news, the first person he called was TCF Malaysia General Secretary Indyrany Kannaiya.

From one generation to the next: Vern Hau with his mentor and outgoing TCF General Secretary, Indyrany Kannaiya.

A mentor and spiritual mother to Vern Hau, she prayed with him before inviting him to consider a role with TCF Malaysia. For years, the leadership had been praying for the next generation to step up.

Teaching has an eternal impact

Vern Hau initially joined TCF Malaysia part-time, intending to continue serving at a Burmese refugee school. But over time, he sensed a clearer leading. “This season requires my full attention on TCF,” he said.

He shared that many Christian educators in Malaysia, particularly in public schools, face heavy workloads, burnout, isolation and subtle discrimination.

“TCF exists to remind teachers why they were called.”

Some are the only Christian teachers in their schools. They face pressure from differing values in leadership, expectations from parents, and the daily weight of the profession.

TCF Malaysia, which has more than 1,200 members across East and West Malaysia, exists so that educators do not walk this journey alone. In many ways, it is a Barnabas ministry — coming alongside teachers quietly but faithfully to encourage and strengthen them, said Vern Hau.

Through fellowship, training, and pastoral care, TCF, which was founded in 1961, equips educators both spiritually and professionally to remain faithful in their calling.

“TCF exists to remind teachers why they were called. To teach is to touch lives for eternity,” he said.

Vern Hau’s second family is the Burmese refugee community in Malaysia. He serves as a maths teacher for a UNHCR-registered learning centre providing 250 children with basic education.

Vern Hau believes that every person remembers at least one teacher who shaped them – for better or for worse. What they imparted was more than subject knowledge. It was character, perspective, and lived values.

“Every teacher is a leader, whether they realise it or not. If we want to form Malaysians of integrity and compassion, we must first support teachers who live that out,” he said.

A personal encounter with a former student remains etched in his mind.

“The young boy was often disruptive in class. One day he opened up about his struggles at home. I shared about my own childhood struggles and counselled him. When I opened my arms, he ran into them and wept. In that moment, I realised that beneath it all was a deeper cry for love,” shared Vern Hau.

“We faithfully sow seeds of truth and love; God gives growth. That experience convicted me to be intentional in every interaction, knowing that even small acts of Christlike love may carry eternal significance.”

God multiplies all that we bring

At 33, Vern Hau is often asked why he is entering full-time ministry so early. For many, this stage of life is often focused on career security and financial stability.

“I want to give the prime years of my life to God,” he said simply. “Everything I have comes from Him.”

“Even small acts of Christlike love may carry eternal significance.”

He currently lives at Blessed Home, a boarding school where almost 70 Burmese refugee children and youths stay on weekdays. The Burmese refugee community in Malaysia has become like family to him.

Last year marked his 14th year as a Christian — a number he later learned symbolises renewal in Scripture.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but TCF carries a spiritual legacy – to encourage teachers to press on in their calling,” he said.

While the Apostle Paul’s ministry was highly visible, Vern Hau is drawn to Barnabas, who worked quietly behind the scenes, affirming and strengthening others.

“These are my five loaves and two fish,” he said. “I may feel small, but God can multiply whatever we bring when we are obedient.”

The 8th Asian Christian Teachers Conference will be held in Ipoh, Malaysia on June 4-6, 2026. Organised by TCF Singapore and TCF Malaysia, it is open to all Christian educators across Southeast Asia. For more information, contact tcfoffice.my@gmail.com.