Pastor Andy Liau was just 14 years old when he decided to become a pastor. It was a decision that came about after a remarkable string of events.

Earlier that year, the teenage boy had to drop out of school after missing more than 100 days due to poor health. His teachers told his parents he was too far behind to catch up.

A sickly child, Ps Andy had been diagnosed at birth with a deficiency that made it impossible for his body to digest many foods. As a baby, he survived on only water and Milo.

He grew up with severe pain and discomfort, relying on painkillers daily.

When he stopped going to school, his mother gave up her restaurant to care for him. Shortly after, however, she was diagnosed with cancer – a devastating blow to the family.

More hardship followed.

Ps Andy’s father, who worked in a casino, had accumulated massive debts, and moneylenders soon came knocking on their door. Then, without warning, his father developed blindness in both eyes.

“My father needed an operation that would cost RM200,000 (S$60,000), money we did not have,” Ps Andy recalled.

In search of better medical care and to escape the moneylenders, Ps Andy’s father moved the family from Lahad Datu to Sabah’s capital city, Kota Kinabalu.

It was during this season when nothing seemed to be going right that God showed up in a powerful way.

Three astounding miracles

One day, a friend invited Ps Andy’s mother to church, where people prayed for her to be healed. The next day, during a scheduled check-up, doctors were stunned to find all trace of cancer completely gone.

“She came home and told us what had happened, so we all went to church and accepted Christ immediately. But for me, Jesus was just another god at the time,” Ps Andy admitted.

Though he knew little about Christianity, Ps Andy was drawn to the Bible.

“I wasn’t in school anymore, so I would read the Bible every day for eight to 10 hours. After a month, I realised I was no longer experiencing abdominal pain,” he said.

To his amazement, he discovered he could eat anything without any ill effects.

A third miracle followed: Ps Andy’s father’s blindness reversed, and his eyesight was fully restored without any medical intervention.

“Soon after, there was a Christian rally conducted by Asia for Jesus. I received a prophecy: ‘You will bring revival to Malaysia.’ I didn’t even know what ‘revival’ meant,” Ps Andy said with a smile.

“But I held onto that word and decided I was going to become a pastor.”

Embracing the full-time call

Completely healed, Ps Andy returned to school in Lahad Datu, where he excelled academically, much to the amazement of his former teachers and classmates.

At 16, he won the top state prize in debate and earned national awards in speech for both English and Bahasa Malaysia.

After high school, Ps Andy expressed his desire to enter full-time ministry, but his pastor advised against it, believing he was too new to the faith.

“I was encouraged to pursue tertiary studies instead and received a scholarship to study in Taiwan,” Ps Andy said.

“But then, my pastor resigned, and the new pastor, unaware of my background, offered me a position as a youth worker. I happily accepted,” he added with a chuckle.

For the next seven years, Ps Andy worked in youth ministry while studying part-time to become a licensed Anglican pastor.

Initially, he planned to become a lecturer at a theological institution, even earning an advanced certification in Biblical Hebrew.

Exploring new paths

Ps Andy became a licensed minister at 26. That same year, he married Phoebe, an interior designer he had met four years earlier on a mission trip to Taiwan.

“For 11 years, I served in youth ministry, but as the youths grew up and entered the workforce, I felt incapable of helping them navigate that stage of life,” he confessed.

Phoebe also struggled to find work in their small town and, with a newborn son, they found it difficult to manage on his salary alone.

Andy and Phoebe met on a mission trip to Taiwan and now have a son together.

In 2022, Ps Andy made the bold decision to become a bi-vocational minister – a move that required transitioning out of the Anglican church, which he did with his bishop’s blessing.

The family relocated to Kota Kinabalu and, from there, things developed rapidly.

“It all began when we felt a burden to minister to those who had fallen out of church during the pandemic. Phoebe and I wanted to start a healing and deliverance ministry,” Ps Andy explained.

The young couple found a small space to begin. Soon, believers and non-believers came knocking. Whether they were struggling, oppressed or disillusioned, Ps Andy and Phoebe pointed them to the victorious hope found in Jesus Christ.

In time, the space became a refuge for Christians seeking healing, God’s Word and a welcoming community.

Digging wells in business and ministry

From a cell group of just 15 people, Ps Andy established The Well Church.

“Years ago, God gave me a picture of a well in the centre of my former church, and He revealed that my ministry would be like a well. A well isn’t fancy, but it provides for people’s daily needs,” he explained.

In the Old Testament, wells symbolise more than just a place to settle. They marked territory, expansion, victory and possession.

The Well Church was founded in 2023. It now gathers around 80 people weekly, with most of the congregation made up of entrepreneurs.

That same year, one of their church members, now Ps Andy’s business partner, gave them a love gift of RM100,000 (S$30,000).

“I thought, ‘Why not open a café?’ So, in 2022, we opened The Well Café, with me as the chef and Phoebe as the barista!” he told Salt&Light with a laugh.

Acknowledging God as the true mastermind behind the café, Ps Andy relies on God’s wisdom to run the business.

“We’re not just a Christian company with Bible-based values, we’re a Kingdom business. That means we do business to advance God’s Kingdom. Money from the business flows into the church, but not the other way around,” he explained.

Building businesses and people, Pastor Andy (front row in white) with some of his staff from The Well Cafe after a team building exercise.

This Kingdom-first mindset was evident when The Well Church recently moved to a new location. The RM400,000 (S$120,000) renovation costs were covered by church members’ generous giving and the café’s profits, a decision Ps Andy and his business partner made without hesitation.

“Everything belongs to God,” he said.

Beyond funding the church, the café chain also provides employment for Christians with a full-time call, enabling them to pursue theological studies while working.

Pressing on amid setbacks

The path of bi-vocational ministry hasn’t been without challenges, Ps Andy admitted.

Last year, some church members found it difficult to understand the purpose and motive of his bi-vocational call. They eventually left the church.

“It was a tough season. Attendance dropped. Offerings dropped. But I knew this was where God wanted me to be, so we pressed on,” he shared. Through it all, God remained faithful.

The Well Cafe now operates five outlets across Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Phoebe headed the interior design of the cafe, which seeks to reflect simplicity, warmth and life.

Today, The Well Church gathers about 80 people every Saturday evening for its hour-long service, and the numbers continue to grow. Many in the congregation are entrepreneurs.

“Our mission is threefold: To raise a generation of contemporary pastors, to bring Jesus’ healing and deliverance to society, and to reflect intergenerational unity,” Ps Andy explained.

In addition to pastoring, Ps Andy also collaborates with other Christian business owners to run the Workplace Elevation Network. This initiative hosts fortnightly lunches where entrepreneurs and marketplace leaders gather to encourage one another and share insights.

Balancing ministry and business

For those considering a bi-vocational path, Ps Andy offered practical advice: “Choose one path to establish first. If you’re in the workplace, work toward a managerial position. If you’re an entrepreneur, ensure your business is stable.”

Alternatively, if the ministry path comes first, he suggested completing theological studies and obtaining the necessary credentials before stepping fully into the workforce.

“I don’t recommend starting both paths simultaneously. Without a firm foundation in either, it’s difficult to thrive in both,” he cautioned.

A decade of acceleration

For the 32-year-old who once battled a debilitating illness, the past decade has been marked by extraordinary acceleration.

The Well now operates five cafés across Kota Kinabalu.

Under their business umbrella, a second brand Borneo Nan Yang recently launched its first outlet, with three more planned by June 2025. This year will also see the debut of their healthy tea brand, teaSense.

On the ministry front, Ps Andy recently earned an MA in Theological Studies from the London School of Theology. Meanwhile, The Well Church continues to grow both in size and as a spiritual home for marketplace leaders.

Later this year, Ps Andy will release his first book, Restoring Eden in the Workplace.

To him, a thriving ministry is a sign that he is staying true to God’s calling in business while keeping his eyes on the eternal prize.

“The path I’m on is unusual,” Ps Andy reflected. “The Lord once told me that it requires someone fully devoted to Him – someone who lives as if nothing is theirs and everything belongs to God.

“I just want to be faithful.”

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