In Memoriam: Rev. Matthew Le

Just days before Matthew Le’s death, his physician asked him, “What do you do?” Matthew answered, “I am a servant.” The physician looked questioningly at Matthew’s wife, who explained that Matthew was a minister who served Jesus and a congregation. Matthew Le, 68, died Jan. 27, 2025.

Born in Vietnam, Matthew and his younger brother, together with 15 other people, in 1982 made a dangerous escape from Vietnam to Thailand in a small boat. “It was through the boat trip experience that I now have a clear sense of call, doing God’s work,” Matthew said in a 2017 article for The CRC Network. “Experiencing the presence of God in the midst of danger gave me a deep faith and confidence in God.” After a time spent in Thailand and Indonesia, Matthew and his brother were granted refugee status and in 1984 were sponsored to live in the U.S. by Rev. Bao Xuan Nguyen, the first pastor of Little Saigon Christian Reformed Church in Westminster, Calif.

After experiencing the call to ministry, Matthew attended and graduated from Reformed Bible College (now Kuyper College) in Grand Rapids, Mich., and from Azusa (Calif.) Pacific Seminary. After one more year of studies at Calvin Seminary he was ordained in the CRC in 1993 and, with the support of Home Missions (now part of Resonate Global Mission), planted Fellowship Vietnamese, a congregation in Tustin, Calif. A year later the church merged with Little Saigon CRC, where Matthew served as senior pastor unil his retirement in 2022.

Matthew loved reading and always carried a book with him everywhere he went. After retiring, he continued volunteering at Little Saigon CRC as a mentor, a role he kept until the time of his death.

He is survived by Nikie, his wife of 35 years.