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Roughly 25 years ago, a man with a broken English accent told a real estate broker, “My father is very rich.” A measly $100 was deposited as down payment to secure the first NJ UBF bible center – a testament to the faith of five small barley loaves and two small fish, based on Mark 6:37, which is at the bedrock of the NJ UBF’s ministry.

On March 8th, 2015, co-workers from all over the US and the world joined NJ UBF in Nicholas Music Hall at Rutgers University to commemorate the “You give them something to eat” vision and the ministry it has engendered.

Shepherd David Gates delivered a message based on the Mark 6:30-44 and recapped how God has used the faith of 5 loaves and 2 fish in NJ for the past quarter century. The first part of his message was about the compassion of Jesus based on Mark 6:34. He recounted how NJUBF practiced the compassion of Jesus by sending out two missionaries from among Rutgers University students as a prayer that Americans can learn the compassionate heart of Jesus.

The second part of his message focused on Jesus’ command in Mark 6:37, “You give them something to eat.” Shepherd David described how NJUBF, over the years, struggled to obey Jesus’ challenge to give, not based on human calculations, but based on God’s compassion by serving campus students and international guests.

Shepherd David concluded his message by illustrating how God blessed NJUBF’s 5 loaves and 2 fish. God has used the house churches in NJ to feed many Rutgers students; God has used the 2nd generations to teach the bible and feed not only Rutgers students, but also other 2nd generations from around the world; and God has transformed the original bible center into a 120-disciple common life house. God’s disciples in NJ continually struggle to obey Jesus’ command to distribute the bread of life, praying that America may be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

While his message revealed clear evidence of God’s work in NJ, Shepherd David’s life itself is the living testament of how God’s great world mission work has been enfolding in NJ. Shepherd David is the Abraham of Faith in NJ and faithfully served Rutgers students for the past 20 years. He has established the first house church in NJ and God is using him as a bible speaker for Rutgers students every Sunday.

To top off that evening, the anniversary worship service was followed by the 7th  ‘5 Loaves and 2 Fish” charity concert put together by the Rutgers University Royal Priesthood (RURP). 2nd Generation Missionary Joseph Lee, along with many NJ coworkers, collaborated with many organizations to coordinate, promote, and execute this concert to raise funds for the Bethsaida Clinic in Uganda and PUST in North Korea. This concert was another testament to the faith of 5 loaves and 2 fish, and how it has worked and is working in the lives of Rutgers students in NJ.