Pastor Phillip Phuoc Lam Hua

Pastor Phillip Hua was born on January 3, 1968, in Sóc Trăng, Vietnam, into a family of five
brothers. His life was marked from its earliest days by hardship, perseverance, and ultimately, the
faithfulness of God. His mother passed away when he was only six months old, and his father
later perished in the re-education camps. Orphaned at a young age, he grew up during a time of
tremendous uncertainty and war in Vietnam.

At fourteen, he left Vietnam in search of a new life. His journey took him to Thailand in 1982
and later to the refugee camps of the Philippines in 1985. Having lost his parents, left his
homeland, and possessing very little of his own, he found the greatest treasure of his life: hope,
salvation, and eternal life in Jesus Christ. The young man who had lost his earthly parents came
to know God as his Heavenly Father.

In 1986, at eighteen years old, Pastor Phillip Hua arrived in the United States through the
sponsorship and care of Hapeville Vietnamese Baptist Church, then pastored by Pastor Trương
Văn Minh. He later became involved with the youth group of Riverdale Vietnamese Baptist
Church under the care of Pastor Cao Hữu Tịnh. Pastor Phillip attended Riverdale High School
and graduated in 1992. He continued his education at Gordon State College in 1994.
Having experienced what it meant to arrive in a foreign country and be welcomed and given an
opportunity to begin again, Pastor Phillip devoted himself to doing the same for others. In 1994,
he began serving as Secretary of Hội Thánh Marietta under Mục Sư Lê Trung Hậu, helping
Vietnamese refugees establish new lives in the United States as they navigated a new language,
culture, community, and home. He later continued serving faithfully under Mục Sư Nguyễn Văn
Trung.

In 1995, Pastor Phillip met Miss Bùi Quang Diễm Tâm. They married on November 29, 1997,
and together raised their sons, Isaiah and BenjaminHe loved his wife deeply and did everything
he could to care and provide for his family. To his sons, he was more than a father—he was their
example. They watched him love their mother, care for others, serve the Church, study God’s
Word, and faithfully follow Jesus.

Worship was one of the great joys of his life. Pastor Phillip worshiped with unmistakable joy,
lifting his hands, singing, and even dancing before the Lord. He especially loved worshiping
alongside young people and seeing the next generation passionately worship Jesus, grow in faith,
and discover God’s calling upon their lives. He believed God deserved their very best, and he
taught his sons to worship sincerely and serve the Lord wholeheartedly.

In December 2012, Pastor Phillip graduated from Kennesaw State University with a degree in
Human Services. During this season, Pastor Phạm Văn An encouraged him to pursue theological
education and become a pastor. In January 2012, he began studying at The Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary. He became a Licensed Pastor at Hội Thánh Marietta in June 2013,
completed his Master of Divinity in May 2015, and that same month was ordained and became
Senior Pastor.

The faith he taught publicly was first lived within his own home. In time, his eldest son, Isaiah,
would also answer God’s call to pastoral ministry, following in his father’s footsteps.

Beginning in 2018, Pastor Phillip joined the Ca Thương family as a pastor. His heart was
especially burdened for ethnic-minority pastors and church leaders in Vietnam who had limited
access to theological education. In March 2022, he founded the Ca Thương Certificate of
Theology program, conducted through Zoom, and served as its principal and director. Its first
class graduated in July 2025 with 37 students. Through Ca Thương, he became a teacher,
mentor, and spiritual father to pastors, deacons, church leaders, and believers throughout
Vietnam.

In 2024, Mục Sư Hứa Lâm Phước began serving at Dalton Vietnamese Baptist Church, where
he continued preaching, teaching, and shepherding God’s people until the Lord called him home
in October 2026.

Those who knew Pastor Phillip knew that his ministry extended beyond the pulpit. He simply
loved helping people, even when that kindness was not returned. He endured disappointments,
misunderstandings, and hurt from some of the very people he sought to serve, yet he did not feel
the need to retaliate or constantly defend himself. He believed that if his heart and conscience
were right before God, he did not have to fight every battle or answer every accusation. He
could leave those things in the Lord’s hands.

The story of Pastor Phillip Hua’s life is ultimately a story of the faithfulness of God. The boy
who lost his earthly parents came to know God as his Heavenly Father. The young refugee who
depended upon the kindness of a church would spend decades helping others. The young man
who was discipled would become a pastor. The student of God’s Word became a teacher of God’s
Word. And the man who once left Vietnam with so little would spend the latter years of his life
pouring back into pastors and church leaders in the country he once left behind.

He was a faithful servant of God, a pastor, teacher, mentor, husband, and father. But among all
the titles he carried, the greatest were simply: husband and Dad.

Above all, Pastor Phillip Hua loved the Lord Jesus Christ. When he had almost nothing, he found
the greatest treasure. He found Jesus. The Savior he found as a young refugee became the
Savior, he spent his life proclaiming—and the Savior in whose presence he now rests.

His family, church, students, and friends deeply grieve his absence, but we do not grieve without
hope. We give thanks to God for his life and for the promise that those who belong to Christ will
one day be together again.