December 22, 2025
Dr. Timothy Light, a visionary and beloved Trustee, former Board Chair, and steadfast friend of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, passed away on December 14, 2025. The United Board is grateful for his life of service, his vision for Asian Christian theology and higher education, and his extraordinary generosity over nearly three decades.
Dr. Light joined the United Board as a Trustee in 1995, and served until his retirement from the Board in 2007. He was elected Chair of the Board and held that position from 2001–02 to 2004–05, guiding the United Board through a period of strategic reorientation and deepened engagement with Asian partners. During his tenure, he served on the then Development Committee, bringing both institutional experience and personal commitment to the Board’s evolving mission.
One of Dr. Light’s enduring contributions was his leadership in what he himself called the “Asianization” of the United Board, encouraging the organization to listen more deeply to Asian voices and to entrust leadership and agenda-setting increasingly to colleagues in the region. He was particularly committed to the Asian Christian Theology Initiative, which led to the founding of the Institute for Advanced Study in Asian Cultures and Theologies (IASACT) in 2004, an annual summer institute convening young Asian scholars in theology, religion, and culture. Today, IASACT remains a living expression of his conviction that Asian Christian scholarship should be nurtured in Asia, for Asia and the wider world.
Dr. Light was a loyal and often quiet donor to the United Board for more than 25 years, preferring anonymity even as his commitments grew. In 2003, he established the Endowment for Asian Christian Theologies, a US$2 million permanent fund that now supports IASACT. United Board staff and leaders remember his hospitality, his thoughtful advice, and his encouragement, even in later years when health challenges made visits and conversations less frequent than we’d have wished.
Beyond the United Board, Dr. Light was an influential educator, linguist, and academic leader whose career spanned Hong Kong and multiple North American institutions. A graduate of Yale College (BA in English, 1960), he went on to earn an M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary, an M.A. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in linguistics from Cornell University. He began his professional career at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, holding teaching and administrative posts from 1960 to 1971 and maintaining close ties with New Asia College and the Divinity School of Chung Chi College.
Dr. Light went on to build a distinguished career as a scholar and academic leader in East Asian studies and higher education in the United States, holding faculty and administrative posts at major universities before serving in senior roles, including provost and president at several institutions. He later returned to focus on teaching and research, was named Professor Emeritus of Chinese Religion at Western Michigan University, and contributed significantly to educational and community causes through board service, philanthropic support for Chinese studies, and public advocacy for social equity in his hometown — Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Dr. Su Yon Pak, Board Chair of the United Board, acknowledged Dr. Light’s impact in, among others, helping the United Board listen more deeply to Asian voices and entrust leadership to colleagues across the region. She said, “His vision for the ‘Asianization’ of the United Board continues to shape who we are and how we serve today. We are grateful for his wise counsel, his generosity of spirit, and his steadfast friendship over the years.”
Dr. Pareena Gupta Lawrence, United Board President, said, “Whenever we speak about forming whole persons, it is more than just about personal development. It is about deepening one’s connection to our communities for service and engagement. This reflects Dr. Light’s deepest convictions. He believed that education, rooted in faith and attentive to context, could transform communities—from Hong Kong to Kalamazoo. We mourn his passing even as we recommit ourselves to the work he loved.”
Dr. Light is survived by his wife, Joy, and their daughters.
The United Board is profoundly thankful for the life and witness of Dr. Timothy Light—for his intellect and integrity, his deep love for Asia and the church, and his unwavering belief in the formative power of Christian higher education. His legacy endures in the institutions he served, the scholars he helped to nurture, and the many colleagues and friends whose work and faith he quietly but profoundly strengthened.