Born and raised in Hong Kong, Dorcas Seto left in 1993 to study Marketing and Media Studies in Melbourne. This led to her working in Taiwan for a trading magazine company, an enviornment in which she thrived. She rose quickly to the position of a director in business operations over the whole organisation (and networked with top business leaders and politicians alike). It was also here that she met her husband, Jeff and shortly they felt the call to both return to Melbourne for Dorcas to study theology.
On her application to BCV, Rev Dr Justin Tan interviewed her and encouraged her to enrol. She told him that she had a strong desire to study but lacked the resources to afford the course. Justin said, “Come and study! Don’t worry about the school fees.” It was a miracle, God did provide. “God’s ways are higher than my own and God’s thoughts are higher than mine and he has plans for me!” recounted Dorcas.
Dorcas currently pastors the Mandarin speaking congregation at the Evangelical Community Church (ECCI) in Box Hill and through the years she has seen growth in leaps and bounds. She confessed her spoken Mandarin was poor to begin with, but by faith she knew God wanted her there. When Dorcas and her husband arrived at ECCI, they did everything, from setting-up the audio-visual, arranging the chairs each Sunday, leading the praise and worship, preaching and preparing the morning tea. She did not see this as a burden, but saw it as just serving God with a joyful and thankful heart, because Christ gave his life to her and her family.
“God’s ways are higher than my own and God’s thoughts are higher than mine and he has plans for me!”
She says, some people have at times misunderstood her enthusiasm and intentions. So Dorcas has had to explain to them with patience and kindness the reason why she does what she does. Her priority is with the congregation and visitors to the church, rather than administration and meetings. To her developing good relationships is paramount to unify and leading the church.
Dorcas reflects on what motivates her to enter into full-time ministry: as a child she was constantly sick and weak. In 2012 doctors found a tumour in her head, which caused numbness to the right side of her body. It kept growing and during that time, she recalls that she may not have long to live, to serve and do God’s work. “Jesus loves me so much and he has sacrificed His life for me, so how should I respond to His love? Therefore, I must serve God whilst I am still alive and able!”
On 18th of August, 2018 the church celebrated 40 years of God’s faithfulness. On this same day Pastor Dorcas was also ordained as Reverend, in recognition of her commitment, hard work and her service to God and the church.