Our Team

Chinese Pastor

John Zhang

Pastor John Zhang came to saving faith in Jesus Christ in 2001. In response to God's call to full-time ministry, he pursued theological training in the United States beginning in 2006. God first led Pastor Zhang to shepherd a Chinese church in Silicon Valley, California, where he developed a deep commitment to the faithful exposition of Scripture and biblical shepherding. He was then called to the greater Washington, D.C. area to participate in church planting, serving new immigrants and professionals from mainland China. Burdened for the spiritual needs of his fellow Chinese people and led by the Holy Spirit, Pastor Zhang returned to Beijing to pastor Beijing Zion Church, an urban house church. God later called him to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he served in cross-cultural missions and church planting among Chinese communities and local residents. In 2020, because of the global pandemic, Pastor Zhang returned to the United States and continued his pastoral ministry at the Chinese Christian Church of Greater Albany. In 2026, God graciously led him to the Chinese Bible Church of Howard County, where he now serves alongside the congregation in advancing the gospel and building up the body of Christ. Pastor Zhang believes that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and fully sufficient Word of God. He is committed to faithful expository preaching, gospel-centered ministry, loving pastoral care, disciple-making, and the raising up of spiritual leaders, with the desire that more people would come to know Christ, follow Christ, and glorify Christ.

English Pastor

Elder Matthew Harvey

Elder Matthew Harvey became a Christian at the age of five while attending Forcey Christian School and was baptized at Forcey Bible Church in 1984.

Matthew began participating in missions and evangelism during high school, as well as serving in the children’s Sunday School and the church’s summer camp. Over the years he continued to serve at Forcey, teaching and mentoring children and youth, and teaching adult Sunday School classes.

Matthew studied Bible at Houghton University in New York state, earning his B.A. in Bible and Philosophy in 1994. He served in the US Army and the Maryland National Guard for 14 years. He later attended seminary part-time at Liberty Theological Seminary, graduating with an M.A. in Theological Studies in 2011. For nearly 30 years he worked in the computer industry, and for the past ten years taught computer security classes as an adjunct at Howard Community College and at the University of Maryland.

In spring of 2006, the Harvey family became members at the Chinese Bible Church of Howard County (CBCHC). Matthew soon took on much of the teaching duties for the English-language adult Sunday School, and Matthew and Robin began leading the church youth group. Matthew also served as a deacon for several years starting in 2008. In 2011, the elders asked him to fill in preaching on occasion, and he continued to preach with increasing frequency since then.

Elder Harvey was ordained as a elder by CBCHC in June of 2023. In the spring of this year he accepted the call for a new English-language pastor.