Pastor Israel Kang was born in China Hubei Province. When he was 15 years old, he went to The University of Engineering and Technology, a military Academy. In 1983, he graduated and was assigned to work for a Satellite Launching Center as a technical teaching officer in Chinese military.In 1989, while he almost finished his Master degree in aerospace engineering ranked as Captain, he was caught in a political storm because he led a group of military graduate students who supported the democratic movement in China. Therefore, he had to leave the military and become a PhD candidate in Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In 1992, he came to the United States to study in the University of Texas at Austin. It was there, where he first encountered a student Bible Study group. He was so touched by the story of Jesus Christ and the Word of God that, not long after, in 1993, he was determined to believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him.
Seven years past, during this period, he married his wife Jenny and they have two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. They stayed in a nondenominational Chinese church in Austin, Texas. In 1999, he earned his PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and moved to Houston, Texas.
During the seven years after he believed, Israel grew a huge hunger for the power of Holy Spirit to live a holy life; he struggled and was frustrated by the obvious lack of God’s power in his daily life. In year 2000, he knelt down at midnight cried for the power of Holy Spirit and more revelation from God.
God answered his prayers by sending a Pentecostal couple as his neighbor. Sister Rany Baraque witnessed to Israel with signs and wonders following her. One day, Israel had a huge pain in his stomach because of a kidney stone, (he had been in hospital twice for emergency treatment, and the doctors could not find any stones), suddenly, he heard a knock on his back door. When he opened the door, Sister Baraque was standing in front of him. She then said, “For some reason, I felt the Lord wanted me to knock on your door”. Israel said to her, “I know the reason, it is because I am in huge pain”. Then Sister Baraque prayed a prayer of faith for healing, the pain left Israel’s body that same afternoon and the kidney stone came out one day after the prayer, he was totally healed!The Lord also healed him for another sickness through the powerful prayer of this Pentecostal lady. One day in the May of year 2001, in brother and sister Baraque’s kitchen, Israel Kang was filled with Holy Spirit speaking in tongues, and he and his wife were baptized in the sweetest name of Jesus under water! Soon after that, his wife also was filled with Holy Spirit speaking in tongues!
The fire of Holy Ghost burned so powerfully in Brother Kang’s heart; the Lord laid a huge burden in him for the Chinese people and lost souls. From 2001 to 2003, the Holy Ghost led him to read the Word of God almost every night, sometimes the Holy Spirit woke him up at three or four o’clock in the early morning to lead him read His Word. Through Brother David Bernard’s books and the books of many other men of God, he has been grounded with the Truth of The One God Doctrine and and The New Birth Doctrine.
Year 2003, he heard twice the calling to be a preacher of Jesus Christ’s Gospel through the laying of hands. Brother Israel Kang then asked the Lord Jesus for five things to be fulfilled as the signs and confirmation of His calling:
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- The experience to baptize someone under water in the name of Jesus
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- Pray and lay hand on someone to be filled with Holy Ghost speaking in tongues
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- Pray and lay hand on for somebody in Jesus name that his or her disease be healed instantly
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- Prophesize in the name of Jesus so that the Lord Himself fulfill the prophecy
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- Cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus
During the year 2003, the Lord Jesus has confirmed the five things that Brother Israel Kang asked for as the confirmation of His Divine calling.
Therefore, in the November of year 2003, Pastor Israel Kang and his wife opened a small Bible study group in Houston’s Chinatown. In May 28, 2006, the Houston Apostolic Church officially operated. Since then, he has preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the United States, in Canada, in Taiwan, and in China. Hundreds of people have been baptized in Jesus name and been filled with Holy Ghost through his preaching and ministry. The Lord Jesus has sent many signs and wonders following his ministry and preaching.
Pastor Israel Kang also currently serves as the Chinese Evangelism Ministry Coordinator in the United Pentecostal Church International.
