Finding Firm Ground: Ericles’ Journey to Theology at Christ College

For Ericles Chi, the journey to studying theology has taken shape over many years and across numerous continents. Shaped by movement across countries, complex family dynamics, and profound encounters with God’s faithfulness, Ericles’ story is one of resilience, grace, and a growing desire to know God more deeply and serve others faithfully.

Born in Brazil to a Brazilian mother and Korean father, Ericles’ early life was marked by constant transition. By the age of five, his family had already begun a pattern of relocation. Over the years, Ericles would live in Brazil, Korea, and Australia. This transient life meant he had moved about seven times before reaching adulthood. Each move brought new challenges: new languages, new school systems, and the emotional cost of starting over again.

Amid this upheaval, Ericles also experienced significant family breakdown. His parents divorced while he was living in Korea, and later, disharmony with his stepmother and instability with his father added layers of pain and uncertainty. Despite these difficulties Ericle’s faith in God was growing:

“The times were hard but I think the Lord was really preparing me, not just to know who he is, but as I shared, going to church was somewhere, as the Psalms would say, to find refuge and strength. Every week was a challenge but it was really through God’s Word that slowly I started to understand who God is and that he’s in control of all things.”

It was especially during High School that Ericles found his reliance on God through prayer and petition. Ericles would frequently be in prayer, explaining, “I was literally talking to him [God] everywhere I go, every moment.”

Although he struggled to understand why his family circumstances were filled with hardship and grief during those times Ericles shares how God was “bigger than what was happening.” 

Church became a place of refuge, where the Word of God offered stability when life felt unpredictable, “hearing the word of God and being able to be at church was somewhere for me to find peace and as I was learning more about God my love towards Him grew,” he shares. 

A Turning Point for Ericles 

A significant turning point came when Ericles moved to Brazil to attend an American Missionary School called Puraquequara in the Amazon region. The school immersed students not only in academic study but in daily Christian life. More impactful than the class, Ericles noted, “was the people there…I was not only listening and studying the word of God but I was also seeing the examples of living the Christian’s life out. So seeing those examples really shaped me.”

During this season, Ericles was mentored closely by a school principal, Mr. Kern, who met with him regularly for prayer, Scripture reading, and encouragement. This intentional discipleship deeply grounded Ericles’ faith and awakened a desire to study God’s word more seriously. 

“That’s when I knew I wanted to share the gospel more, to be able to share the word,” Ericles shares. 

A Heart for God’s Word

Returning to Australia, Ericles carried this conviction with him. He began a Bachelor of Theology part-time while working in disability care to support himself. After starting his studies elsewhere, Ericles transferred to Christ College in 2023 – a move that he describes as both clarifying and important in narrowing his focus to Presbyterianism. 

One of the biggest differences at Christ College for Ericles is the sense of community, “I think the community is amazing,” Ericles explains. “Whether you’re studying full-time or part-time, you’re included.” Weekly chapel services, lunchtime talks, and college events made it possible for Ericles to remain deeply connected, even while balancing work and study. 

Ericles also values the theological clarity Christ College provides. As a Presbyterian college, its courses offered a framework that helped him deepen his convictions and understanding, particularly through subjects such as the Westminster Confession of Faith. 

“Because Christ College is Presbyterian, I think the studies and the teachings and the course they’re doing is a lot more clear and narrower in terms of what I learn and how I should have my views on theology.”

Equally impactful were the lecturers themselves. Ericles speaks warmly of their pastoral care, academic excellence, and genuine investment in students’ lives. One lecturer, Dr Greg Goswell, became a key mentor. He offered not only academic guidance but personal encouragement through regular check-ins and conversations. “He was doing more than just teaching,” Ericles says. “He was encouraging the students. I think that was something gold.”

Disability Work & Theological Study

Studying part-time was essential for Ericles, and Christ College made that possible without compromise. Ericles is a part-time disability support worker, a field he always wanted to be involved in. His work in disability support led him to contemplate whether to fully commit to church ministry or pursue chaplaincy and continue working in the health field.

Through years of working in disability care and aged care, he has developed a heart for chaplaincy, particularly among those who are often spiritually overlooked. 

“I will go to work mostly at disability facilities and sometimes in aged care facilities and there are a lot of elderly people who are left there and can’t go to church and a lot of them are lonely and in need of spiritual support,” he shares. 

His theological training at Christ College continues to shape this vision, preparing him to offer compassionate, Christ-centred care in complex spaces. He is particularly interested in working as a chaplain in a hospital or possibly disability care. 

Part-Time Study at Christ College  

Reflecting on his time at Christ College, Ericles is clear about why he encourages others to consider studying there.

“If they have a deep heart wanting to learn more about God or plan to get into ministry, definitely, it’ll be a place where they will not only grow academically, but also spiritually.”

As a part-time student balancing work and study, Ericles found Christ College to be both flexible and deeply formative. For Ericle’s he has felt supported, explaining that Christ College will create “a space to learn and study and at the same time you can still meet people and have fellowship.”

Christ College has been a place that Ericles has felt welcomed to participate, belong and actively build fellowship. He explains that Tuesdays are centred around a lunchtime gathering called Living for Christ.

“Someone will come and give a talk or share about what they do in ministry, or sometimes it could be a quiz about some theology,”

These sessions are intentionally relaxed and accessible for both full-time and part-time students. Beyond these weekly gatherings, Ericles notes that Christ College regularly hosts additional opportunities for learning and connection, which he greatly appreciates as a part-time student. 

For Ericles, Christ College has been a place where part-time study does not limit participation, but instead opens doors to community, worship, learning, and service – shaping his experience in ways that extend well beyond the classroom. It is this combination of theological depth, genuine community, and intentional formation that has made Christ College a place Ericles confidently recommends.