He served as senior pastor of the First Chinese Baptist Church of Los Angeles (1962–1980) and as the president of China Evangelical Seminary in Taipei, Taiwan (1980–1990).

He then pastored Jubilee Church in Shanghai until 1937, followed by serving as principal of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Bible Institute of Guangxi from 1937 to 1938.

In 1948, he returned to the United States for further study, receiving a BD and a STM from Faith Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Hebrew and Cognate Language from Dropsie University in 1954.

[3] In 1980 Lin succeeded James Hudson Taylor III as the president of China Evangelical Seminary in Taiwan.

[4][1] Upon his retirement, the Timothy Lin Chair of Biblical Interpretation and Church Growth was created at China Evangelical Seminary.