I have known Pastor Douglas Goh since we met during one of the Love Singapore Prayer Summit in Malacca. Or perhaps in some other earlier meetings. He struck me as a thoroughbred Pentecostal, proud of his roots in the Assemblies of God Singapore, and deeply committed to being more like his Master and helping his members to follow Jesus. After not seeing each other for many years, we bumped into each other at the hospital pharmacy twice. We exchanged numbers and kept in contact. I discovered that recently on 24th May 2024, Pastor Douglas was honoured with a lifetime membership for being an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God Singapore for the last 40 years: a mark of faithfulness and loyalty. Our two God-incidental meetings prompted him to invite me to preach in his church. I gladly accepted and enjoyed my time ministering to the church. They must have found it edifying because they invited me a second time.
Finding the church at Village Hotel Bugis was easier the second time. I was early and had time to grab coffee and biscuits. The members trickled in and the worship service began, led by Pastor Maureen, the wife of Douglas. There was a lone musician at the keyboard and a lone backup singer. Despite the skeletal worship team, I found myself sensing the presence of God and a sense of holiness and peace.
I am always pleasantly surprised even though I know that Jesus said he is present even if two or three are gathered in his name. Why do we always associate God’s presence with huge crowds and big worship bands? God is pleased to be wherever his children are. “Don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you his kingdom.” (Luke 12:32 NLT)
The gathering was small, and I connected easily with this congregation the size of two large extended families. The Lord was present and enabled me to teach them about “Discerning False Prophets & Teachers”. They were appreciative of the teaching and I was glad they caught it. The members were committed to the church, some for many years, even decades.
I joined them for lunch fellowship. I noticed and admired the deep bonds of love. It felt like family. I could see that in the way they treated each other. I was warmed by their hospitality. Noticing that I limped from a bout of gout, they asked me what I wanted and went to buy the food and drink in the food court as I sat and chatted with other members.
I heard some members talking in Malay and I asked, Are you guys Peranakan? Yes. And so too is the pastor and his wife. I had unknowingly stumbled into a small Peranakan Christian community. I found this so interesting, being a Peranakan myself.
I left them after the lunch fellowship filled with the joy of the Lord. The Father loves his little flocks and there are millions of little flocks around the world, in rural villages and small towns, in megacities and slums, in restricted countries where Christians are persecuted, and in prisons and concentration camps. We need “little flocks” – small churches where the bonds of love are strong and deep in an increasingly fractured, digitally impersonal, and polarized world. Fear not, little flocks, the Father’s eyes are upon you!
When I received an invitation to preach at Yishun Christian Church (Anglican), I was happy to accept. I heard of this church long ago, when the church I served was searching for a permanent church facility. This was the first example of two churches sharing one building facility in a HDB land tender in a housing estate. It made a lot of sense as it halved the development cost and doubled the usage. As it turned out the Lutherans, being a mainline, liturgical church, is a good match in terms of the sanctuary design, nave and altar, pews and culture. A few other churches have followed suit and improved on this model: Clementi Bible Centre, another building in Yishun shared by Tabernacle of Christ and Life Centre Church (formerly Smyrna Assembly), and in Jurong West a church building shared by Victory Family Church and Centre of New Life. In fact, the government had plans for more churches to share buildings similarly but there had been no updates thus far.
Passionate about forming members in Christlikeness
The present vicar is Rev Daniel Teo. I was quite impressed with his broad experience. He was with Youth With A Mission for a season and served as ordained priest with St John’s-St Margaret’s for many years. He loves learning and holds a Master of Divinity (Greek track) and Master of Christian Studies from BGST, Singapore. Currently, he is close to completing his Masters in Theology. It became obvious he carries a passion for the Word of God and expository preaching. I noticed that the vicar and staff team had been preaching through the book of James. More importantly, they desire to see transformation towards Christlikeness as the word is applied in the members’ lives. I noticed that the English congregation pastors Japheth and Richard were likewise passionate about teaching God’s Word.
I was happy to see Beth, a former church leader who married pastor Japheth. I was pleased that she had integrated into the church well as a ministry staff. It was painful for the church I still attend to lose her, but I take comfort that she will bloom wherever she is planted and she is happily married to a pastor. She led the praise and worship songs in the monthly family worship service where the children and youth joined the adults in an inter-generational service. I believe such integration is healthy for the church, even if it is done monthly. This church had also experienced the charismatic renewal and unlike other churches, members are permitted to flow with the Spirit during the worship service.
I preached on the topic, “Being Single and Fulfilled” and placed the accent on being “fulfilled” because there were many married couples, young families and empty nesters. The attendance was over 200. I surprised myself because I preached for thirty minutes. I usually preach for forty minutes. On the Sunday before, I preached for an hour in my home church! It helped that I knew that after the 8:30 am Anglican service, the Lutherans would hold their worship service, so I was motivated to keep to my allotted time.
After the service, I caught up with Hedy Chua and her husband Christopher. We lived in the same neighbourhood in Princess Elizabeth Estate. Many decades back, I got to know that she attended this church. It was good to see her still rooted in the same church. These days loyalty, gratitude and faithfulness are rare qualities. People leave churches for the weakest reasons: a misunderstanding or dissatisfaction. Many left their home church simply because they unknowingly acted like consumers, searching for what was best for themselves, and not thinking of how they could contribute to the church they were dissatisfied with. This is a generalization of course but it is true for a sizeable percentage of church migrants.
When I left, I received a gift book, “The Bible’s Grand Story” written by the vicar himself. This was published in 2019 before the covid pandemic. I scanned it and felt it would be a good addition to the many books that local Christian writers have written in the past two decades. It’s another reminder to finish editing my book draft, which halted abruptly in the past month when I came down with pain in my back shoulder. This is the Lord’s nudging that I must finish editing my book draft.
I arrived early for the conference. Pastors were around several tables, having their nasi lemak and coffee for breakfast. I sat down with Dora and Pastor Timothy Chow and had casual conversations that normal people have. I feel relaxed and a sense of belonging. The conference began with singing and prayerful worship. The presence of God can be felt. I needed it. The Presence. I am sure other shepherds were drawing down the graces too. These are ministers who carry heavy responsibilities. Some may be discouraged, weary and heavy-laden, and some may be hurt, fearful or frustrated. Only the Chief Shepherd knows their specific needs. We pray the Holy Spirit will expertly tend to each one uniquely.
The fear of the Lord
I was blessed by the first session, “Shepherding God’s Flock in the Fear of the Lord” delivered by Pastor Gabriel Han. Gabriel mentioned how in recent decades the church had flirted with a different gospel: hyper-faith, self-centred favour, prosperity, and pampering emphases, but these days are over and the time has come for the church to heed the message of holy love and holy fear. He talked about what a church with the fear of the Lord would look like, expounding on how Ananias and Sapphira’s deceit with offerings were met with death. “And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard these things.” (Acts 5:11) As shepherds we need to serve in all aspects of ministry with a sense of holy reverence before God. One statement that struck me was: Perfect love casts out all fear of man and inspires a godly fear of the Lord.
I believe the Spirit underlined his concluding words. He appealed to pastors to grow in the fear of the Lord so that their lives would impact the congregation, causing God’s light to shine upon them and inspire growth in the church. “The God of Israel has spoken: the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. (2 Samuel 23:3,4) I could sense the Spirit stirring in the pastors a desire for the fear of the Lord in their lives.
Saint and sinner simultaneously
The second session was a surprise for me. However, it demonstrated the openness of the MFIS leadership team to have invited a Presbyterian pastor, Keith Lai, to speak on the topic of “Understanding Leadership Failures and Avoiding Common Pitfalls”. I have known Keith for some time. He is one of the seven wonders of the Presbyterian church! I wondered how a Presbyterian minister who exercises the charismatic gifts managed to survive, indeed, thrive, in a denomination generally known to be doubtful, if not suspicious, of all things charismatic. In fact, he is open to all the Lord had for him and shared how he learned from the Baptist, the Methodist, and the Catholics, not just the charismatics. Fascinating and mind-opening.
Many notable ministers and ministries have fallen into disrepute and brought shame to the Lord’s name. However, Keith challenged the common reaction of shock and surprise of many Christians when they hear of notable preachers who have fallen into sin. They should not be surprised because theologically all believers are “simul justus et pecator” (“simultaneously saint and sinner”). All believers, including pastors and leaders, are like sheep and are susceptible to falling if not for the grace of God keeping us. We are all works in progress and are still being sanctified. Only in our glorification will we be finally free from the “presence of sin”. In the meantime, we notice the struggle of the desires of the Spirit with the desires of the flesh.
Seven times seven
By the end of the second session, I was full. I had received much to chew on and digest. But in typical Singaporean style, we had to pack in more! This session however was very encouraging. It showed MFIS intention of “connecting the generations and growing together in the 5-fold gifts” (from MFIS mission statement). Seven young ministers will each preach for seven minutes enlarging from the text in Psalm 78:72 “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart, with skillful hands he led them.”
Straightaway, I happily recognized one of my home church pastors Tom Cannon, and my pastor friend’s son, Jireh Chee. The seven young ministers were clear communicators infused with life and I was blessed as they turned around the verse like a diamond and let the conference see different aspects of shepherding, drawn from the life of David. My brain by this time was bursting with content and I was thankful that lunch was next, and what a sumptuous buffet it was – comparable to the spiritual food we just had.
Afternoon workshop
Now the lunch has put me on screensaver mode, and I wondered how to keep alert during the workshop. There were three workshops on offer: “Your Church is a House of Prayer: From Prayer Meeting to Prayer Movement” by Lai Kheng Pousson; “Shepherd from Rest” by Eugene Seow; and “Staying Fresh in the Ministry” by Pastor Calvin Lee. I have not seen or heard from Eugene for many years so I went for his workshop. It helped that I was in front – it kept me awake.
Eugene Seow shared with us that he was no longer in F.C.B.C. and is now a pastor with Living Sanctuary. That’s news to me. I was happy to hear him talk about the meaning of sabbath rest for pastors. One thought that resonated with me was that God created man on the sixth day. Then on the seventh day, which God separated as holy sabbath, was Adam’s first day, a day of rest, of being with God. God wanted man for himself. It goes against some common notions we have of the sabbath. It’s not the last day but the first day. It’s not time to wind down but to wind up. It’s not arriving but taking off. It’s not leftovers but first fruits. It’s not closing but a new beginning. This is a refreshing perspective. He ended with two practical applications: Remember (Exo 31:12), and Listen (Isaiah 55:P2,3 Hebrews 3:15, 4:7).
Corporate prayer
The session ended and we sang and prayed in the truths we heard all day. My upper back was aching and Pastor Isaiah noticed it and he prayed for me. That was so good. One more plenary session to go. Can this aching body and saturated mind take in more? Come on!
The grand finale
The new chairman of MFIS is Pastor Samuel Gift Stephen. I heard his father preach long ago in the late 1970’s when he was the pastor of a Finnish Mission church called Praise Evangelical Church. It was wonderful then to see the son on the stage and the dynamism of his preaching.
The topic was “Recognizing False Ministries and Teachings” and he was the right person to carry the last session. He was constantly reaching out and drawing responses from the pastors. He connected and engaged us effectively. He taught about the identifying traits of false teachings and ministries: conflict with Scripture, focus on material gains, lack of fruit, and authority without accountability. He also shared strategies he uses to vaccinate his members: equipping and biblical training, promoting open dialogues and forums, establishing clear doctrinal stands and practices, and fostering a culture of accountability. Effective communication within the time allotted. Great, what a full day! Homeward bound.
As I reflected on the conference the next day, I concluded that the speakers had communicated highly relevant and helpful subjects to the pastors. I wish I had such input earlier in my pastoral ministry. I was glad there were 150 participants from 58 churches in the conference. May these pastors and leaders shepherd their flocks with integrity and skilful hands. Amen and amen!
