BPCIS Update: A Work in Progress
Written by Ps David Wong
TENTH ANNIVERSARY. Ten years ago we took tentative steps to form a Presbytery to bring Bible-Presbyterian (BP) churches together. With the tagline “Speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4.15), we adopted a three-fold agenda of developing leaders, building relationships and sharing resources. We remember this as DBS (which is also our bank).
Over the decade, we ordained 10 ministers of the gospel, mostly from the next generation. Our pastors met monthly for fellowship over lunch, and annually with other leaders at retreats. Our members came together for combined services at Good Friday. We shared best practices and resources for ministries and projects. Please check our milestones on BPCIS website (bpcis.org.sg), together with greetings from our past speakers and friends.
NINTH MEMBER CHURCH. When the new Presbytery was launched in October 2011, Pastor Tan Eng Boo was there, representing Grace Bible-Presbyterian Church, one of the observer churches. But it would take ten years before the church laid aside its observer status. On 10th October 2021, the congregation voted to join the Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore (BPCIS). Please read their story “Grace Added” on BPCIS website.
THIRD PRESBYTERY MEETING. On 25 Sep, at our annual meeting (third since we officially registered with Registry of Societies), the following were elected to serve for next two years: Ps Timothy Phua (Mount Horeb) as Moderator, Ps Lawrence Ong (Zion Serangoon) as Clerk, and Ps Daniel Tan (Mount Hermon) as Treasurer. In the coming years, God helping us, we embark on agenda DBS 2.0: devoting to prayer, building bridges and strengthening our churches.
MOVEMENTS. Ps Daniel Chua completes 33 years of pastoral ministry at Mount Carmel, and transitions to service with Ambassadors for Christ, Singapore. Based in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, he will coordinate the training of pastoral leaders in several countries in Asia. Several BP pastors will serve with him as trainers.
Ps Quek Swee Hwa will transition to Pastor-at-Large with Elder David Leong assuming pastoral responsibilities in Emmanuel. Mount Hermon will move from its present location at Choa Chu Kang to a freehold property in Henderson, close to where the church started in Telok Blangah.
As BPCIS crosses the 10th anniversary milestone, we are still a work in progress. But we are assured and “sure of this, that he who began a good work… will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 ESV
