Our Malaysian Brethren
Kemaman Life BPC
Dr Wee Tiong Soon Chairing the Service with Sis Pei Ni Interpreting
The Kemaman Life Bible-Presbyterian Church was founded in 1994. On 6 July 2012, the Church commemorated her 18th anniversary with a thanksgiving service and dinner at the church premises, Lot 573, Jalan Che Teng, 24000 Kemaman, Terengganu. The Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo was the Lord’s messenger and he spoke from Colossians 1:1-6 on the need to be a holy and fruitful people for the Lord Jesus Christ. The Rev Lee Kim Shong of Calvary Jaya Bible-Presbyterian Church was his Chinese interpreter. Dn Dr Wee Tiong Soon was the worship chairman with Sis Ong Pei Ni as interpreter. The children from the Friday afternoon Bible study class presented a song item. The combined English-Chinese thanksgiving service was attended by about 60 members and friends. Visitors included Preacher Harrison Kasip Wan of Miri Bible-Presbyterian Church and FEBC student Kong Sing Soon from Sibu, Sarawak.
Thanksgiving Service
The Kemaman Life BPC was founded in 1994. At that time, the Rev John Ling was pastor of the Kemaman Presbyterian Church, and ministered in Chinese. But he saw the need for a worship service for the English-speaking members. To start this service, he needed help from Singapore. The Rev John Ling who was an Elder of Kelapa Sawit BPC and a graduate of the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC), knew our late pastor—the Rev Dr Timothy Tow—very well. He got in touch with the Rev Tow and asked for help. The Rev Tow then called on Dr Jeffrey Khoo, then a young lecturer at FEBC, to assist the Rev John Ling and arrange for English preachers to go up to Kemaman on a weekly basis.
The inaugural English service was held on 1 July 1994, and the Rev Tow preached on “The Greatest Commission” (Matt 28:18- 20). Since then, no less than 72 preachers have visited and preached in the Kemaman Church. While some have fallen out and others have retired from ministry, many of the early preachers like the Rev Lee Kim Shong, the Rev Koa Keng Woo, and the Rev Wee Eng Moh continue to minister to the Church to this day. Lay preachers and members from Calvary Tengah, Calvary Jaya, Tabernacle and True Life BPCs also assist in the Kemaman ministry to preach the Word, teach the young people at the Friday Bible study meetings, and conduct the annual Vacation Bible School. The Lord is indeed a Good Shepherd to His sheep, for despite her ups and downs, He has not failed to provide willing and faithful preachers and servants to feed His flock in Kemaman. The Church is praying for a full-time pastor.
We are very encouraged by how the Lord has blessed the children of the Kemaman Life BPC all these years. Many of the children who grew up in the Kemaman Church are now God-fearing teenagers and young adults, and are walking closely with the Lord. Although many of the young people of Kemaman Church head to the capital city, Kuala Lumpur (KL), for education and work, they are not lost to the world. They remember the good doctrines with which they have been brought up. They make it a point to remember the Lord on the Sabbath day, and worship and serve the Lord at Calvary Jaya BPC. Among them are the three daughters of Mrs Lee—Mei Foong, Mei Yi and Mei Hwa—who are active in Sunday School and in the choir. There is also Edwin, the son of Mr and Mrs Lim, who is studying for his Master’s in Nuclear Physics, and Chee Chian, a school teacher. They are all grateful to the Lord and the Church for the King James Bible with which they have been brought up, for they testify how their command of the English language improved by leaps and bounds when they studied God’s Word through that good old English Bible; instead of getting C’s, they get A’s for English in school. May the Lord bless and keep them. Pray for young people from Malaysia to answer God’s call to full-time service.
Lee Sisters Mei Foong, Mei Yi, Mei Hwa
True Life BPC has been supporting our brethren in Kemaman with $8,000 a year, and this helps to cover the transportation costs of the visiting preachers. May we continue to keep them in our prayers.
Calvary Jaya BPC
While the Kemaman Church is 18 years old today, the Bible-Presbyterian Church in Petaling Jaya is 28 years old, having been founded a decade earlier in 1984. Our late founding pastor—the Rev Dr Timothy Tow—was also the one who preached at the inaugural service of the Calvary Jaya BPC, on 2 September 1984. The Lord has blessed the Church with a property at the corner of Jalan 17/1, 46400, Petaling Jaya, just about 15 minutes away from KL. The Calvary Jaya BPC take a strong stand for the twin doctrines of Verbal Plenary Inspiration and Verbal Plenary Preservation, and are united with the Far Eastern Bible College, True Life BPC and all like-minded BPCs which stand foursquare on the forever infallible and inerrant Words of God as found in the traditional Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus of the 16th Century Protestant Reformation, the KJV and all other faithful translations over against the corrupt modern versions of today.
Thanksgiving Dinner
Lately, Calvary Jaya have embarked on an extension building project to cater for the needs of their growing ministry and congregation—besides an English and a Chinese service, they also have a ministry to the deaf. This extension project will see a handsome new building being constructed just next to its present church building. It will cost the Church $1.8 million Malaysian Ringgit. The building project which began last year is almost nearing completion. As an expression of our love and support for Calvary Jaya, True Life BPC has given them a love gift of $10,000 Singapore dollars towards their new church building. The Rev Lee Kim Shong, pastor of Calvary Jaya, says that the new building should be fully functional by Christmas this year (DV). May the Lord use Calvary Jaya BPC mightily, and may many more souls be won for the Lord Jesus Christ, and the believers greatly built up in the faith! To God be the glory!
