The FEBC Story Retold
Dr S H Tow
“Big Brother” Timothy Tow
I shall tell it as I saw it happen fifty and more years ago. FEBC is not just any college, but a college of the Bible, the inspired and inerrant Word of God— everlasting and unchanging. To handle such a Word, nay, to teach and expound it, is no mean task, but only such as are called of God, for it is God’s Holy Word.
Psalm 138:2 says: “…thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name,” and who is called “The Word of God” but our Lord Jesus Himself (Rev 19:13)! How carefully and reverently, then, must we be when we handle the written Word of God!
The Story Starts with a Man
It happens the man was my brother, Brother Number One or “Big Brother,” in the Chinese “family hierarchy.” (I was Number Three among the boys.) In the absence of Father, Brother Number One was the “Head,” and in all our schooling years, we boys lived with Grandfather, away from Father. So for years, Big Brother held the reins of authority among the five brothers. (How important he was!)
My “FEBC Story” starts, therefore, with Big Brother, Son of Mother’s vow. In 1935, a most significant spiritual event took place in our home: the coming of revivalist- evangelist from China, Dr John Sung. His fame preceded him.
For six months we prayed for Dr Sung’s coming to “Nanyang—South Seas.” Miss Leona Wu had been much blessed by the ministry of Dr Sung, and she was Mother’s best friend. (Miss Wu subsequently proved to be the only interpreter who could cope with Dr Sung’s preaching— translating from his Mandarin into Hokkien the “lingua franca” of the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. Through Miss Wu we were well prepared for Dr Sung’s coming.
In his first preaching campaign in 1935, our entire family was saved and blessed. We practically attended three meetings each day for two full weeks without a miss—so powerful and gripping were Dr Sung’s messages.
At the first “appeal for consecration” issued by Dr Sung Big Brother responded. Let me quote Big Brother’s own words: “When the call was made, I was one of the first to go up front…. Before the Doctor’s appeal, insofar as I was concerned, it was crystal clear what I should be when I grew up. When I was born, Mother gave me, as Hannah gave Samuel, to the Lord. Grandpa prayed the prayer of dedication. From a tender age, Mother would tell me of her vow and that when I grew up, I should serve God as a pastor. Thus, as the working of the Holy Spirit in my heart deepened with the quick passing of the days of the Revival Campaign, I was resolved to give the Saviour my all.” (Son of a Mother’sVow, p76).
That was in 1935. Dr Sung visited Singapore in four successive years always in August during the school holidays.
The turn of events, however, saw the rise of Japanese power over Southeast Asia and the beginning of the fall of the mighty British Empire. The God of History was at work. Suddenly, the Japanese had displaced the British as a new colonial power. Everybody feverishly began to study Japanese! That was in 1942.
Amazing Turn of Events
Like a bad dream, the years of Japanese Occupation dragged on: 1942-45, years of patient endurance. Big Brother joined the Japanese “Judicial Officers’ Training Institute.” Strange and unexpected, Japanese rule was abruptly shattered by America’s two atomic bombs (Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945). The Japanese surrendered, the British would soon be back.
But, how about Big Brother? His promise to serve the Lord was shelved! After all, his two years’ legal training seemed to point to a future in law. As soon as the British were back in charge, surely the reasonable thing to do was to complete his law studies in England.
Consequently, 1946 saw Big Brother accepted into London University to complete his law studies. It was then that the higher hand of God began to move. Like a bolt from the blue, Mother was taken home after a mysterious 5-day fever. Undeterred, Big Brother pressed on with plans to leave for London. (After all, his ticket was already bought.)
Then came a second blow: God took Big Brother’s 7-month-old daughter, Lilyn, following an operation for “intussusception” of the intestines (an extremely rare reversal of the bowel contractions). This second blow shook him to his senses. Let Big Brother tell the story himself: “At the KK Hospital, as I entered the Babies’ Ward I saw the grim spectacle of death. (Baby Lilyn had been operated on unsuccessfully for intussusception of the intestines.) But I was determined, adamant as rock, still set on London, when a sudden fainting sensation came over me. I saw myself passing out of this world. The fame and power that I was seeking became a worthless smouldering heap to me, a dying man. The Word of God struck me: for what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? The Lord spoke to me. I prayed: Lord, if you will give me back my life I will serve Thee forever. Amen.”
“My life returned to me, praise the Lord. I announced to my wife and all the relatives gathered in the hospital room, ‘No more London for me!’ Praise the Lord. I will only serve Him. I remembered Mother’s vow, and my consecration at Dr John Sung’s meeting: only Jesus, always Jesus! No more man’s law, but the Law of God. The rest of the story is well known.”
Big Brother found God’s School of the Word: Faith Theological Seminary. There he obtained the “Bachelor of Divinity” degree [the MDiv today], returned to Singapore and founded Life Bible-Presbyterian Church 1950. FEBC followed in 1962.
[The article above was originally published in the Calvary Pandan BPC Weekly, September 2, 2012. Dr S H Tow is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Pandan Bible- Presbyterian Church. He was a member of the three-man committee responsible for the setting up of the Far Eastern Bible College when it was founded in 1962 and served as 3rd President of the FEBC Board of Directors from 1977 to 1989. Dr Tow is the honoured speaker tonight at the Golden Jubilee Thanksgiving Service to be held at the John Sung Memorial Chapel, Calvary Pandan BPC, 6 pm. Join us for a time of grateful worship of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ who has done all things well for His people!]
FEBC Confers Honorary Doctorate on the Rev Koa Keng Woo
The Far Eastern Bible College conferred her first honorary doctorate— the Doctor of Divinity—on the Rev Koa Keng Woo at her 50th Anniversary Alumni Thanksgiving Service in convocation at Life Bible-Presbyterian Church, Gilstead Road, on September 21, 2012.
Citation
The Rev Koa Keng Woo was born in Mentakab, Pahang, Malaysia on 12 May 1929. Born into a Christian family, his parents were Christians who migrated to Singapore and Malaysia from Southern China. His paternal grandfather was a preacher in Changchow, Fukien province, and his maternal grandfather was the first pastor of Trinity Church in Muar.
The Rev Koa believed sincerely in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour in 1946. In 1981, he enrolled as a student of Far Eastern Bible College after much encouragement from the Rev Dr Timothy Tow. More importantly, he was moved by God’s Word to answer God’s call to full-time service. John 9:4 in particular spoke to his heart, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” In 1987, he graduated with his Bachelor of Theology degree. In partial fulfilment of the requirements for his degree, he wrote a thesis on “The History of the Presbyterian Church in Singapore and Malaysia.”
In 1981, the Rev Dr Timothy Tow assigned him to teach Church Music and Bible Geography at the Far Eastern Bible College, which he continues to teach to this day. As a musician, the Rev Koa plays the piano and the flute and conducts the College choir.
The Rev Koa (then an Elder) was ordained a minister of the gospel on 31 July 1989. Since then he has been the pastor of Muar Bible-Presbyterian Church. He is currently also the pastor of Rawang Bible- Presbyterian Church and Bukit Gambir Bible-Presbyterian Church, and the advisory pastor of the historic Trinity Church in Muar which in 2011 celebrated her centenary.
The Rev Koa was also part of the 20th Century Reformation Movement under the Rev Dr Carl McIntire. He was Vice-President of the International Council of Christian Churches representing Malaysia.
Being fluent in both English and Mandarin, the Rev Koa is well sought after as a speaker by many churches. He has been called upon many times to preach at Kemaman Life Bible-Presbyterian Church, Miri Bible-Presbyterian Church, Calvary Bible-Presbyterian Church in Sibu, and recently the Chinese service of True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. The Rev Koa is 83 years old. Despite his age, he labours tirelessly and cheerfully for the Lord. Like the Rev Dr Timothy Tow, retirement from the Lord’s service is not part of his vocabulary.
The Rev Koa has a helpful and supportive wife (Siew Kheng). They were married in 1962, the same year FEBC was founded. Mrs Koa taught pianoforte at FEBC from 1981-2007. We thank the Lord for her contribution to FEBC as well.
The Rev Koa Keng Woo exemplifies the spirit of the Far Eastern Bible College which is faithfulness to the Lord and to His Word. As such, the College, on this auspicious occasion of her Golden Jubilee, is pleased to confer on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity honoris causa.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps 133:1) FEBC’s Golden Jubilee Thanksgiving Retreat, 17-19 September 2012 @ Resort Lautan Biru, Mersing
