FAR EASTERN BIBLE COLLEGE

We saw recently in the USA a whole lot of chaos in the universities. Commencements or graduation ceremonies had to be cancelled because students were rioting and demonstrating. There is lawlessness and violence. It is sad to see this in Ivy League universities like Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Princeton which were once upon a time Bible or Christian Colleges with biblical and godly foundations. Sad to say, these once-upon-a-time Christian institutions are no more Christian. They have abandoned God and the Bible, and are now a hotbed of atheistic philosophies and anti-biblical ideologies. By the grace of God, the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) continues to stand solidly and squarely upon the forever infallible and inerrant Word of God.

DVBC

The Daily Vacation Bible College (DVBC) course on the Harmony of the Gospels (Apr 29-May 4) taught by the Principal drew a hundred students. The course sought to explain the unity and harmony (or “Harmonity”) of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and defend it against the attacks of historical and textual critics who deny the 100% truthfulness and trustworthiness of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures that God has verbally and plenarily inspired (VPI) originally and also verbally and plenarily preserved (VPP) throughout time.

Dean Burgon Oath

As a school which upholds the twin doctrines of VPI and VPP, it is customary for FEBC at every convocation to take the Dean Burgon Oath. This oath was introduced by the founding President and Principal of FEBC—the late Rev Dr Timothy Tow. It is required of all Board and faculty members to solemnly swear that they believe “the Bible is none other than the voice of Him that sitteth upon the throne. Every book of it, every chapter of it, every verse of it, every word of it, every syllable of it, every letter of it, is direct utterance of the Most High. The Bible is none other than the Word of God, not some part of it more, some part of it less, but all alike the utterance of Him that sitteth upon the throne, faultless, unerring, supreme.” We thank God for preserving this biblical witness of FEBC till this day.

We also thank God for the peace we enjoy in our country, and for being able to hold our 49th graduation service on the Lord’s Day evening of May 9 at Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church.

Graduation Service

At the graduation service, a total of 13 were awarded their well-earned diplomas—six with the Certificate of Biblical Studies (CertBS, 40 credits), one Diploma in Theology (DipTh, 96 credits), one Bachelor of Religious Education (BRE, 128 credits), one Bachelor of Ministry (BMin, offered in cooperation with the BCEA Kenya), and four Masters of Theology (ThM which is 28 credits on top of the 98-credit MDiv including Hebrew and Greek, and a thesis).

The God of the Bible is a God of the covenant. He is a covenant-keeping God and a God of the family. As such He calls whole families or members from the same family to salvation and to service. We see this among our graduates. Cheow Teong Kean was awarded the DipTh, and his wife May Yoke and daughter Victoria with the CertBS. Sophia their daughter is a full-time MDiv student at FEBC. Esther (CertBS) and Rachel Leong (ThM) are sisters, daughters of Elder John Leong who is the Secretary in the FEBC Board. Rachel is married to Maritus (ThM) and both will be returning to Calvary GAPPI Batam to serve under the Rev Kiantoro Lie. Cornelius Koshy is son of the Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy, FEBC’s Dean of Students and pastor of Gethsemane BPC. Low Boon Siang is an Elder of Gethsemane BPC. Zakharia Suhartono is serving with the Rev Peter Yoksan in Calvary GAPPI Kubu Raya in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. Stephen Kimani (BMin) is a graduate of BCEA and has been pastoring a church in Kenya for the last 10 years. CertBS graduates Dr Amor San Juan is a professor at Central Luzon State University and Rodolfo Gayon is a preacher at Trinidad BPC in the Philippines. Last but not least, we have Kwak Won Young (BRE) who hails from Korea. Congratulations to all.

The Principal was the graduation speaker and he spoke on the topic “Unity in Truth and Grace” taken from Ephesians 4:1–16.

Graduation Greetings

Praise the Lord for alumni who remember their alma mater. Here is a letter from Park Jungil (DipTh 2014) who is the founding preacher of Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church in Changwon, South Korea:

Dear Principal,
As graduation day draws near, I am filled with an overwhelming desire to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the graduates who have persevered through the challenges of studying God’s words and navigating various trials. FEBC holds a special place in my heart as a training center where God’s presence is palpable, guiding and nurturing all who pass through its doors. From my own experiences during my school days to the present, I have witnessed the mysterious ways in which the Lord leads His chosen ones to this institution.
Your sermons have been instrumental in shaping my journey, leading me to determine to study at FEBC. I vividly recall the day when your encouragement, following my sermon in the exegesis class, strongly convinced me of God’s calling to be a preacher. Despite the trials I faced during my time at FEBC, I cherish the experience deeply.
Now, seeing my son Juan follow in my footsteps at FEBC fills me with both joy and concern. He, too, faces struggles in his studies and life, much like I did. After a disappointing semester, Juan prayed earnestly for success, expressing doubts about his future. While he may not yet feel the direct call of God upon his life, I trust that, in due time, the Lord will reveal His purpose for Juan.
I am immensely grateful for the spiritual care Juan receives from the church community. Their support and prayers for his academic success mean the world to me. My wife, a devout woman who loves God’s word, longs to see her son preach the Gospel. Witnessing such a moment would bring her immeasurable happiness and gratitude to the Lord.
As you have served and encouraged me, I humbly ask for your continued support for Juan. Your guidance has been invaluable, and I believe it will profoundly impact Juan’s journey.
Though I cannot be present, I encourage Juan to join the church camp in my place. Together, let us pray for the camp’s success and for Juan to hear the divine calling through the preached words.
With sincere appreciation and warm regards,
Jungil, 3 May 2024

[Greetings were also received from Rev Dr Michael Koech, Rev Errol Stone, Pr Shobastian.]

Mersing Retreat

After the graduation, the College held a three-days-two-nights retreat at the Resort Lautan Biru (RLB) in Mersing, Malaysia. It was a blessed time of spiritual fellowship and outdoor activities.

We had a total of five chapel periods with messages from the Revs Zhu Jianwei, Stephen Khoo, Jose Lagapa, Clement Chew, Koa Keng Woo, and Prabhudas Koshy. Our degree graduates were given a chance to present their respective theses on these important topics: “The Doctrine of Repentance”, “Mutual Christian Love: The Commands to Love One Another in the New Testament”, “The Christian and Mental Illness”, “A Biblical Study of the Intermediate State of Man’s Soul”, and “A Critical Study of the Heretical Doctrines of World Mission Society Church of God”.

God willing, FEBC will hold another retreat at the RLB in November at the end of next semester. You are welcome to join us. JK

FEBC’s Annual Retreat at Resort Lautan Biru, Mersing, 6–8 May 2024