1995 Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow 9A Gilstead Road, Singapore 309063
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1 The Singapore B-P Church Story © 1995 Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow 9A Gilstead Road, Singapore 309063. Cover by Roger Wong of Canada ISBN 981-00-7057-8 Published by Life Book Centre 9A Gilstead Road, Singapore 309063. Printed in the Republic of Singapore. 2 To My Beloved Sister Dr Tow Siew Ai a lover of the Bible-Presbyterian Church and Twentieth Century Reformation this book is affectionately dedicated 3 Grant Us Men Both Strong and Faithful By the pow’r of Truth unchanging Working in the lives of men, God did raise the B-P movement From a humble little band. By His grace He set a fire Burning well within their hearts, To dispel the clouds of darkness Which had come unto these parts. Through the years of change and challenge Came the testings, not a few When their faithfulness was threatened, When they needed to be true! But the Truth which God had given They did steadfastly defend ´Gainst the waves of false religion Which assailed on every hand. Now the call has come upon them To prepare the way ahead, As to Moses came the Wisdom To train Joshua as the head. Who will keep the fires burning When their strength has ebbed away? Who will bear this awesome burden In this great, momentous day? Let the ones whom God has chosen Be resolved to take the lead, With their goal: to keep on doing What their predecessors did! Lord most gracious, most abundant, Grant to us this prayer, we plead, Grant us men both strong and faithful, Men who will fulfil our need. Amen. Charles Seet 4 CONTENTS FOREWORD ................................................................................. 6 PREFACE ...................................................................................... 7 Chapter I THE B-P SINGAPORE TREE HAS SEVEN ROOTS ............ 9 Chapter II TRACING THE AMERICAN ROOT—From Events that Led to Separation from the Presbyterian Church, USA.......... 19 Chapter III SEPARATION FROM UNBELIEF—leads to formation of the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions .... 30 Chapter IV WHAT IS BIBLE PRESBYTERIANISM? ............................ 35 Chapter V LINKAGE TO A GREAT CHURCH MOVEMENT............. 51 Chapter VI PERIOD OF LAYING FOUNDATIONS, 1950-57................ 57 Chapter VII PERIOD OF CONSOLIDATION AND GROWTH, 1958-64 ................................................................................... 80 Chapter VIII PERIOD OF TESTINGS AND FURTHER OUTREACH, 1965-71 ................................................................................... 97 Chapter IX PERIOD OF MULTI-DEVELOPMENTS AT HOME AND ABROAD, 1971-1995................................................. 111 Chapter X A DISSENTIOUS SPIRIT THAT LED TO THE DISSOLUTION OF SYNOD, OCTOBER 30, 1988............ 215 EPILOGUE................................................................................ 228 APPENDIX : THE SEPARATENESS OF THE CHURCH (by J Gresham Machen)........................................................ 231 5 FOREWORD The story of the B-P Church, Singapore has to be told. It has been known to be the fastest growing church here. WHY? It is being told in this book—The Singapore B-P Church Story—by its founder pastor Dr Timothy Tow in a way that no one else can tell it. Dr Tow first related it to the students of the evening class of the Far Eastern Bible College, of which he is the Principal. His holy intention was that “they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments” (Psalm 78:7). The Singapore B-P Church Story is a story of joy and tears, a story of spiritual conviction, courage, perseverance and God-given victories in the face of great odds. The author—Dr Timothy Tow—attempts at a comprehensive historical narration of the Singapore B-P Church. He first traces in a most interesting way, the origin of the B-P Church from its first root in the 16th Century Reformation to its seventh root in the Life B-P Church, Singapore. He concentrates on its vital American root and reveals the situation of the B-P Church in Singapore today. The book is written in the author’s by now, well known, (Dr Tow having written many books) easy flowing, easy-to-read, yet spirit- moving and heart-inspiring style. Dr Tow has also, in the spirit and wisdom of letting them tell their own story, incorporated, to a large extent, the individual B-P Churches’ own accounts of their respective church growth and missionary expansion. He completes the book powerfully telling his readers clearly what he wants them to know. He wants them to be in no doubt what a B-P Church is and what it was founded for. He wants all to know that “it is the duty of all true churches of the Lord Jesus Christ to make a clear testimony of their faith in Him, especially in these darkening days of apostasy in many professing churches . .” Those who are curious to know about the dissolution of the B-P Synod will want to read this book. Members of B-P churches will find this book illuminating. The old BPs of the Prinsep Street era will treasure the record of their fond memories. Generally the book has interest for all in the Lord’s business. Elder Chia Kim Chwee 6 PREFACE The Singapore B-P Church Story is a one-hour credit course taught to students of the Far Eastern Bible College Evening Class. The notes given them, after further polishing, have now been put into more permanent print. This book is herewith presented to the Christian public, but more importantly, to B-P sons and daughters that they may know their roots. The Singapore B-P Church began in 1950 as a separated Church and a strong constituent of the 20th Century Reformation movement (International Council of Christian Churches) vis-a-vis the Ecumenical Movement (World Council of Churches). As the Church grew and increased in numbers dissensions and deviations from the original position and precepts crept in. The result of it all was the dissolution of Synod in 1988. Nevertheless each individual Church whether big or small has continued to serve the Lord in their own way, like the Twelve Tribes of Israel after the Division of their Land (Josh 24), as the following pages will tell. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (I Corinthians 10:13). So read on. Timothy Tow 7 Frontispiece of booklet telling the story of English Presbyterian Mission to China, 1847-1913 8 Chapter I THE B-P SINGAPORE TREE HAS SEVEN ROOTS In telling the story of the Bible-Presbyterian (B-P) Church of Singapore the writer is reminded of an article he wrote for the 35th Anniversary Souvenir Programme titled, “The B-P Singapore Tree Has Seven Roots.” This article is more permanently recorded in Vision, the magazine of Life B-P Church, the mother church (1986-87). From the parable of the mustard seed (not mushroom) which grew into a tree with outstretching branches, so that it gave shelter to the birds, we could visualise the many roots that succoured the tree. Hence, the title, “The B-P Singapore Tree Has Seven Roots.” For, without the roots, there would be no tree. And by corollary, the stronger and deeper the roots the sturdier and greener the tree and its branches. Here is the reproduction of the said article with amendments here and there to bring it up-to-date, and in keeping to the changing times. The First Root The Bible-Presbyterian Church of Singapore is first of all a Protestant Church. That brings us back immediately to the 16th Century Reformation when our spiritual forefathers broke the shackles of Rome to return to the apostolic faith; to the faith of an 9 open Bible, liberated from all erroneous and tyrannical traditions of a man-made system. Insofar as the Bible-Presbyterian Church is concerned, we trace our roots to that branch of Protestantism known as the Reformed Faith on the European continent, and as Presbyterianism in the British Isles. John Calvin (1509-1564), a French theologian and pastor, was John Calvin the leader of the Reformed Faith, so we have first of all a French Root! The beauty and perfection of Reformed theology is seen in Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, which is abridged for B-Ps in the first two of his four books (the remainder two to be published, God-willing, in the near future). Every B-P should more easily familiarise himself with Reformed theology by reading the Abridgement published by Far Eastern Bible College. (In “codified” form under English dress there is the Westminster Confession of Faith with its Larger and Shorter Catechisms [1643- 46] which are the standards of the B-P Church as well as of many other Bible-believing Presbyterian Churches around the world). Nevertheless, it is the Bible, the infallible and inerrant Word of God, that is our supreme rule of faith and practice. Hence the name Bible-Presbyterian. The Second Root Our second root must necessarily be an English Root, since we have derived our Reformed Faith from the English Presbyterian Mission which sent her missionaries to our ancestors in South China. The special characteristic of the English 10 Presbyterians is their Non-conformist stance vis-a-vis the established Church, ie the Church of England with her bishops and Archbishop. Since our English forebears believed that the Church should be governed by elders or presbyters according to the Scriptures, and that the Episcopal system (rule by bishop) is a later development in Church history, they were not unwilling to pay the price of being expelled by the Act of Uniformity of 1662 whereby 2,000 English ministers lost their position and pension in the State Church for their Presbyterian Faith. The second English root makes us Presbyterians vis-a-vis the Anglican system.