1. STARTING OUT
As a Church, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the LORD God Almighty and call upon His wonderful Name and make known His deeds among the nations. We want to talk of all His wondrous and marvelous works and remember that He has done great things among us and through us for His own holy name's sake (Psalm 105:1-2,5). Thus, we would like to trace our roots to remind the older generation and to declare to our younger generation, our most precious, priceless and eternal possession that the LORD has been pleased to bless and entrust Nazareth with.
(a) February 1st 1970 – May 1977
Nazareth B-P Church’s history began as a children ministry as a result of a conviction and commitment shared by some believers to spread the Gospel of Christ in a slum area in Pastor Anthony Tan's (who was then not yet ordained) home which was then vacant. Children attending the Sunday School classes came from the various races – Chinese, Malay, Indian and Punjabis. Tuition classes were also conducted to help the children in their school work. The Gospel message was faithfully presented to the children by the Sunday School and Tuition Department teachers for 7 years until we had to move out of that premises. We praised and thank God that the sowing of the Gospel seed had produced much fruit - “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” (Psalm 126:5)
(b) June 1st 1977 to March 1982
The LORD saw it timely to move us out from that slum area to an Housing Estate known as Clementi. On 1st June, 1977, we had our Dedication Service and the Mission was named Nazareth Gospel Mission (NGM), to remind us of our link with our mother church, Galilee B-P Church. We held our first Worship Service on 5th June, 1977 at 10.00am with 19 brethren to form the congregation.
In 1980, our Youth Fellowship was formed and on that same year, we launched our Family Salvation Night, a ministry to reach out to our own unsaved beloved parents and relatives with the Gospel of Christ. Thanks be to God, today more than 70 loved ones have professed faith in Jesus Christ as their own personal Saviour & Lord. That year too, we financially supported the Tamil B-P ministry and China outreach through United Evangelism.
On 25 October 1981, pastor Anthony Tan was ordained by the Bible-Presbyterian Synod. With pastor Anthony’s ordination, Nazareth Gospel Mission was upgraded to Nazareth Bible-Presbyterian Church on 15 November 1981. After worshipping for 5 years in that Housing Estate, we had to relocate again.
(c) March 7th 1982 – June 1990
After praying, the congregation was led of the Lord to worship in the premises of our mother church, Galilee B-P Church. Nazareth slowly, but gradually developed into a family church.
From 1984 to 1988, we made mission trips to Northern Thailand and ministered in the villages within the Golden Triangle. We co-laboured with the Frontier Labourers for Christ.
In September 1987, the Lord laid upon our hearts to seek for our own “promised land.” After searching and waiting for two years, we were offered a piece of property at 368, Pasir Panjang Road. The Lord confirmed His will in Psalm 105:11. On 9th April 1990, with a loan from a Finance Company, we paid up the for the land.
(d) July 1st 1990 to Present
Nazareth worshipped at our own premises, 368 Pasir Panjang Road on 1st July 1990.From August 1991 to late June 1993, Pastor Anthony and his wife, Cecilia were away at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, USA. In April 1993, the Lord convicted and impressed upon Pastor Anthony to return to Singapore to finish the building project, Phase II from Zechariah 4:9, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it” and on 26th June 1993, Pastor and Cecilia were back in Singapore.
In April 1994, together with Bethlehem and Shalom B-P Churches, we started an outreach, Benash B-P Church in Chennai, South India and purchased a piece of land in 1996. A primary English school was built in the church premsies in 2002. In 1995 and 1996, we were also involved in a mission work among the Kamba tribe in a mountain in Kenya, East Africa.
On 27 May 1995, we had our Ground Breaking Service to construct the new sanctuary, the fellowship hall and the living quarters behind the old exiting building. With a year, the new building was completed at the end of May 1996. The total cost for Phase II building project, by the grace of God (including approximately 10% in interest-free loans) was raised by the time we had the Dedication Service for Phase II on 5th July 1997.
In April 1997, we restarted our mission outreach to Northern Thailand, co-labouring with Rev Abel Sairattanyu in the Lahu villages. Currently, we are supporting the three tribal pastors, 30 children in their education in two poor villages and sponsoring 13 orphans in one village.. We had also helped Rev Abel to purchase a 4-W drive truck for the ministry and built a large mission-house and the orphanage in Mae Gone village.
2. TWO IMPORTANT ASPECTS
At our Silver Jubilee Celebration in July 2002, we trusted God and prayed for two important aspects:
(a) Trusting God For The Next Undershepherd
There is a real need to equip and train our new generation of believers to take up the baton of ministry. This is not going to be an easy task as the younger generation was born and raised at a different time from ours. But, praise and thanks to the LORD, at our church annual camp, on 6th June 2001, two young adults offered themselves to serve the Lord full-time. If our Lord tarries and it is within His holy will, we trust that He Himself will raise up the next pastor in the year 2010 to lead the next generation of believers and further strengthen their faith and extend His Kingdom.
(b) Promoting Global Missions
We will seek to enhance global mission by praying, equipping and sending out our very own children to be missionaries and evangelists, engaging them in worldwide ministries, and cross-cultural missions beyond the shore of Singapore. At the same time, we will also continue to co-operate with like-minded brethren overseas in mission outreaches.
Thank God that one of the young adults who gave herself to serve the LORD, Rebekah Yam Chin Pei was commissioned together with her husband Paul from GEDA on 9th July 2006 at Nazareth’s 29th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service to serve the people in East Asia. We count it as a privilege, and a joy to be in partnership with GEDA for the glory and honor of God to minister in East Asia as our focus and vision are similar in fulfilling the Great Commission.
Then, on 8th July 2007, at Nazareth’s 30th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service, we were blessed and honoured with a second commission service for the Fong’s family – Charles Fong Kok Choy, wife, Fong Lee Lee and their daughters, Lydia Fong Lilin & Lois Fong Lulin. They were commissioned as missionaries to serve in the greater Mekong countries, and in particular to the people in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, in the most northern part of Thailand, as they have been there since April 2006 and will possibly return to Singapore in 2012 after six years of faithful service. Their only son, Joel Fong Zu’en is currently working in Singapore.
3. LOCAL INVOLVEMENT
(a) Serving in Youth With A Mission (YWAM)
In 2004, Cindy Low did a 9-month intensive Biblical Studies course in YWAM Discipleship Training School (DTS) in the States. Currently, she is serving as a teaching staff with YWAM’s School of Biblical Studies, Singapore. The vision of YWAM is “to know Him and to make Him known” YWAM hopes to achieve this in 3 main ways – Evangelism and Frontier Missions, Mercy Ministries, Training and Education.
(b) Theological Training
We are very thankful & grateful to God for calling Dn Caleb Yam Yeong Jin to commence his Masters of Arts in Biblical Studies (2-year course) in Singapore Bible College (SBC) which he will complete in May 2012. He is currently studying part time and working part time in the marketplace. At the same time, Lydia Fong Lilin has completed her Bachelor of Arts (CM)program (2-year course) in East Asia School of Theology (EAST) in mid 2011. She is currently serving with the Girls' Brigade. May God give them the wisdom and grace to guide them in their service ahead.
4. LOOKING AHEAD
Nazareth B-P Church needs to have a vision with global perspective, a balanced mind, a spirit of helping & giving and a heart for God’s Kingdom and His Great Commission. May the blood of Christ cleanse us and grant us His grace and help us to be faithful to fulfill the unfinished task of missions and evangelism until our Lord’s return.
Rev Anthony Tan
Pastor
(updated as of 12 Nov 2011)
