The Singapore Scene
In 1847 an English missionary named William Chalmers Burns left England for Hong Kong. He first set foot on Chinese soil in Amoy in 1851. Five years later he went to Swatow with Hudson Taylor and that was how Christianity reached the Tow family.
Together with other emigrants, the Tow family came to the Straits Settlement which was then called British Malaya. In1881, Rev J A B Cook from the English Presbyterian Mission came to Singapore and Malaya. He founded many local churches, one of which was Life Church at Princep Street (1883). "All the founding members of Life Church and our B-P Church movement have originated from Princep Street." 1
In 1935 Dr John Sung's revival meetings changed the heart of a young man, Timothy Tow who yielded his life to the Lord for His service. Eleven years later, after the Second World War, in 1946, Rev Timothy Tow obeyed God's call and left for China to study theology under Dr Chia Yu ming in Nanking. He was there for one year. In 1947 Rev Tow transferred to Faith Theological Seminary, USA. By the providence of God, Rev Timothy Tow learnt God's Word under Drs Carl McIntire, J Oliver Buswell and Allan MacRae.
In 1950 he completed his training and returned to Singapore to pastor Life Church Princep Street in the English service. That same year, the International Council of Christian Churches (ICCC) held its Second Plenary Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. Rev Tow went there with Quek Kiok Chiang and it was in the city of John Calvin that Rev Tow was ordained by the Philadelphia Presbytery, with J Oliver Buswell as the Moderator. On their return to Singapore, and having imbibed the spirit of the Twentieth Century Reformation and Bible-Presbyterianism, Rev Tow launched the Life Church English Service at 5.30 pm in October 1950 at 144 Princep Street.
From December 1952 to February 1953, the English Service of the Princep Street Presbyterian Church was in de facto linked with the Chinese Presbyterian Synod, which in turn was linked to the Malayan Christian Council (MCC) which was linked to the World Council of Churches (WCC), the opposing body of the ICCC. A confrontation at Synod level was convened and charges were drafted by Rev Timothy Tow, Elder Quek Kiok Chiang (now Rev Quek Kiok Chiang), and Deacon C T Hsu (Rev C T Hsu who was called home to glory) against joining the MCC. In summary, the charge was that the MCC was part of the larger Ecumenical Movement, WCC, which promotes modernist ecumenism. 2
The final battle was fought in Muar at the Trinity Presbyterian Church in 1955. "Of course the battle was lost against the usual phalanx of modernist missionaries and subservient national pastors. In the same month according to the Life Church Weekly Chronicler, `the interim committee decides to make our church fully constituted and to sever connections with the Synod on account of modernism.'3
THE B P CHURCH MOVEMENT OF SINGAPORE WAS BORN IN JANUARY 1955.
After returning from Faith Theological Seminary in May 1959 with a Master of Sacred Theology, Rev Timothy Tow on 6 Sept of the same year felt the burden of a Bible College. "Theological training of our consecrated young people was our Church's emphasis as a most effective means of extending God's Kingdom." 4
A year later, on 19 Sept 1960, the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) was founded. 5In July 1961, the interest in FEBC was so strong that Rev Timothy Tow was asked to offer two hours of lectures every week. "This evening Bible Class, . . . was carried on through one academic year until the College formally opened in Sept [17] 1962." 6
On 14 Oct 1962, Life B-P Church held its last service at Princep Street. It was a Farewell Service of sweet remembrance. On 16 Feb 1963 the new church building at 9 A Gilstead Road was dedicated for God's Service and unto His glory. 7
This was the beginning of the B-P Church in Singapore. By the grace and mercy of the Almighty God, it has stood firm these past 43 years [1950 - 1993]. We are the fruits of the labour of our founding fathers. They had fought hard and true according to the convictions God had placed in their hearts.
We cannot afford NOT to know our roots. If we forget our roots we do so at our own peril, and not ours only but that of our children as well. We must cherish and uphold the principles upon which the B-P Church was founded.
Why are you a B-P? Why am I a B-P? Do we hold on to B-Pism because of history alone? We do not, for that would be sentimentalism. We firmly hold on to B-Pism because we believe unequivocally and without apology that it is Bible based.
Distinctives of the Bible-Presbyterian Church
The ecclesiology of the B-P Church is that its church government is ruled by elders. The mode of baptism is by sprinkling, not immersion. We practise infant baptism because we believe that this is taught in Holy Scripture. We understand Baptism and Lord’s Supper as both ordinances and sacraments. If these beliefs are compromised, then we cannot call ourselves Bible-PRESBYTERIANS. We have become Bible BAPTIST.
Theological fundamentalism is inherent in the Bible-Presbyterian Church. On the doctrine of the Bible, we believe in the divine, verbal and plenary inspiration and preservation of the Holy Scriptures in the original languages. The Bible is God breathed. It is the very word of God! We practise total abstinence, the support of missionaries who are fundamentalists, biblical separation and believe in the pre millennial visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8To compromise on any of our doctrines would revert us to Presbyterianism without the BIBLE.
Conclusion
Why am I a B-P? This question must be answered by every Bible-Presbyterian today. The Lord has founded the B P church of Singapore for a purpose, especially in these last days. God has given to us a blessed legacy of truth and faith. The B-P synod was dissolved because of unbelief and compromise by some of the leaders. Today, many B-P churches are only B-P in name and Constitution but no longer in practice. In these last days, every faithful B-P member must settle in his own heart and mind where he stands before God.
The battle rages on. For effectiveness in service, for unity and harmony to exist in the church, oneness of heart and mind is required. For the sake of the purity of doctrine and guarding of the Truth, we must hold on to our heritage and the principles in which the B-P was founded. This must begin with every Session member, Sunday School teacher and all who serve the Lord in Calvary Pandan.
We must, as sons and daughters of our spiritual fathers, do our part in defending the Faith which was once delivered unto the saints. May God help us! Amen.
(Footnotes)
1 Quoting Timothy Tow from The Bible Presbyterian Journal of Singapore and Malaysia, 1950 1971, (Singapore: Acme Printers, 1971), 8.
2 For detailed description of the charges see The Bible Presbyterian Journal of Singapore and Malaysia, 1950 1971, 16 17.
3 Quoting Rev Timothy Tow from The Bible Presbyterian Journal of Singapore and Malaysia, 1950 1971, 17.
4 Quoting Timothy Tow from The Bible Presbyterian Journal of Singapore and Malaysia, 1950 1971, 22. "Hitherto we have sent some of our young people to the West for theological training. But if the Lord will call another half dozen, how can we afford to send them all? The solution to training future ministers of the gospel, I believe is the founding of a Bible College in Singapore. . . . a Bible College that reverently teaches the Bible to be the infallible, inerrant Word of God, that seeks to obey all its commands, that will make no compromise whatsoever with the subtle forces of Satan that are so actively undermining theological institutions everywhere today." Cf. the editorial of the Malaysia Christian, vol. VII, no. 13, Sept. 1959, "The Trend is Toward the Trained", taken from The Bible Presbyterian Journal of Singapore and Malaysia, 1950 1971, 22.
5 The name of Far Eastern Bible College was suggested by Dr. Tow Siang Hwa. cf. The Bible Presbyterian Journal of Singapore and Malaysia, 1950 1971, 27.
6 The Bible Presbyterian Journal of Singapore and Malaysia, 1950 1971, 30 31.
7 For a detail account of the Act of Dedication see pages 33 and 34 of The Bible Presbyterian Journal of Singapore and Malaysia, 1950 1971.
8 See the Constitution of the Bible Presbyterian Church, "Article 4 Doctrine" and Westminster Confession Question XXXIII modified by the BP of America.