My dear readers,

(Excerpt from "Footprints in the Sands of Time")

Spiritual Mentor Brother - I

When our parents left China for Nanyang they brought with them four children and four thousand years of Chinese culture - respect for rank and age. In our family Father was "C -in-C" or "Commander-in-Chief." Among the siblings, respect for rank was paramount, and rank came with age.

Timothy was "Big Brother,"eldest among five boys and two girls. "Big Sister" (Siew Ai) was eldest of the eight. Through all our years the younger siblings addressed the elder by rank, never by name.

Today, Chinese families, westernised by emigration and assimilation into western society, are fast losing the respect for rank and age. Slowly but surely, tradition gives way to culture and change.

Big Brother's pre-eminence among the siblings received a boost when we left home in Malaya to live with Grandfather in Singapore. In the absence of Father, Big Brother was "C-in-C" with authority over the younger siblings.

In school Big Brother was always "Top Boy" in class. This achievement added prestige to his status. His brilliant school record was crowned by his winning the coveted "Seow Poh Leng Medal," coming top in his school leaving year.

During the days of the John Sung Revival, Big Brother was among the first to offer his life for fulltime ministry. Soon he became heavily engaged and committed to "holy things" (Evangelistic Band, Prayer Meeting, Sunday Service, etc). Being five years my senior, he naturally moved with his own peers in higher circles.

When the call finally came in 1946, Big Brother left for theological studies in Nanking under Dr Chia Yu Ming, then later on to Faith Theological Seminary in America.

In my simple mind, I thought that when Big Brother returned from America, the revival days of Dr John Sung would return, not appreciating that John Sung was God's exceptional gift to China, one in a hundred years.

During his years at Faith Seminary, we kept up a regular correspondence for spiritual counsel and direction from Big Brother.

The one great thing he did was to enlighten me with the doctrine of Biblical Separation and the deception of false Christianity masquerading as "Liberalism" and "Modernism." Out of this came the formation of the "Varsity Christian Fellowship" in the University in Singapore (which in due time was swept into the Ecumenical stream).

When Big Brother finally returned with the Bachelor of Theology from Faith Seminary, our own separatist movement began. On 18 October 1950, the Bible-Presbyterian Church Movement was born, named the "Life Church English Service" in Prinsep Street.

The young pastor, recently returned from America, was an instant attraction to the youths of Mother Life Church which worshipped in the Teochew dialect, while many of our youths, being brought up in English schools, were unable to cope with their parents' native Teochew: hence the founding of the English Service.

Thus the B-P Movement began, mustard seed fashion, which today has grown into a global Church Movement, like a great tree, "... so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof" (Matthew 13:32).

Under the mentorship of Big Brother my spiritual understanding and Christian service grew and developed. Those "initial days" were memorable "first experiences."

To sustain an afternoon service at 4 pm in borrowed premises was a real challenge, to keep up interest and ward off drowsiness in those hot and humid Sunday afternoons, without air conditioning.

Nevertheless, by God's grace, the congregation grew. Big Brother was faithful in Preaching, Visitation, Prayer Meeting, and Family Worship. Those monthly family meetings held in homes of members proved to be a popular event in the life of the Church. It allowed the Church members and families to get together and to know one another.

In 1953, when I graduated from medical school, seven young people came together to start a "Youth Fellowship" the first "B-P Youth Fellowship" of which I became president. The next year I was elected Superintendent of the Sunday School. Both Youth Fellowship and Sunday School were great instruments for the development of Christian leadership skills, under Big Brother's watchful eye. About 1955 I was elected Deacon. Big Brother assigned me to teach the Basic Bible Knowledge Class. This set me to serious self study of God's Word and the classic works pertaining to the Christian faith such as the Westminster Confession of Faith and Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhoff.

In the sixties I was elected to the Eldership and continued to labour together with Big Brother and the Session. Those were years of "learning by serving," 1950 - 1972, thereafter the Lord opened a new door of Gospel outreach, Calvary B-P Church, Jurong.

Looking back I thank God for precious lessons learnt under Big Brother, pastor and founder of the Bible-Presbyterian Church Movement. True to his calling, he proved to be a faithful witness for the word of God and the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Indefatigable in the service of Life Church for fifty three years he was "Pastor Available," 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, "at your service" to all who had a legitimate need. For the Lord's people he was ever ready to spend and be spent. In the building of God's House, he played a leading role in its design, construction and funding. He patterned the design after the typical American country church, with a porch lined with seven stately Grecian pillars, and topped with a bell-tower and steeple. The building is now a national heritage. (To be continued)

Lovingly in the Lord
Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor