11 Aug 2019
Dear family in Christ
This is a very special year for Singapore. It is the 200th anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles’ arrival in Singapore in 1819, an important milestone in our nation’s history. It was Sir Stamford Raffles who allocated a piece of land along North Bridge Road in his Town Plan of 1822 to build and establish the first Anglican church in Singapore, St Andrew’s Church.
At St Andrew’s Church on 25 June 1856 Whitsunday (Pentecost), Revd William Humphrey, the Residency Chaplain of the East India Company, preached a stirring sermon that exhorted the congregation to support the gospel mission to the Tamil, Chinese and general local Malay population. His gospel appeal led to the establishment of St Andrew’s Church Mission in 1856. Many gave towards missions and evangelism work and Christian workers were recruited from India and China for church planting work in Singapore. 16 years later in 1872, church planting work in Jurong was initiated by Revd William Gomes and Mr Cheok Loi Fatt, which eventually led to the building and establishment of St John’s Church (Jurong) in 1884.
We praise the Lord for His sovereign guiding hand – from Stamford Raffles to St Andrew’s Church, to church planting work, and to St John’s Church (Jurong) and the other current 25 parishes in Singapore. As we celebrate Singapore’s 54th National Day, let us thank God for His sovereign hand in placing us and our families in this nation and be grateful to God for peace and stability. Let us be faithful to God’s calling to be His loving witnesses sharing the grace and love of God to every people group in Singapore and seek to be God’s blessing to many for the glory of God.
“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.” Psalm 22:27-28
Maranatha
Pastor John