Development of Divine Work in Sarawak, Malaysia
1. Development of Divine Work in Sibu
“A man’s heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps.” (Prov 16:9)
Paul in addressing the Areopagus added that God has determined men’s pre-appointed times and the boundary of their habitation (Acts 17:26b). The seed of the gospel was planted in Sarawak, the largest state of Malaysia in 1962 in Miri town and in its capital Kuching in 1979. However, growth was stunted until 1989.
In a resolution of the South East Asia Evangelical Center in 1989, the general assemblies of Sabah and Indonesia pooled their manpower to send a preacher to pastor the believers in Miri, Kuching townships every alternate month. By the grace of God and His blessing, Kuching Prayer House was strengthened and eventually purchased a permanent 4th-floor shoplot at Stutong Jaya Commercial Center. This worship venue was dedicated to the Lord’s use on May 30, 2004.
The Asian Financial Crisis that started in July 1997 was a sequence of currency devaluation. Malaysia’s GDP contracted from 7.3% in 1997 to -7.4% in 1998. The export of the commodity of logs was severely affected by a lack of foreign buyers and a steep price drop.
The Chang Family (consisting of 15 siblings and their widowed mother of Brumas, Tawau in Sabah) solely depended on the logging contract business. However, due to losses incurred during the lean years of 1997 to 2002, the family business was liquidated to pay its debts.
During this financial crisis, God opened a way for His beloved faithful children. Sis. Yong Su Qing, the widowed mother, was steadfast in faith. She led the entire family to pray every night.
“… Love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. … I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes our God is merciful.” (Ps 116: 1-5).
A business friend from the state of Sarawak introduced Bro. Francis Chang to work as a contractor with the most established timber and plantation company in Sibu, Sarawak. While contemplating whether to accept the offer, his mother, Sis. Yong prayed for God’s guidance. The Holy Spirit said, “Just go, and I will bless you there.” One of the younger brothers questioned whether his mother had an illusion. So Sis. Yong went into her room to pray again. The Holy Spirit answered clearly again: “Just go, I will bless you there.” Having heard the reassurance of the Holy Spirit, Sis. Yong and 6 sons relocated to Sibu in 2003 to undertake the logging contract job with the Rimbunan Hijau Group. The gracious Lord Jesus’ arrangement was unprecedented – the job was offered to a contractor with equipment provided subject to a monthly equipment cost deduction from contract proceeds earned. The contract business lasted for 6 years in Sibu hinterland.
There was no place for Sabbath service during the initial years at Sibu. Occasionally, the Chang Family would drive 397.6 kilometers to Kuching Prayer House to observe the Sabbath. Later, with the collaborative effort of the Sabah General Assembly (GA) and the Indonesia GA, Sibu House Service held its first home worship service on June 12, 2006, at the Chang’s residence. There were 7 church members and 6 truthseekers.
On August 15, 2006, Preacher Yakobus Andi and Preacher Thomas Fung visited Bro. Chang Vun Chong and his family in Kapit Monjong Camp. At that time, Bro. Chang’s two-year-old son had difficulties walking and speaking due to infantile paralysis. Upon seeing this, Preacher Yakobus Andi and Preacher Thomas Fung helped him up. In faith, Preacher Yakobus Andi pronounced, “In the name of Jesus, rise and walk.” Unfortunately, progress was not as evident as hoped for. Before their departure, they encouraged Bro. Chang to bring his entire family for baptism.
By God’s grace, the little boy and his mother were baptized in Kuching Prayer House on September 3, 2006. One month after their baptism, God’s grace became evident in the boy. He began to walk slowly on his own, though not very steadily. However, a few years later, he could walk, speak, and attend primary school.
2. Church Growth at Bintulu (1 Cor 16:19)
In 2009, the Chang Family shifted to Bintulu Town to venture into an oil palm plantation and maintenance contract with another conglomerate company in Suai, Miri, 4th Division of Sarawak. In December 2013, Sabah GA assigned two preachers every month to pastor the believers in Bintulu and Sibu. By God’s guidance, the believers from Sabah who moved to Bintulu District were successfully contacted. Members gathered at Bro. Chang Vun Chung’s home for worship. Religious education classes, truth seeker classes, and the distribution of gospel leaflets were carried out every week. Believers in Bintulu purchased a new car for the exclusive use of preachers in Bintulu and Sibu, and on July 14, 2014, they rented a shophouse unit for use as a place of worship (Heb 10:25).
Compelled by the love of Christ (2 Cor 5:14), Bintulu brethren gave a helping hand to renovate a shoplot in Sibu Jaya as a worship venue. The Sibu Prayer House Committee was established on February 14, 2015. There are now 38 members, including 8 indigenous members who were newly baptized.
3. Reflection
(A) Although the Chang Family went through financial difficulties, God had a higher purpose, which is to prosper the gospel of salvation in the neighboring State of Sarawak.
“There remains very much land yet to be possessed.” (Josh 13:1b)
(B) Acts of Apostles records the work of the Holy Spirit. The disciples were lowly educated (Acts 4:13) but the Holy Spirit worked mightily to prosper the gospel.
(C) “At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” (Acts 8:1)
“Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” (Acts 8:4)
“Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.” (Acts 8:26–31)
4. Fertile Ground for Evangelism
Sarawak is a multi-cultural and multi-religious state with a population of more than 2.9 million people (2020 Census Report) as evident from the data below:
Before His ascension, the Lord Jesus commissioned the church to preach “in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8b). Indeed the fields are “already white for harvest” (Jn 4:35).
Let us pool together our resources, complement each other to strive for the gospel, and be constant in prayers, so that God would open to us a door to proclaim the word (Col 4:3) throughout Sarawak as soon as possible to save more souls from sin (Lk 1:78-79) and exalt the holy name of Jesus Christ.
2024 East Region Young Adult Spiritual Convocation (YASC)
We are pleased to announce that the East Region will be hosting a Young Adult Spiritual Convocation (YASC) at Queens Church from May 25 to 27, 2024. The theme will be “Redeeming the Time.”
The convocation will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 25 and end at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 27. If you are feeling unwell, please refrain from attending. Classes will also be live-streamed for those who are unable to attend in-person. Queens church has allotted thirty five (35) spots for lodging, which will be prioritized for out-of-state participants.
The YASC is open to all working youths between the ages of 18 and 40; college youths are also welcome to attend. If you are flying, please arrive at JFK airport. Online registration is now open at http://events.tjc.org until Thursday, April 25, 2024. Please honor the deadline, as sufficient time is needed to finalize planning.
If you require lodging, meals, or transportation before May 25th or after May 27th, please contact the coordinators as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, please contact the East Region Youth Committee at eryc@tjc.org or Pr. Andrew Wang (andy.wang@tjc.org) or reach out to your local church representative.
Please encourage all the young adults in your local church to attend this spiritual cultivation event and keep this event in your prayers!
2024 Online Adult Theological Seminar (OATS)
The USGA will be holding the Online Adult Theological Seminar (OATS) over four weekends in May and June.
Date: 5/25-5/26, 6/1-6/2, 6/8-6/9, 6/15-6/16
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (PT) on Saturdays; 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (PT) on Sundays
The classes will cover the books of Ecclesiastes and Ezra. All classes will be conducted on Zoom only, and recordings will be uploaded to the TJC US NATS YouTube Channel. Attached is the tentative schedule.
Please register on events.tjc.org or email the signed registration form to natsadmin@tjc.org. The registration will be closed on May 5th. We will only accept registrants who plan to attend more than two weekends. Truthseekers should receive approval from their local Church Council before registering. More information will be provided to registered participants when available.
If you have any questions regarding the event, please reach out to natsadmin@tjc.org or Pr. Enoch Hou at houtsengmf@gmail.com or (630) 666-2738. Please pray for this important event.
The Lord’s Sheep Hear the Voice of the Lord
Recent Development of the Holy Work in New Zealand
“You have increased the nation, O Lord, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the borders of the land.” (Isa 26:15)
Starting from 2022, the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic has eased. After New Zealand’s entry and exit restrictions had been lifted, services and various holy work could be carried out smoothly. The focus of evangelistic work shifted towards visiting and holding classes in different churches for truth seekers and newly baptized members. Auckland Church began to hold gospel tea fellowships, and more than ten truth-seeking friends attended the first gospel tea. Various churches also promoted prayer sessions before ESSCs: During Sabbath, they would start prayer earlier, at 9:20 a.m., or pray at 1 p.m. for about 20 minutes to prepare their hearts and to pray for the church’s holy work. For this reason, grace has been granted to newly baptized members in recent times.
During the reconstruction of the church in Christchurch, the Lord personally guided a truth seeker to His fold. This person was searching for a church that believes in the one true God and observes the Sabbath. After listening to many of the church’s online sermons, the truth seeker went to the temporary gathering location to attend service and received the Holy Spirit. At that time, Preacher Cangyi Lai was pastoring Christchurch Church. Witnessing God’s personal guidance and arrangement, all the brothers and sisters were encouraged and edified.
Since 2022, churches have resumed island-wide visits, sending workers to Tauranga, Wellington, and other areas to care for the members and to assist in the Holy Communion sacrament. Thank God, many members in the remote areas were strengthened in their faith after numerous workers’ continuous visits. May the Lord remember their labor. If the Lord is willing, more workers will be trained to care for the members living in remote areas of the North and South Islands and to assist in religious education. May the Lord send more workers and inspire more young people to join the church’s visitation and care group.
Many new immigrants have come to New Zealand this year, and the church has become their help and support in this foreign country. May the Lord guide our immigrant brothers and sisters and truth-seeking friends to participate in more church activities.
In today’s era, the church in New Zealand is affected by worldly trends. Believers are easily confused; in their loneliness and helplessness, they lose their way. All the more, these believers need our intercession to return to the bosom of the Lord.
Currently, New Zealand has three churches and two prayer houses. We hope that believers migrating to New Zealand can contact the church, always draw close to the true God and have fellowship with each other.
QR Code Promotional Materials
The Department of Literary Ministry is pleased to announce the creation of QR code promotional materials. They provide easy access to various IA and USGA websites, apps, social media platforms, and ministry resources.
The materials are available as clickable PDFs in English as well as in Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
Please click here to download the PDFs: English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese
We would like to encourage our brothers and sisters to actively utilize our media ministry resources, both to spread the gospel and to nurture the Lord’s flock! May the Lord bless your ministry work abundantly!
Moscow Holy Work Update
This year’s theme of the church’s ministry work was “Victory Achieved, Victory Imminent.” The theme of the Evangelical Services and Spiritual Convocation (ESSC) at the beginning of the year was “Victory Through the Lord,” and the theme of the spring ESSC in May was “Living Hope.” These two ESSCs were arranged by the United Kingdom General Assembly, in which two holy workers sermonized and shared the word of God through the Internet while Moscow believers met in person at the church.
After being able to obtain another visa, Deacon Zephaniah Hsu came to Russia from June 30 to July 16 to assist in the holy work. During that time, he held Holy Communion and a five-day student spiritual convocation. He also visited many believers and truth seekers. Originally, only four students registered for this student spiritual convocation. Later on, two students who had planned to return to mainland China changed their plans and invited two more students from China. In the end, a total of eight students attended the spiritual convocation.
Approximately half of the members here work in a trade market, and some have not attended services for a long time. Hence, in the latter half of the year, a plan was created to set up a place of worship in the market, after the council members had discussed corresponding suggestions from local believers. Thank God! In the first half of this year, a member who bought an apartment next to the market opened up his home as a place of worship. After obtaining broad consent of believers in the local area, a podium, whiteboard, offering box, and stools were prepared. On October 20, services began. Bible study services are tentatively set every Tuesday and Friday, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the same time as the previous online Bible studies, with believers living far from the market joining virtually.
The evangelical work consists mainly of evangelical services held on the first Sabbath of each month, Sunday family services, and personal evangelism. Since the local government prohibits flyering, the church provides e-pamphlets that include a description of our church’s basic beliefs and links to both audio and video sermons as well as testimonies. Currently, there are eight truthseekers, four of whom are stable and two of whom have already submitted applications for water baptism.
Thank God for His mercy and protection! The Russia-Ukraine war is still ongoing – Moscow has been attacked by drones several times, sanctions imposed by other countries on Russia continue, the ruble has depreciated, inflation continues to grow. Nevertheless, the services and holy work in Moscow Church continue to proceed normally. The believers’ faith is stable, and their daily work and lives have not been greatly affected.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the concern and prayers of our fellow believers around the world. May all praise and glory be unto the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah, amen!
2024 Ministry Volunteer Program (MVP) Summer Internship Program
We are pleased to announce that the Ministry Volunteer Program (MVP) will continue to offer a summer 10-week full-time internship program in 2024. (Please note this announcement is for the 10-week summer internship; a separate announcement for the 1-week summer workshop will follow later).
The internship program will be an opportunity for volunteers to assist various GA departments with ministry projects serving evangelical and/or pastoral purposes over a longer project time period, while at the same time further develop their talents/skills for the ministry work. The start and end date of the internship can vary for each intern to accommodate varying school and work schedules.
The MVP summer internship will overlap with the 1-week summer workshop to be held at Cerritos Church in July 2024. Interns are expected to attend the NYTS/PMVP during their internship. Depending on project needs, they may work in the USGA office (Cerritos, CA), remotely, or in a hybrid arrangement. Those who work in the USGA office are eligible to apply for a living subsidy of up to $100 per week to help cover for meals, gas, lodging, and other living necessities. In addition, interns will be encouraged to stay at the USGA dormitory if they are from out of town.
We welcome working professionals and students who have the heart to serve to participate in this internship program. The program is open to all youths who are 18 or older and who have graduated high school by July 2024. Applicants for the MVP internship are required to have attended the MVP 1-week workshop and the NYTS (or similar) at least once previously (exceptions may be granted). Full-time attendance is required. Please apply here by March 15, 2024.
For details regarding the projects of the summer 2024 MVP internship program, please visit the event registration site.
If you have any questions regarding the MVP summer internship program or the application process, please contact the MVP coordinators at mvp@tjc.org. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by April 15, 2024. Please keep this event in your prayers.
USGA Interest-Free Student Loan
In 1999, the USGA established the USGA Interest-Free Student Loan.
The purpose of this program is to provide timely partial financial assistance toward tuition, fees, and living expenses to our church members who really have financial needs. Applicants must be a permanent resident or citizen of the United States who are or will be attending college or graduate school in the U.S.
Detailed guidelines of the program and an application form can be found here.
- Interested college or college-attending members, please submit your completed application before June 30, 2024. Any application received after this date will not be considered in this year.
We would also like to encourage members to contribute generously to this fund so that the program may be continued without interruption and more qualified young members can be benefited from this program. Please indicate “Interest-Free Student Loan Fund” on the check.
Thank you. May God continue to shower His abundant blessing upon you!
The Harvest Is Plentiful, but the Laborers Are Few
Europe Holy Work Update
Thank God, despite the aftereffects of the Covid-19 crisis, the current war in the Ukraine, and the rising cost of living, the holy work in Europe continues. There are regular Sabbath services at more than ten permanent places of worship, which are either rented or purchased, and at another four places with short-term rentals or services at home.
Some places of worship in the pioneering areas, such as Madrid in Spain and Empoli in Italy, have recently joined ECC, the European Coordination Center, and have become places of growth. This year was the first time we held student spiritual convocations in Madrid and Empoli at a larger scale: more students, more classes, and more workers. Both of these convocations were not perfect yet, but presented a good opportunity for learning and further improvement.
We can also see some growth in other areas. After the restrictions were lifted, more church members (students and families) moved to Europe for studies and work, and subsequently, have been supporting the holy work. Children are born and baptized. If we consider the number of church buildings in Europe, we can see that within the last ten years, there has been a church dedication almost every two years. Now we should fill all those buildings with more children of God. In order to achieve this goal, we have planned for over 75 virtual and in-person convocations, evangelism events, seminars, fellowships, and trainings for 2024. This workload cannot be covered by one resident IA preacher, five ECC deacons, and volunteers alone, which is why we continue to gladly rely on the support of workers from the UKGA and USGA. We know what Jesus has taught us and pray accordingly:
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Mt 9:37-38, ESV)
While working for today and for the growth of the church, we are also preparing ourselves for the future. The ECC bylaws need an update to prepare for a possible employment of full-time workers, such as preachers and other staff. In addition, we need to look into the possibility of preaching the gospel to countries in Europe where there are currently no gatherings of church members. These new pioneering areas will present new challenges for our church, as each country has its own language and its own administrative requirements. However, we trust in God and His guidance because we know that this is our mission:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20, ESV)
In all our labor for the Lord, He has been guiding us through all kinds of difficulties to reach the stage we are currently at. We trust that God will continue to help us grow. For we know:
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Ps 127:1-2, ESV)
Please continue to pray for the holy work in Europe; may we all bring glory to His name. Amen.
Prayer Request for Growth
Update on the Holy Work in Hong Kong and Macau
2022 was a year full of challenges for the church in Hong Kong. Affected by the epidemic, many activities were cancelled, resulting in difficulties to carry on with evangelism. Nevertheless, we remain grateful to God for guiding us during this difficult time. I would like to thank both Pr. Fu-An Shih who has returned to Taiwan after working in Hong Kong for three years, as well as Pr. Huangqing Chou who has come to Hong Kong to continue his work.
Last year, many believers from Hong Kong Church migrated to different countries, and many elderly members were called by the Lord. Funerals were held almost every month. But as Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in 2023, and believers enthusiastically returned to join church services, we feel that the Lord Jesus has been guiding everyone through difficult times. This is particularly true for the place of worship in Macau, which we were unable to visit during the past three years of the pandemic. During this time, the believers in Macau could only watch the live stream services from Hong Kong. After the pandemic, we visited Macau again and found that the Lord had protected all of our members. In addition, one of the truthseekers was baptized this spring. We were touched by the protection of the Lord and the faith of our believers.
At the end of last year, the Hong Kong Church purchased an office unit near the church for RE classroom use. The unit provides space for three classrooms and an activity room. The deal was completed after three months of negotiation, and the price was beyond expectation. Originally, most banks refused to lend to us. But before the official handover, we were approved by a bank. We could see God’s wonderful guidance. The design is currently ongoing, and the original classroom space will be used to hold truth-seeker education and evangelical classes.
In recent years, many young believers from Kowloon Church have emigrated, resulting in a decrease in the number of church workers. In the future, Kowloon Church will focus on training sermon speakers and integrating training courses into fellowships to reduce the trainees’ pressure.
The church in Tai Po is also facing an aging population. The number of funerals has increased, and the number of believers has shrunk. Therefore, in the future, Tai Po Church will focus on evangelism and lengthen the evening after-service prayers for this purpose.
This April, the HKCB held an Upper Primary Bible Camp at Tsuen Wan Church, which was conducted as a day camp without overnight stay. Since the borders with mainland China were just reopened, believers who have not been back to their hometown for a long time chose to take their children back to their hometowns to visit relatives during the Easter weekend. As a result, the number of students participating in the Bible camp this time has decreased; nevertheless, we thank God for allowing everything to go smoothly.
On May 1, the Hong Kong Evergreen Joint Fellowship was held at Hong Kong Church. The senior members participated enthusiastically, had fellowship through singing hymns, and had a pleasant dinner together. More than 90 senior members participated this time, the largest number ever.
May God guide the holy work in Hong Kong, and please pray for us.