A Blast from the Past

We are expecting over a hundred participants at this Tuesday’s Pioneers Dinner Event. Roughly a third are currently worshipping at MPCC. Gark Teck has brought his roaster to church, and we will be roasting chicken and char siew the traditional way. I thought it would be fun to cook food from the 70s or 80s—and I suppose these roast meats qualify nicely.

We can also expect a faith-inspiring programme in the Sanctuary: worship, testimonies, sharing, and prayer. As with all reunions, however, the main thing is to catch up with one another and remember the old times—days when we shared an intense faith journey together.

In all this, I am an observer. A keen observer, one might say. I have always loved history and have taken a special interest in our own Anglican story here. Over time, I have been reading, interviewing folks, and going through old photographs. We often take the growth of the Anglican Church in Singapore for granted. Yet prior to the 1970s, Anglican churches were growing very slowly compared to Baptist and Assemblies of God churches—despite having more than a hundred-year head start dating back to Stamford Raffles and his compatriots.

This speaks to the challenges faced by a church steeped in English culture and language, led largely by Caucasians, ministering in a colony of Asian migrants. In the post-war years, as Singapore began to come into her own as a local, Asian society, so too did the Church. Even then, Anglicans might well have been left behind in terms of growth if not for the charismatic renewal that broke out when leaders such as Bishop Chiu Ban It and Canon James Wong were touched by the Spirit. The renewal was not without its controversies and critics, but undeniably, the Anglican Church experienced new life and growth—alongside the wider Church in Singapore.

MPCC itself began in an HDB flat with about a dozen Anglicans. From this small group would come the seeding of several churches, both Anglican and independent, over the years. In many ways, MPCC mirrors the story of the wider Church. Nationally, Christians grew from about 8% in the early 1970s to approximately 18.9% in the last survey (2020). Like the nation, the Church in Singapore has had its fair share of turbulence. In theology and practice, worship styles, and the strong personalities of founding pastors and leaders, the Church has often been finding her way forward. Society has been changing rapidly, and these changes have profoundly shaped the Church. Even as we sit in worship week by week, our society is not static. Ours is a global city, highly susceptible

to shifts and movements beyond our shores.

In all this, we trust that the Lord of His Church—and the Lord of lords—is in control.

MPCC’s chequered fifty-year history tells many stories. There are also good reasons why some of you “non-pioneers” may wish to pop by. While dinner logistics at the ground floor are limited, our Sanctuary can comfortably accommodate over 200 for the Service which starts at 8 pm. You are most welcome to come, observe, and share in this moment of remembrance and thanksgiving.