MPCC in My Journey of Faith

by Dr Ang Hui Kheng In Celebration of MPCC’s 50th Anniversary

Dr Ang (front-right) in a recent photo taken on 10th February 2026 at the Pioneers’ Reunion.

I began attending MPCC in 1978, the year I turned 21—the year my mother finally allowed me to choose my own religious faith.

I had become a Christian at 14 through Youth for Christ meetings after school.

However, from age 14 to 21, I was permitted to attend church only once, when my Secondary School Mathematics teacher invited several of us to her church in Toa Payoh. On a few occasions, I secretly attended a Pentecostal church with classmates. This led to my baptism in the Kranji River at 16—without my parents’ consent.

My coming to MPCC was not only due to my mother’s permission. A medical classmate, Tuck Loong, invited me. He noticed that four of us in our medical cohort (76/81) lived in the East and suggested we attend MPCC together. The other three eventually left—some during their studies, others after graduation or relocation. But I remained, grateful for the blessings of belonging to this church community.

Dr Ang (center, in pink outfit) with some MPCC members

As Ps Terry Wong reminds us in celebrating our 50th Anniversary, we gather “not to idolise the past or to be trapped by nostalgia, but to give thanks, to gain wisdom, to resist cynicism, and to be encouraged for the road ahead.”

Allow me to share what MPCC has taught me.

1. The Family Church

At MPCC, I learned that the church is a family—and experienced it as one. In the early years, many of us were first-generation Christians facing opposition from parents steeped in traditional Chinese beliefs. Yet we faithfully shared the Gospel with our siblings and parents, and many came to Christ. Families like the Ang sisters and the Teo sisters were among those who formed the early fabric of the church.

As a young “wandering” church without our own premises, we could not define ourselves by a building but as a community. As God’s family, every member mattered and had a part to play.

2. The Equipping Church

While I was active in the Varsity Christian Fellowship during medical school, I understood that my primary service was to the church I belonged to. After graduation, I offered myself to serve at MPCC.

I was given opportunities to serve as a Sunday School teacher, Cell Group leader, Christian education teacher, PCC member, Missions Committee Chairperson, and eventually as a preacher. Through these roles, my ministry skills were sharpened. MPCC became my informal seminary—my training ground for Christian ministry—and later prepared me for cross-cultural mission work overseas.

MPCC did not merely use its members; it equipped them.

3. The Missional Church

In the early days, MPCC was deeply mission-focused. We regularly heard about missions from the pulpit and were encouraged to give generously.

I recall a PCC meeting where we discussed what to do with a year-end surplus. No one suggested keeping it as reserves. The unanimous instinct was to channel it toward missions. That was a powerful lesson for a young believer: the church must prioritise the Great Commission over its own security. When we seek first God’s Kingdom, He provides.

Later, I had the privilege of chairing MPCC’s first Missions Committee, sending out Ps Pheng Cheng, Chua Bee Ngoh, and Ps Inban as some of our earliest missionaries. We were inexperienced and sought guidance from leaders like Rev Kuan Kim Seng in drafting our missionary policies.

I pray that this missional DNA of MPCC will never be diluted.

Hui Kheng (right) with her sister Hui Gek at a MPCC Walkathon (1991)

4. The Cloud of Witnesses

God used faithful leaders to shape us. Canon James Wong inspired us with his vision of planting a church in every HDB estate. Pastor Pheng Cheng modelled hands-on discipleship and brought many of us on mission trips, including one to Sabah where we nearly lost our lives. Pastor Inban, prayerful and bold, believed deeply in lay ministry. Without him, Tuck Loong and I might never have mounted the pulpit. Long before COVID, cell leaders were entrusted to celebrate Holy Communion in cell groups.

Hebrews 13:7 exhorts us to imitate the faith of our leaders—not their style, but their obedient trust in God.

Beyond pastors, ordinary faithful members also inspired me. Some have gone home to the Lord—Aunty Jane Yang, who brought many students to MPCC; Ali John, who served quietly; Ben Klozeman, gentle and kind. Many were in my old cell group, “Milk & Honey.” Others are still here today.

What a privilege it has been to be surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.

That is why MPCC will always be my church community on earth.