Transfer of Membership
Thomas Tow
I was baptised as an infant in late 1951 or early 1952 in Say Mia Tng (Life Church’s English service) at Prinsep Street, and attended Sunday School there. My family later worshipped at Life BP Church at Gilstead Road, when the new building was completed in 1963.
Having been brought up in a fifth-generation Christian family and having attended a Methodist school for 12 years, God made it easy for me to learn the Word during my formative years. I believed in Jesus Christ as my Saviour and regularly prayed. However, I was not living like a Christian ought to live. As a youth, I was lukewarm in my faith and remained far from God. In my early twenties, I went abroad to England to study architecture and urban design. Upon completion of my studies, I remained there to work. I became engrossed in my pursuit of professional fulfilment and remained spiritually lost. After living nearly 10 years in England, I travelled to New York to work. Four years later, my US employer posted me to Singapore to work on a major project. I first met my wife, Melanie, in the Singapore office. I had wanted to return to worship in church regularly, but always procrastinated because of work matters and excuses. I even worked on Sundays when there were urgent project deadlines. Looking back, I’m thankful to God for placing in my life, my prayerful mum, aunts, uncles, brethren and Melanie, who were good, God-fearing influences. Praise God for Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, for leading me back to His fold when I followed Melanie’s return to the Methodist church. I sought repentance and thanked Him for His grace and mercy (Psalm 145:8).
At church, I served as a church librarian and designed the church library. Being part of the Crisis Relief and Christian Outreach ministries, I taught English to migrant workers in their dormitories. Melanie and I co-facilitated in the church’s spiritual formation classes. We took part in mission trips to Cambodia and designed a couple of buildings for a missionary ministry. God has been good to provide these opportunities for us to serve. Our participation in Bible study groups through the years has helped me to learn God’s Word and to grow in faith. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Prov. 27:17).
During the pandemic lockdown, I started attending online services and came across Gethsemane BP Church’s website. I was drawn to the forthright, fundamental and Bible-believing sermons by Pastor Koshy and the preachers. In early March 2022, I attended my first service at Gethsemane BP Church.
When I was diagnosed with early prostate cancer in March 2024, I was touched and blessed by the devotions and prayers received during a visit from Pastor Koshy and Sis. Carolyn, followed by a separate visit from Elder and Mrs Mah, and Pr Jeremiah and Sis. Gina. I give thanks to God for enabling me to be part of the Seniors’ Ministry, the church’s evangelistic outreach, St Luke’s Eldercare outreach (at Tampines and Marine Parade), as well as for availing Melanie and me to help out on the Vizag project.
Having received sound doctrine in our church, I am more grounded in the faith (cf. 1 Tim. 4:16). I thank God for the dedication, encouragement and support given by Pastor Koshy, the elders, preachers, deacons, deaconess and brethren, as I look forward to being a serving church member.
Melanie Francis Tow
I learned about Jesus early in life. My mother taught me to pray when I was 4 or 5, but my parents didn’t belong to a church. They sent me to Vacation Bible School and eventually Sunday School, where I became a regular and eager attendee. At age 15, I felt it was time to affirm my faith in the Lord Jesus through baptism. I attended the church’s membership class, and was baptized and confirmed into a United Methodist church in USA in 1972.
I continued to grow in faith through church and Sunday School up through my first two years in university. But when the decision to study architecture took me to a much larger institution, away from my Christian friends and overwhelmed me with course work, I stopped attending church. Striving, achieving and building my career became my priorities. I believed in God and still prayed, but my roots were not deep (Matthew 13:5-7).
It was the diagnosis of late-stage cancer in my mother years later that jolted me out of my spiritual slumber. Prayer became urgent and more regular. I returned to Bible reading in earnest. After quoting Scripture at her funeral, I promised God that I would return to church, which I did the following Sunday after returning to Singapore. I began to take seriously the importance of God’s Word, reading through the New Testament first, and later the Old Testament. God in His mercy opened the opportunity for me to lead a Bible study in church on Sundays for a group of domestic helpers. Over the 15 years I led the group, my knowledge of the Bible grew, and more importantly, so did my efforts to obey its truths in my life. I also served as a facilitator in the church’s spiritual formation classes. On a few occasions, I was invited to write for the church publication. My testimony would not be complete without giving thanks for my faithful, God-fearing husband, Thomas, whom I met on my first day in Singapore when I moved here for work in 1990. His mother was a model for my own spiritual growth, as have been other elderly aunts and uncles in the Tow family. For over 20 years, Thomas and I have been part of a small group which meets bi-weekly for Bible study, currently via zoom. The same group met for some years in our office to pray for missionaries and churches overseas. All these experiences have served to mould and shape who I am today. I can never thank the Lord enough for the great mercy He has shown me.
God is not finished shaping this pot of clay. When I have become too comfortable and confident in my professional work and ministry, God has taken steps to remove them. Significant losses over the last five years have served to dethrone the idols I had grown to rely on. Work in our architectural practice slowed and, soon after, my part-time teaching at the university. During Covid, church ministries I served in ceased. In late 2020, I was hospitalised for two weeks and underwent surgery to remove part of my colon. By God’s mercy, I survived and, in time, regained strength. But I knew that life would never be the same again. Two years later, I fractured both arms in a fall and had to rely on my husband to help me with even simple tasks like eating and washing. I believe the Lord used these humbling experiences to strip away vanity, pride and self-reliance that stood in the way of total dependence on Him. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth...” (Hebrews 12:6). I now value every day as a precious gift. Jesus gave His life at Calvary to purchase me and redeem me (Ephesians 2:8-9). I owe my life to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Nothing changes us and helps in the slow but steady work of sanctification like God’s Word. At Gethsemane, sermons by Pastor Koshy and preachers continually bring new understanding of Scriptural passages, challenging me to apply them in my daily life. The Catechism classes have deepened my knowledge and clarified doctrines I never fully understood. I have been so blessed by the dedication, warmth, generosity and genuine faith of the elders, deacons, deaconess and brethren I have met, especially through the Ladies’ Fellowship, Seniors’ Ministry and Pastoral Visitation. Particularly touching were visits made to our home by Pastor Koshy and Sis. Carolyn, and by Elder and Mrs Mah, Pr Jeremiah and Sis. Gina, who came to pray and encourage us after Thomas was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I am grateful to be worshipping in a church focused on fulfilling the Great Commission. It is a joy to be part of the monthly evangelism in Bedok and at St Luke’s Eldercare. Moreover, Thomas and I are thankful that we can help with the Vizag project.
Now in my late sixties, I am still learning to surrender to God’s sovereign will. I don’t know when God will call me home, but I do know that I want to use what remains of my time here on earth to serve my Lord with gladness (Ephesians 2:10). Thanks be to God for leading me to Gethsemane BP Church. I pray for His enabling grace to serve as a faithful member in the days to come.
“Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.”
(Frances R. Havergal)
Zhou YuHeng
I was brought to church at the young age of 5, and have been attending church ever since. While I’d repeatedly prayed the sinner’s prayer in Sunday School, I only trusted Jesus as my Saviour and Lord, and worshipped Him, later on as I grew up.
I’ve been through church dissolution twice, once in 1997 and then in 2023. I was introduced to a BP church and its teachings after the first church dissolution. It was enriching for me – it felt like I’d never been taught so richly about God’s Word. However, following the abrupt church disbandment in Aug 2023, I felt discouraged and upset; I was unable to commit to another church and went church-hopping instead. During that period, I saw many variants in Bible versions, church practices, teachings, and congregations in those churches I visited – both BP and non-BP. There started to rise within me the conviction that, if I should settle down in a church, it should be yet another BP church.
Subsequently, I started coming to Gethsemane BPC. I saw that this was a church where I was constantly learning the truths of God’s Word and appreciating God for His faithfulness, goodness and righteousness. Both the pastor and congregation love learning God’s Word so much, that there seem to be a retreat or teaching seminar every other month! I thank God that even though I felt discouraged and demoralised in the months after my previous church’s disbandment, He kept me continuing to go to church even when I didn’t want to commit yet. He did not forsake me in all my years as a Christian, and especially during the past 1.5 years when I didn’t belong to any church. I pray that I will be moved to dedicate my life to serving Him more and more, and that I will strive to be more Christ-like in my ways. Praise the Lord!
Lena Sim
I was baptized in 1990 in a fundamental church. The church dissolved about a decade later when the pastor passed on without a true successor. Subsequently, I attended a BP church and transferred membership a few years later. Then in the year 2023, with the abrupt disbandment of the church, I started to backslide and church-hop for a few months. Our never-forsaking God has led me to Gethsemane BP Church, with a faithful pastor and dedicated elders, preachers and deacons.
I thank God for Pastor Koshy who unwaveringly expounded on God’s Word, loud and clear. He never hesitates to give us a listening ear, and is honest and sincere to help the needy. My utmost respect for his “walk-the-talk” attitude. May the Lord continue to bless Pastor Koshy with good health and strength to labour for God’s work without ceasing.
Ong Lian Heoh (Celeste)
About 30 years ago as I was facing deep struggles of life, I was seeking for a Saviour to depend on. Thank God for using special circumstances to gently stir my heart to go to church. Around this time, my son was enrolled in Trinity Methodist Kindergarten. Each Sunday, I brought him for Sunday worship service for about 2 years.
Thank God that after some time, the Lord led me to Berean BP Church and then later to Berith BP Church. After 20 overs years in Berith, Pastor Wee was diagnosed with dementia and he was unable to continue his ministry. Members were told to find a like-minded church to worship in. I thank God for leading us to worship in Gethsemane BP Church.
I thank God for Pastor Koshy’s faithful preaching of the Word of God, and that the church is involved in many outreach works in mission fields. I pray that the Lord will bless and preserve Pastor Koshy and his family with good health and strength, as they give themselves to the work of the ministry in Gethsemane Church.
Teo Hock Leong
Before I believed in the Lord Jesus l felt lost and empty, but when I realised and heard what the Lord Jesus had done for me at the cross of Calvary, l prayed to receive Him as my Lord and Saviour – and my life was never the same. Thank God for enabling me to overcome my sinful habits in gambling and now I have a purpose in life and joy I never had before.
Thank God also for leading us to Gethsemane BP Church when Pastor Wee was diagnosed with dementia. When our church was dissolved, each member was told to find a Bible-believing church to worship in. We are much blessed and encouraged by the preaching of Pastor Koshy, drawing many lessons for our Christian life, which helped us not to walk in our self-imposed blindness. We pray that God will preserve and keep Pastor Koshy strong to preach the Word of God on the pulpit during worship services and in his teaching ministries. May the Lord continue to bless the church’s overseas mission outreaches. May the Lord keep all the families and members of the church in good health and strength as we serve Him. Our heartfelt thanks to the church elders, preachers, deacons and members for extending to us your gracious and warm fellowship.
