Read the Editorial on the 10th Anniversary of the BPCIS where we thank God for seeing us through the major milestones in our history. A graphic timeline helps show this in a visual format.
Sharing Resources Beyond our Shores
Sharing Resources Beyond Our Shores
By Sonja Chua
Recently BPCIS made a gift of S$10,000 to OM for their work among refugees in West Asia. Earlier on, BPCIS also gave gifts for ministries in Myanmar and Nepal.
In the midst of battling a second wave of COVID-19, Singapore is cautiously calibrating its restrictions. Every day we are inundated with news of COVID-19 around the world, and we easily become numbed by such news. The author herself is languishing with the latest restrictions and work-from-home arrangements. Nevertheless, we cannot deny that Singapore has been blessed by good governance and leadership in its fight against COVID-19.
However, unlike Singapore, the rest of the world is still battling second or even multiple waves of COVID-19. Instead of only focusing on local problems, BPCIS has been reaching out to Myanmar and Nepal to assist them with their needs on the ground.
BPCIS General Secretary, Pastor David Wong shared, “BPCIS set an agenda some years ago and marked 2020-2021 as a time for ‘Sharing Resources’. We have had opportunities to do this among our eight churches through gifts and loans towards lease renewal and church plants. But we also want to look beyond our own needs. When COVID-19 struck last year, we sent funds to those affected in China and migrant workers in Singapore. This year we heard through our leaders serving in Myanmar and Nepal of dire needs there. Our pastors were unanimous in our response.”
Myanmar: God working through conflict
Mercy Teams International (OM MTI) is the relief and disaster response arm of Operation Mobilization (OM) in East Asia. OM MTI is coordinating OM’s response to the crisis in Myanmar which continues to unfold, severely impacting lives across the country.
Grace Kok, serving with OM MTI, explains,
“We aim to distribute food provisions in at least 12 communities every month, as security conditions permit. Each community is home to about 120 families. We are working primarily with the teachers of a local kindergarten run by OM Myanmar and at least 12 vibrant community partners (VCPs) to bring aid and hope through the gospel to the local communities.” She brought these needs to the attention of BPCIS.
Since the military coup on 1 February 2021, the country has been thrown into domestic chaos, with rumours of an impending civil war, amidst an internet blackout. Efforts to handle COVID-19 are hampered with healthcare workers on strike in protest of the military coup.
Tensions continue to escalate between the military and ethnic minority armies in rural Myanmar. Villages are raided by soldiers, houses burnt and villagers left homeless. Fleeing to nearby forests, they are in dire need of food and essentials such as blankets.
OM Myanmar has not been spared.
Its kindergarten closed as all schools did from July 2020 due to the pandemic. When the government reopened the schools, teachers went on strike and students lost a year’s worth of education. The kindergarten teachers have since returned home to their villages where people are reporting flu-like symptoms similar to COVID-19. Due to the lack of testing, no one can confirm what it is.
Meanwhile through the VCPs and teachers, OM Myanmar has identified affected families in at least five villages with the most dire needs, and has reached out to them. BPCIS has given an initial gift of S$4,000, with the hope that churches will step forward as well. Grace who worships at Zion Bishan says, “We have managed to successfully send the gift with the first tranche of funds to our Myanmar team coordinating this relief effort. We are very encouraged by the support of the BPCIS.”
Nepal: Struggling with COVID-19
Similarly, COVID-19 has hit Nepal hard. The country’s inadequate healthcare infrastructure and inaccessible mountainous terrain have aggravated the situation, especially with returning migrant workers from India bringing the virus with them.
Since 2008, Mount Carmel BP Church, with Leng Kwang Baptist Church and The People’s Bible Church, has worked in partnership with Grace Church Ministry in Nepal, each church overseeing different regions of the country.
Over the years Mount Carmel has equipped Nepalese pastors and leaders to strengthen their churches and plant new ones. Through regular visits and funding, a training centre has been built in Nepalgunj which borders India. This School of Pastoral Ministry trains lay pastors, elders, church planters and evangelists.
As of today, GCM has 3,800 members in 70 churches, mostly in Western Nepal which is the least evangelised. The three Singapore churches have combined resources to help rebuild 70 homes and seven churches that were devastated by earthquake or washed away by floods.
More help is needed now. More than 130 pastors throughout Nepal have died from COVID as of June 30. More than 60% of those randomly tested have turned out COVID positive, with hospitals unable to cope with the surge in cases. The sick are afraid of going to hospitals for fear of catching the virus. The pandemic has pushed many into poverty, and we have identified 274 families from GCM that are destitute.
"Even during such difficult times, good works with the good news are being done and proclaimed."
Pastor Daniel explained, “Although the three churches will raise the funds needed to help the 274 families, the funds do not cover extra expenses such as transportation, personnel, and protective equipment for those delivering aid.” The gift from BPCIS will meet this need.
Mount Carmel is helping 98 families over the next four months, while Leng Kwang and People's Bible are reaching out to the remaining 176 families. The villagers are praying that God would be merciful to grant them a bountiful harvest in September to October to alleviate their needs.
Even during such difficult times, good works with the good news are being done and proclaimed. Praise God for the opportunities BPCIS has to share resources not just locally in Singapore but also abroad to further the work of gospel.
Photo: BPCIS General Secretary presenting cheque to OM Mission Coordinator Jiamin Choo-Fong for OM's work in West Asia.
Sonja Chua - Having lived abroad in Israel for seven months as part of her graduate studies, Sonja is interested in sharing how God works through ordinary and extraordinary circumstances. She has contributed articles for Thir.st and worships at Zion Serangoon BP Church.
Past Editorials
