JUN 3

Romans 15:20
Memorise Romans 15:20
“To preach the gospel not where Christ was named”

HOW DID THE BP CHURCHES GROW? (II)

In the early years of the BP church, there was a strong evangelistic work, both in Singapore, and also up in Malaysia. The work in Malaysia was directed through a body known as the “Malaysia Pioneer Mission”. This name was chosen because they wanted to reach the unsaved in Malaysia. At that time, there were many new villages and towns that were spouting throughout Malaysia, and thus a concerted effort was made to bring the gospel there. Prior to the BP missionaries moving in, these regions were completely untouched by the gospel. Thus the word “pioneer” was chosen to remind themselves of the importance of reaching out to unevangelised regions, in accordance to Paul’s words in Romans 15:20: “Yea so have I strive to preach the gospel not where Christ was named”.

And so in the 1950s, this work began, and very quickly, 60 of the new villages were reached with a hundred gospel tracts. The mission report reads as such: “Almost every village we visited was virgin soil for the Gospel seed. Crowds gathered in curiosity around two Big Town gentlemen. Some asked to buy Tiger Balm, taking us to be Chinese medicine hawkers, others remarked we were vanguards of a theatrical troupe, ‘coming to town’. But they were none the worse when we gave them instead the water of eternal life from the fountain of Jesus Christ. Everywhere we went the Lord opened a wide door of opportunity. Particularly glad were we for the generous cooperation extended by principals and teachers of the village community schools. We were not hindered from preaching to two to three hundred school children at a time…”

Through these early efforts, mission stations in Malaysia were established, one example being the Kelapa Sawit Mission Church, and relationships formed with other churches in Muar and Johor Bahru.

Dear Teen, don’t you wish you have a part to play in this exciting venture? The gospel work continues, and our commission to preach the gospel both near and far has not been rescinded!

Thought: Do you know your gifts? Are you using it for God’s glory or for your own enjoyment?
Prayer: Pray that we have visions beyond our own selfish desire, and that we’ll always pray for the church, which is His body.