Confessions of a Denominational Church Escapee

Sunday, 18th July 2010

I have a confession to make :-)

I am on extremely good terms with my youth pastor, Rev Reuben Ng.  Read on if you want to know why...

Exactly 3 years ago, in July 2007, I experienced what some would consider the lowest point in my spiritual journey -- I was called into the room of Rev Peter Koh, the then-senior pastor of my church and asked to step down as both a cell leader and the treasurer of my church.  

This was because he considered the grace teachings that were being taught by Ps Joseph Prince to be heretic and antinomian, and he would not allow any of his leaders to embrace such doctrines.  I was on the verge of giving up my 40-year Methodist heritage and joining the 20,000-strong crowd that worshipped at the Rock.

But God in His infinite wisdom, prompted the TRAC President, Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup to send a young and very good-looking pastor who had just graduated from Trinity Theological College to my church, to replace Rev Barnabas Chong (who is also against the grace gospel), who had to leave prematurely after just 19 months to transfer out to Cairnhill Methodist Church.

Rev Reuben was warned about me even before he began his ministry on 1 August 2007.  But to his credit, he gave me the benefit of the doubt, and did not just listen to what the other pastors had said about me.  Although cautious at first, our friendship blossomed over the weeks and months.  But in order not to "get in trouble" with the senior pastor and thus jeopardise his ministry, we had to be very discreet about our relationship, just like how Romeo and Juliet (for lack of a better analogy) had to keep theirs under wraps. 

We would communicate via sms and phone calls.  He took the great risk of conducting my son's room-blessing in 24 Nov 2007 and even attending my 40th birthday party on 20 Dec 2007! -- that's the photo of us on the right (which I did not dare publish on my blog back then, but am safe to do so now).

But in public and in church, we would not acknowledge each other and on occasions even pretended not to know each other :-)

At the end of last year, both Rev Peter Koh and Rev Tay Kay Leong (another pastor who is against grace teachings) were posted out of my church, the former to Living Hope Methodist Church and the latter to Christ Methodist Church.

The new senior pastor Rev Jonathan Seet is an old boy of my church and is open to grace teachings.  (I met up with him over dinner in January 2010, shortly after he was posted in, and found out what his stand was). 

And so, I am now able to go public about my relationship with my youth pastor.  He is truly a breath of fresh air, and there is hope for the Methodist church yet.  He is the main reason why I did not leave the church of my forefathers.  Come 1 August 2010, he will be in PLMC for 3 years and I want to wish him a Happy 3rd Anniversary with many many more years to come!  Thank God for you, Rev Reuben!  May God continue to bless and prosper your ministry, your marriage and your two beautiful daughters!

Oh ya, if anyone of you read the article about megachurches in yesterday's Straits Times, the author described Ps Prince's as being of appeal to "denominational church escapees tired of being asked to work for their salvation". 

I thought that was a very apt description of my situation, hence I have decided to wear that as a badge of honour on Facebook and credit it as the title of today's post :-)

Signing off
The denominational church escapee who is greatly-blessed, highly-favoured and deeply-loved