B-P Church Founder Dies at 88

Monday, Apr. 20, 2009 Posted: 4:06:14PM HKT

Dr Arthur Steele, Chancellor of Clearwater Christian College and early FEBC boad member and the Rev Dr Timothy S H Tow, FEBC principal. This photo was taken in 2005. (Photo: FEBC)

The man widely recognised as the founder of the Bible-Presbyterian movement in Singapore passed away this morning, his family confirmed.

Born in the city of Swatow in Guangdong, China in 1920, the Rev Dr Timothy S H Tow was instrumental in the B-P movement, having founded the first B-P congregation in 1955.

But Bible-Presbyterians trace their beginnings to 1950, when the Rev Dr Tow started an English congregation at Life Presbyterian Church, renamed Life Bible-Presbyterian Church five years later and dissociated from the Presbyterian synod due to the liberalism of the Malayan Christian Council leadership to which it had been connected.

As a young pastor, the Rev Dr Tow had led missionary trips to many parts of Malaysia and for a period of five years was preaching in churches in Singapore and Malaysia on a regular weekly basis. He also set up a theological seminary, Far Eastern Bible College, in 1962 and has been serving as its principal ever since. In a doctrinal conflict with two of his assistant pastors, the Rev Dr Tow resigned from Life B-P Church and started True Life B-P Church, holding the first service in early October in 2003 at the RELC auditorium.

With the missionary fervour of its founder and leaders, the local movement became one of the fastest growing denominations in Singapore, according to Operation World. Unfortunately, the body experienced a split in the 80s due to differing opinions of its leaders over the issue of doctrinal ‘separation’.

As of 2000, there were 60 B-P congregations in Singapore and 20 in Malaysia and unnumbered others in the ten ASEAN countries, Australia and the rest of the world, the pastor had recorded in his 2000 autobiography.

The Rev Dr Timothy S H Tow passed away due to natural reasons at 5.45 a.m. today in his home, according to his son-in-law Dr Jeffrey Khoo, Academic Dean at Far Eastern Bible College.

The funeral service will be conducted on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Calvary-Pandan B-P Church. Virgil services are being held from 8.15 p.m. starting today until Wednesday.

Edmond Chua
edmond@christianpost.com