Plans were drawn, the existing building fund was added to, and the BBLF granted a US$20,000 loan for the future building. The church continued to grow and mature as various delays were encountered with the building plans. The Evanses left for furlough in June 1974 and FMB missionaries Charles and Erica Morris arrived to lead KBC on to be registered in November, and to dedicate the new building on March 16, 1975. Another memorable event was when KBC called their first Malaysian pastor, a new MBTS graduate, James Leong Vui Chee, who began serving in December 1977.
Although KBC had begun as a bilingual, English/Mandarin work, it had quickly become only English-speaking. In 1974 the Morrises encouraged those who preferred Mandarin to begin a Mandarin home group. The following year a Mandarin service began on Sunday evenings. When Pastor James Leong came, he was able to give more leadership in the Mandarin language and eventually this mandarin service became the Grace Baptist Church.
The 1980’s saw ups and downs in the history of KBC. For a time, Bible studies and prayer meetings were stopped, but when the prayer meetings were later revived the church began to grow again. Due to complications surrounding the registration of more Baptist churches in Sarawak, hence, it was on August 27, 1982 that the Kuching Baptist Church changed its name to First Baptist Church (FBC) giving way to the birth of Sarawak Baptist Church.
In 1982 and 1983 James Leong traveled to Simanggang (Sri Aman) every other week, to give teaching and training to a Bible Study group that was meeting in the home of one of the members working there. This group later became the Maranatha Baptist Church. So KBC had some “motherly” input into the early life of this Baptist group.
When Grace Baptist Church was formed in 1987, James Leong became their pastor. The English speaking First Baptist Church called John Chin Shoo Ted, a lawyer who had recently committed himself to full time service, to be their pastor. Under his leadership the church grew, and soon began a Bahasa Malaysia-speaking worship service.
In 1993 Pastor John began a second worship service in the Hilton Hotel with the intent to reach people who would not come to the church building. For about two years FBC carried on two services each Sunday, one at the church building and one in the hotel. In 1995, it became expedient to move out of the Hilton following which a place was found at the Stampark Recreation Club, which was large enough for the whole church. As membership increased, FBC moved from Stampark to a rented hall in Wisma Saberkas in1996.
Throughout all these changes congregational government was gradually being replaced by cell leadership administration. About 1993 a definite decision was taken for FBC to become a cell church in order to mobilize the members. The result was that members were less involved in decision-making, but more involved in various ministries, as they reached out into the community to meet needs.
During that period, an attempt was made to begin a ministry in Sebuyau, a Chinese village located about one and one-half hours of boat ride away from Kuching.
In 1997, Dr. Richard Sim Kim Ling was invited to serve with FBC as Mission Pastor, and to oversee the Christian Training School. CTS was started as a night school to offer a Diploma of Christian Studies, which could be accepted by MBTS, should a student desire to do higher studies there. This was discontinued when Dr. Richard left for Australia.
FBC continued to grow under the leadership of Pastor John Chin. Under the Community, Care and Restoration programs (CCR), members participated actively in Habitat for Humanity, Hospice Society, Salvation Army Boys’ Home and Prisons Ministry. FBC members were also responsible for setting up the S.M.I.L.E (Sharing Moments in Love Everywhere) and the EIP (Early Intervention Program) Centre.
In 2009, Ps. John Chin was strongly convinced that he must follow his vision and direction. Thus it was in October of that year that he resigned as pastor of FBC and, together with some leaders, started a new work. The remaining leaders and members of FBC then decided to adopt a plural leadership in the form of a Council of Elders which, together with the Administrative team, will continue to lead the FBC.
We continue to have three congregations, English, Mandarin and Iban. All meetings are still held in Saberkas Shopping Centre and building plans are in place to build our future place of worship on a piece of land situated at Mile 7 which was acquired earlier in year 2003.
In January 2011, a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of our new building was held on site at about 9.00 am attended by members and with our leaders, Bro Tung Hui, Bro Nee Wen, Bro Simon, Bro Chiew together with the contractors symbolically broke the ground with iron hoes.
The new building was completed in the month of March 2012 and we moved in on the 25th of March. Following which a dedication service for the new premises was held on the 1st of May 2012 with the presence of invited guests and friends
PAST PASTORS OF FBC:
Bobby D. Evans (1970-1974)
Charles Morris (1974-1977)
James Leong Vui Chee (1977-1987)
John Chin Shoo Ted (1988-2009)
PRESENT PASTORS OF FBC:
Pastor George Kaleman
Pastor Ng Meng How
Pastor Malcolm Yong
Pastor Rose Bideng
Nov 2010
Up Dated: 1st May 2012
Up Dated: 14th May 2020 |
