WHO WE ARE
Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”
Philippians 1:27b
An assembly of Christians who come from diverse backgrounds in our cosmopolitan country of Singapore. In spite of these differences, we seek to achieve unity in diversity grounded in the truths of Scripture. God has brought every unique individual into this body with specific gifts that can be used to complement one another. We seek unity and not uniformity.
Our Story
Grace Baptist Ministries (GBM) is founded from a merger of two church bodies. The first group, Open Bible Baptist Church (OBBC), was founded on 25 Mar 1994 under the pastoral leadership of Pastor Pat Delaney. From its humble beginnings in the home of Pastor Pat with just 2 others in 1989, the Lord brought 10 others by the time of its founding. The church continued to grow through the years. Pastor Pat has since moved on to become the Field Administrator of Baptist World Mission.
While OBBC was looking for a senior pastor to lead their congregation, a larger group of believers from Baptist Fellowship Church (BFC) were seeking further opportunities to expand their ministry. After a series of discussions in Jul 2010, both groups concluded that a merging of congregations would be mutually beneficial. It was the start of a new beginning for both groups. As of 1 Dec 2010, the new body was officially known as Grace Baptist Ministries.
We, as a new body of believers started worshipping and ministering together on 1 Aug 2010 at City College Singapore. A year later, we purchased a unit at Macpherson, renovated it and moved in toward the end of Nov 2011. This marked a new beginning to embark on our mission to fulfil the Great Commission in Singapore, South East Asia and the rest of the world.
Our Leadership
PASTORS
Senior Pastor
Rev. Dr. Christopher Chern
Born in Singapore and raised in Taoism, I was very religious and joined my parents in their beliefs. I would visit the temple, ask for blessings from those gods, and wear amulets and idols for protection. In 1974, I was saved through the witness of a schoolmate who brought me to a Bible study when I was in Secondary 1.
After I had made the commitment to accept Christ, my life began to change, just as the bible says “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” (2 Cor 5: 17) Subsequently, I started to put away my past practices of praying to idols, as I was assured of my salvation based on 1 John 5: 12-13 and John 1:12.
When I was 18, I was felt God’s calling to full-time service during an evangelistic meeting.
On 23rd May 1986, I married my sweetheart, Diana. We had been working together at Hong Kong Bank. In 1994, I was able to transit into full-time ministry work and have been pastoring the congregation at GBM since 1994. I graduated from International Baptist College (IBC) in Tempe, Arizona (USA) with a M.A. in Biblical Studies and was ordained in 1997. In 2012, I received my honorary doctorate of divinity (D.D.) from South India Baptist Bible College & Seminary.
My wife is currently a home-maker and an excellent cook at that! She is my perfect helpmeet whom God has provided for me as we serve together in GBM. We have two daughters: Charissa, and Cheryl. I enjoy playing racket games and jogging with my wife. My prayer is that God would fill me with a zeal for His glory and enable me to effectively proclaim God’s Word. Also, I pray that He would make me a servant-leader as I shepherd this flock preach the gospel to the lost and grace to the saved.
Pastor
Rev. Kwan Chung Howe
As a child, I attended a Methodist church where my mother faithfully brought me to every week. When I was 8 or 9 years old, I remember attending a Children’s Camp and a lesson on the Lord’s Supper. The teacher took me and the rest of the kids into the sanctuary and explained the Lord’s Supper to us while showing us the elements. I vividly recall being able to imagine the crushing of Christ’s bones and the blood flowing from His body as He died on the cross. It was there that I understood the gospel and made the decision to accept Christ as my Saviour.
My mother reminded me of a time when I told her that I would serve God. I believe that God had gradually prepared me for the ministry through the many different experiences and people in my life. One of the things that I have greatly enjoyed is serving in the Children’s Ministry - teaching, playing the guitar, playing games, etc.
I graduated with my B.A. from NUS (Information Communications Management) and subsequently worked in media sales. After 2-3 years, I heeded the advice of godly men and decided to pursue the Masters of Ministry (M.Min) degree at International Baptist College (IBC) for 1.5 years. As I spent time in formal biblical education and discipleship with the different professors and pastors at both Tri-City Baptist Church (TBC) and IBC, I gradually felt the call to full-time ministry. I could do nothing else but give my life to whatever ministry God had for me.
God has blessed me with a helpmeet and best friend in my wife, Dency. We have a son, Zhe Jing, that is a constant reminder that we need to pursue godly wisdom and seek God in whatever we set out to do! My family is a constant source of blessing and support as I serve!
DEACONS
Benjamin Soh
Jayson Cahinosayan
Joseph Choo
Ng Kok Wing
Terence Leong
Wong Weng Keong