About Us
Welcome to Bethesda PasirRis Mission Church! We are committed to be “A Transformational Church Transforming Our Community – One Life at a Time, One Family at a Time.” We believe that a person who believes in Jesus Christ as personal Saviour and Lord will experience the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit in his or her life. We invite you to visit our church with your family and partner with us in this work of transformation.
– Senior Pastor Kenny Fam
In the beginning
Our Brethren roots in Singapore can be traced to the mid-19th century with the arrival of Philip Robinson (Robinson Department Store of today had its origin from the store he established) and his family from Bristol in 1857. On 3rd July 1864, he opened “Mission Rooms” at 103 Bencoolen Street for worship and gospel services. Two years later, on 30th September 1866, it was renamed the Bethesda Chapel and moved to 77 Bras Basah Road with a small congregation of 10 believers.
Fifty years later, in 1936, Bethesda Chapel planted a church, Bethesda (Katong) Church (BKC) at 17 Pennefather Road in the fast growing eastern part of Singapore. In 1964, BKC planted a new church, Bethesda Frankel Estate Church (BFEC), in a new housing area of that name.
Early Years
In 1973, a group of leaders and youths from Bethesda Frankel Estate Church (BFEC) felt the burden to bring the gospel to the newly developed Chai Chee and Bedok housing estates. A small Bible study group was started in the home of Madam Leonie Tay in Chai Chee, which in 1974 moved to the home of our late Elder Francis Lim and his wife, Sister Poh Tin. 20 people attended the inaugural worship service while the Sunday School began with 15 children. Together with Elder Chia Hong Hoe (known to all as Papa Chia), this small group formed the humble beginnings of what is now BPMC.
First Move
When their home could no longer house this growing embryonic church, the congregation moved to Sennett Road in 1976 and named their church, Bethesda Bedok Mission Home (BBMH), and later Bethesda Bedok Mission Church (BBMC) when it gained autonomy from its mother-church, BFEC.
Second Move
In 1996, BBMC moved to Pasir Ris New Town to start the work in this fast developing HDB estate and the church was re-named Bethesda Pasir-Ris Mission Church (BPMC). The first inaugural combined (English-Mandarin-Filipino) worship service was held on 21 July 1996.
Today, BPMC has three congregations with four worship services comprising almost 800 adults, youths and children.
Our Purpose
To glorify God and enjoy Him forever
Our Vision
To be a loving, vibrant, worshipful community of Christ followers committed to mission and evangelism
Our Mission
As a multi-ethnic and multi-generational church, we show Christ’s love through teaching God’s Word and nurturing loving relationships so as to reach people for Christ within our communities and focus countries
Our Elders
Our Elders function as a body in the Elders’ Board. They play a twin role in providing spiritual (final arbiter of faith and doctrine, and church discipline) as well as fiduciary (approver of financial & personnel policies and annual budgets) oversight.
Front Row (L-R): Elder Wong Kok Keng, Elder Edward Oh, Senior Pastor Kenny Fam, Elder Winston Tan (Chairman), Pastor Andrew Ang, Pastor Peter Yip.
Back Row (L-R): Elder Juan Jr Reboca , Elder Stuart Ong, Elder Woon Chin Ting, Elder Eugene Tan.
Our Pastors
Front Row (L-R): Senior Pastor Kenny Fam, Pastor Andrew Ang (English Service).
Back Row (L-R): Pastor Mao Ze Qiong 毛泽琼传道, Pastor William Ngoo (Youth), Pastor Anthony Toh (Cell Life & Evangelism), Pastor Peter Yip 叶荣德牧师.
What We Believe
• In essential beliefs – We have unity
“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)
• In non-essential beliefs – We have liberty
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” Romans 14:1 (NIV)
“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4 (NIV)
“So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12 (NIV)
“So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.” Romans 14:22 (NIV)
• In all our beliefs – We show charity
“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV)
The Essentials We Believe
As members of Bethesda Pasir Ris Mission Church, we subscribe to the following doctrines of the Christian faith in accordance with the Scriptures:
1. Concerning the Bible
The divine inspiration and complete reliability of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, and their Supreme Authority in all matters of faith and practice.
John 10:35; 16:13-15; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 3:15-16
2. Concerning God
a. The unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the Eternal Godhead, with the distinctions of Persons in that unity.
Genesis 1:1-2; 26-27; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-2,14,18; 14:16-17; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14
b. The Sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgment.
Genesis 1&2; Psalm 8; Daniel 2:20-22; Acts 17:24-31; Romans 9:16,18; 10:12-13; 11:29-36; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 2:9-12
3. Concerning Jesus Christ
a. The incarnation, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and the unique combination of the divine and human natures in the sinless Person of Jesus Christ.
John 1:1,14; Matthew 1:20-25; Luke 1:35; Gal 4:4; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-13; 2:14-18; 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; Isaiah 7:14
b. The sacrificial death, as our Representative and Substitute, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 20:28; John 1:29; Romans 3:25; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 19-21; Hebrews 9:14, 22; 1 John 2:2; 1 Timothy 2:5-6
c. His triumphant bodily resurrection from the dead.
Matthew 28; Luke 24; John 20 & 21; Acts 2:24-32; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 20
d. His ascension and exaltation at God’s right hand and intercession as Great High Priest for His people.
Acts 1:9; 5:31; Ephesians 1:20-23; Hebrews 4:14-15; 12:2
e. His personal return to receive His People, judge the world and establish His everlasting Kingdom.
John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Isaiah 9:6-7; Revelation 21& 22
4. Concerning The Holy Spirit
a. The sending by the Father of the Holy Spirit to bear witness to the Son.
John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:13-15; Acts 1:4-5,8; 2:1-4
b. The Holy Spirit’s work of convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgement.
John 16:8-11
c. His power for the conversion of sinners, their incorporation into the Body of Christ, the Church, and His indwelling and empowerment of believers for witness and service.
Acts 1:8; 2:38; Romans 8:9-11; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5,12; 6:11; 12:4-11; John 4:17; Ephesians 3:16ff;
d. He unites the church in fellowship.
Ephesians 4: 3-6; Philippians 2:1, 2
5. Concerning Man
a. He was created in the image, and for the glory, of God.
Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; Psalm 100:3; Isaiah 43:7
b. The universal sinfulness, guilt and lost condition of all mankind since the Fall, making everyone subject to God’s wrath and judgment.
Genesis 3; Romans 3:9-23; 5:12-14; 6:23
c. The formation of a new redeemed humanity, the universal Church of Christ to which all true believers belong.
Romans 8:28-30; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2&3; 1 Peter 2:9-10
6. Concerning Salvation
a. The necessity of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration and sanctification.
John 3:5-7; 16:8-11; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7-8; 2:13
b. The justification of the sinner solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
Romans 3:21-28; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:4-9
c. The evidence of the new birth and spiritual life in growth, in grace, knowledge, holiness and good works.
Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 2:19; Titus 3:8; Hebrews 12:10-11; James 2:17-18; 1 Peter 1:14-23
d. The eternal life of all true believers in Christ.
John 6:37, 47; 10:27-29; Romans 8:28-39; 1 John 5:5, 9-13
e. The final resurrection and redemption of the saved to eternal blessedness, and the resurrection of the lost to judgment and eternal separation from God.
Daniel 12:2; John 5:27-29; Romans 14:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 3:20-21; Revelation 20:11-15
7. Concerning the Definition and Nature of the Church
a. The church is not an institution but a community of all Christ Followers, a spiritual family of God. It is defined as all those whom Christ had died to redeem.
Eph 5:25
b. The church in Greek term is ekklesiazo, “to summon an assembly / gathering”. Systematic Theologian Millard Erickson states that the term usually has reference to a group of believers in a specific city to worship and have fellowship together. Thus we find Paul’s letters addressed to the ‘the church of God in Corinth and in Galatia’.
1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1, Gal 1:2
c. The Church is local and universal. In the New Testament, the word “church” may be applied to a group of believers at any level, ranging from a very small group meeting in a private home all the way to the group of all true believers in the universal church.
Romans 16:5, 1Cor 16:19
d. There is one body and it is Christ’s body in which Christ loved and died for irrespective of different gifting and calling of each church tradition or denomination.
Eph 5:25, Eph 4:4
8. Concerning the Ministry and Mission of the Church
a. We can understand the purposes of the church in terms of ministry to God, ministry to believers and ministry to the world.
Col 3:16, Eph 1:12, 5:16-19
b. We minister to God through worship.
Col 3:16, Eph 1:12, 5:16-19
c. The church ministers to believers through encouragement, nurturing and discipling.
Col 1:28, Eph 4:12-13, Heb 10:24-25
d. The church ministers to the world through Evangelism and Mission.
Matt 28:19-20
- Fidelity to the Bible as the revealed, wholly inspired Word of God, and hence the sufficient and Final Authority for faith and practice.
- Personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
- We practise believer’s baptism (normally by immersion), and the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis.
- Open fellowship and service at the Lord’s Table for all baptised believers regardless of denominational background.
- The ministry and gifts of the church are distributed to all believers.
- We believe in the priesthood of all believers.
- Church governance by an autonomous Council of Elders and Deacons.
- Congregational participation in the Assembly’s worship and service.