FEATURE ARTICLE: A HOUSE BUILT ON GRACE

Over the years, the presence and function of the Bible House has been built on God’s grace. In 1907, The Bible Society of Singapore acquired the land at 7 Armenian Street and built its home, the Bible House, there. Despite having been rebuilt thrice and undergone numerous changes to meet the evolving needs of the Society and the world it serves, it has remained at the same site since the conception of the Bible Mission.

In 1942, the Japanese military forces occupied Singapore and left devastating damage to the first Bible House. Despite the situation, the Bible Society and its volunteers continued distributing Scriptures and hosting annual Bible Sundays from St Andrew's Cathedral to send forth the light of God's Word in that time of darkness.

Two decades after the Second World War, in 1965, the Bible Society rebuilt the Bible House into a six-storey structure with a contemporary "open Bible" design to accommodate Singapore's rapid development and expanding demands. It was completed in 1974. The second Bible House hosted numerous churches and Christian organisations' ministry events while expanding the Bible Society's capabilities to carry out more missionary activities.

The Bible Society was also a key organiser of the 1978 Billy Graham Crusade, which led to the revival of Christianity in Singapore. Former General Secretary Peter Hsieh served as Vice-Chairman of the Crusade's Executive Committee. Then Chairman of the Scripture Union Singapore, Rev Dr Alfred Yeo, shared: “In 1978, the Singapore Billy Graham Crusade office was located in the Bible House. Christians from all over Singapore visited this office for materials and meetings. The former Bible House was like my second home then.”

To advance and better support the Bible Mission in yet another era, the Bible Society rebuilt the Bible House a third time, finishing its construction in 2011. Its contemporary style is influenced by the Bible itself and is divided into two main zones. In the Old Testament era, people's faith was governed by the Torah—the law of God. Since this law is the foundation we need to properly understand the Gospel and the Old Testament is exceptionally organised into various divisions according to the literary genre they contain, the south elevation is built with a strong masonry wall and little tear-shaped openings. On the North-East facade, however, a glass curtain wall depicting the New Testament represents openness and direct contact with Jesus Christ. A new rooftop pavilion was erected in April 2017 to improve the Bible Society's capacity to carry out its mandate as a beacon of light to the world.

With the Bible House’s restoration and rebuilding, the Bible Society’s mission remains constant—to make the Word of God known to all peoples. Aside from Sower Essentials (then Bible Resource Centre or BRC Bookshop), the new Bible House also houses several global movements and various Bible-based programmes that have been crucial in reaching out to individuals, families and churches to engage them and their communities with His Word in a deeper and more relevant way. These Bible Society ministries include Sower Publishing Centre, SowCare (the Bible Society's community service arm), Sower Institute for Biblical Discipleship–English and Chinese tracks, ETHOS Institute for Public Christianity, NextGen, Family, and Chinese Ministries, and many others.

Sir Stamford Raffles and Rev Dr Robert Morrison championed the Bible Mission by publishing and distributing the first Chinese New Testament among Chinese settlers in Singapore in 1823. They were some of the first to realise Singapore’s potential to be a strategic location for mission work in many countries in Asia. Due to their heart for the Bible Mission, The Bible Society of Singapore exists today. Since then, the Bible Society has had its own procession of Presidents and General Secretaries who took charge and furthered the Bible Mission:

Presidents:

1969–1985 Rev Khoo Siaw Hua

1986–1992 Datin Aw Kow

1992–2001 Mr Sim Miah Kian

2001–2002 Mr Goh Ewe Keng

2002–2012 Dr Bobby Sng

2012 to present Dr Lee Soo Ann

General Secretaries:

1965–1980 Rev Peter Hsieh

1980–1985 Rev Ong Hun Seang

1986–1989 Rev Alan Ang

1989–1990 Dr Peggy Yeo

1990–2003 Dr Lee Soo Ann

2004–2012 Dr Lim Khay Tham

2012 to present Rev Ezekiel Tan

Our many colporteurs—a term which refers to Bible distributors back in the day—have persevered in their efforts to distribute Scriptures and make the Word of God known for hundreds of years thus preserving the Bible Mission work in Singapore even during periods of great challenges. Today, our valued colporteurs include the Society’s board members, as well as the members of the Society’s various ministry committees. They utilise their experience to ensure that the Bible Society and its initiatives are going in the right direction and that the Bible Mission’s needs are always addressed.

Dr Lee Soo Ann, the current President of the Bible Society, has been serving for over 32 years, since July 1990. Before becoming President in 2012, he served as General Secretary from 1990 to 2003, then as a committee member from 2004 to 2012. Dr Lee’s grandfather, Rev Khoo Chiang Bee, served as a Bible colporteur between 1915 and 1942 in various parts of Indonesia. It was from his grandfather’s preaching in church that he first heard about the Bible Mission, when he was just a boy.

"Now, working for the Bible Mission, I feel a sense of fulfilment that this was what God destined me to be as a child of God. I have also preached from the Bible in various churches in Singapore on their Bible Sundays. Bible Mission work has changed personal lives. It has also initiated new institutions to make the love of God, as written about in the Bible, come alive in the lives of many people. When I was General Secretary in 1990 to 2003, the Bible House had many Christian organisations in that building. One of the institutions in Bible House was Presbyterian Community Services, which started in 1974. The Bible Society itself initiated typesetting the Bible on the computer in various languages through its computer-assisted text processing centre in 1991. Before that, the Bible had to be typeset manually.”

—Dr Lee Soo Ann, President, The Bible Society of Singapore

An inter-confessional mission agency that unites its people in one shared cause, the Bible Society houses staff that come from different countries, denominations and races, who believe strongly in the core mission of ensuring all peoples of all nations experience God’s saving grace through His Word. To commemorate this celebration, some Bible Society staff have shared their thoughts on how the Bible Mission has impacted their lives as they have served.

"This year marks my 32nd year of service at the Bible Society. Serving in the Publishing department, it warms my heart and keeps me going when I hold the finished product of something I’ve been working on. Being given a New Testament Bible published by the Bible Society in 1986 had sowed a seed in my heart. So now I’m working to pay it forward by bringing hope, encouragement and comfort toothers through Scripture.”

—Alex Lim, Director of Sower Publishing Centre, The Bible Society of Singapore

"I have worked at the Bible Society for 18 years. I am grateful to work for the Bible Mission—having supportive and like-minded colleagues that share similar goals in applying and living out the Bible and sharing the Gospel. It is heartening to know that the Bible has reached many in the region and globally through the many resources provided, and through the kindness and generosity of supporters. Lives are also being enriched through conferences, seminars and partnerships, helping them grow in the knowledge of God’s Word.”

—Deirdre Chan, Finance & Donor Care Coordinator, The Bible Society of Singapore

We sincerely thank you for your partnership with the Bible Mission in Singapore over the last 200 years, enabling us to be a vessel to impact and transform lives. Above all, we are grateful that God has graciously preserved the Bible Society through various challenges, guiding us through each chartered course. We seek your prayers as the Society calls for more colporteurs to come aboard the cause of the Bible Mission, as we continue to be God’s instruments for generations to come (2 Tim 2:21) in availing God’s Word to Singapore and beyond.