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New Creation Church

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New Creation Church is a non-denominational megachurch in Singapore. It was founded in 1984 and has grown in size from 25 original members to 18000 members by 2009.[1]

Missionary Work

According to the church's website, it has been involved in missions throughout the Asian region, and has sent pastors and leaders to countries such as China, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.[2] The church's services are also broadcast weekly in Uganda[3] and on weekdays in the United States (via the Daystar Television Network),[4] and twice a week on the Australian Christian Channel.[5] It has been reported that 10% of their income is spent on missionary work, amounting to 4 million US$ a year.[6]

Every year, the church organises trips to Israel through their own tour agency.[7][dead link]

Place of worship

The congregation currently worship in the Rock Auditorium in Suntec city. A new building, called the "Civic, Cultural and Retail Complex (CCRC)" is being planned by Rock Productions, the business arm of the church,[1] together with CapitaLand in Buona Vista. The church will rent space in the complex for Sunday services.[8] The building is envisioned as a "futuristic complex with restaurants, shops and a 5,000-seat theatre", and will cost nearly SGD1 billion.[1]

In raising funds for its new cultural and entertainment complex, the church was reported to have raised SGD19 million within 24 hours in 2009[9] and it also raised SGD18 million in one day in 2008.[1] The church has so far raised approximately one third its SGD500 million share of the new building's cost.[1]

Music

The church has produced and released several English-language praise and worship albums to date,[10] including:

  • You Gave (2005)
  • You Alone I Praise (2006)
  • I See Grace (2007)
  • A Touch Of His Presence
  • Still Waters
  • Unleashed : Gospel Revolution (2008) (First Youth Studio Album)

In May 2007, the church produced its first Hokkien and Mandarin worship album - 称義 (Justified), a double-CD album containing 10 Hokkien and nine Mandarin tracks.[10]

Senior pastor Joseph Prince

Senior Pastor Joseph Prince, born in 1963, is one of the founding members of New Creation Church.[11] He was born to an Indian father and a Chinese mother. He spent his primary school years in Perak, Malaysia. He eventually came back to Singapore and followed an aunt to church. He was then a young man dabbling in the occult but he said that 'supernatural experiences' opened his eyes to Christianity. He attended Commonwealth Secondary School in Singapore and went on to finish his 'A' levels at a private school, Our Lady of Lourdes.

In 1984, Mr Prince, then president of a youth ministry in a traditional church, and a group of friends were asked to leave the church, which didn’t agree with their open displays of worship. They then left the church and started their own New Creation Church. Before he became a full-time pastor in the New Creation Church, he was working as an IT consultant. While working as a consultant, he changed his name to the current one, Joseph Prince. His orginal name and family background remains unknown. He is married and his wife's name is Wendy Prince. They have a daughter, Jessica Shayna. They are said to live in a classy condominium in District 10 and drive an expensive European car.[12][13]

He has a publishing house, and releases books and CDs, which are sold at the affiliated Rock Gifts & Books Centre and at secular bookshops such as the Times bookshop in Singapore.[14] His latest book, Destined to Reign: The Secret to Effortless Success, Wholeness and Victorious Living, released on 15 July 2007, contains teachings from his last ten years of preaching the gospel of grace.[15]

In 2006, Prince was invited to speak at the Grace & Favour Seminar, at Hillsong Church[16] in Sydney and also to Hillsong London[17] to preach at its three Sunday services. He has also been invited to preach at churches in countries such as Canada, Norway, Netherlands, South Africa and Indonesia.[3]

In 2009, he was reported in The Straits Times to be earning in excess of SGD500,000 a year.[18] During the same time period he was also the Church's chief executive and served as chairman to the Church's six member board, to the contrary of the provisions within the Code of Governance drafted by the Charity Council of Singapore which requires the separation of these two positions, to which the Church objected to. The Church's argument was Joseph Prince is ‘ordained by God to lead the church (so) he is the best person to guide the board’ as well.

Controversy

Controversy with regard to the salary being paid to Joseph Prince as a pastor continues to surround him. On 5 October 2008, in an interview with the Sunday Times, he acknowledged that he was well-paid but added that money did not have a hold on him. Mr Prince who is the executive chairman of the church council, also dismissed the rumour in the interview that his salary was $50,000 a month, saying "It could have been $50,000 if I had not voluntarily taken all the pay cuts through the years. There was a system of payment that would actually enrich me greatly but as the church grew, I refuse to accept that system of payment."[19][20]

On 30 March 2009, The Straits Times reported that a check revealed that the independent New Creation Church paid one employee between $500,001 and $550,000 in its last financial year of 2008. Under the new requirements of the Code of Governance for charities, all charities and non-profit organizations in Singapore would have to disclose the salary bands of their top executives to the Commissioner of Charities. Even though the church did not confirm if the amount went to its pastor, Joseph Prince, but it told The Straits Times that its policy is to 'recognise and reward key contributors to the church and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar of our church's growth and revenue'.[21][22][23]

On 15 April 2009 Matthew Kang, the Honorary Secretary of the New Creation Church, posted a reply to The Straits Times on the church's website stating that the New Creation Church was not a public charity and did not solicit public donations. Kang's response went on to assert that "there is absolutely no compulsion to give whether in tithes or offerings, and any giving is done out of a willing heart." Kang also said that "every giver is appreciated and it is taken in good faith that he believes in the elected leadership and will trust them to make good decisions for the particular church he has chosen to attend, whether as a member or a visitor."[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Church collects $19m in one day for lifestyle hub". The Straits Times. May 19, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-19. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  2. ^ "Ministries - Global Outreach - Missions". New Creation Church. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Harrison House signs Joseph Prince". Harrison House Publishers. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ "Links - Programmers Directory - Programmers List - Joseph Prince". Daystar Television Network. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "Program Information - Destined To Reign". Australian Christian Channel. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Thomas, George! (January 01 2008). "Singapore takes on a world mission". CBN news. Retrieved 2009-05-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "New Creation Church: New Friends in Singapore". Keren-Hayesod – United Israel Appeal. Retrieved 2007-07-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Kang, Matthew (March 27, 2009). "Proposed mega mall not a church building". Asia One. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  9. ^ ."Church raises $19m in 24 hours".
  10. ^ a b "Now In: Music → Music CDs". Joseph Prince Ministries. Retrieved 2007-06-04. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ "Joseph & Wendy Prince". New Creation Church. Retrieved 2007-06-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Church Pastors Like None Other - From stutter to charisma
  13. ^ Scanned copy of The Singapore Sunday Times 15th October 2008
  14. ^ "Resources - Online Catalogue". New Creation Church. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Now In: Books → Destined To Reign (Hardcover)". Joseph Prince Ministries. Retrieved 2007-08-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "Joseph Prince at Hillsong Conference 2007 Sydney, Australia". Hillsong Church. Retrieved 2007-07-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Special Guests". Hillsong Church London (Hillsong London). Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "Church Leader gets $500K".
  19. ^ Church Pastors Like None Other - From stutter to charisma
  20. ^ Scanned copy of The Sunday Times
  21. ^ $500,000 pay for New Creation Church leader
  22. ^ Singapore church pays princely sum to leader
  23. ^ Church leader gets $500k
  24. ^ Reply To The Straits Times Forum Online (Business And Religion: Where Do You Draw The Line?)

External links

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