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Lawrence Khong

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Lawrence Khong
Born1952
Singapore
SpouseRev (Dr) Nina Khong
Children4
ChurchFaith Community Baptist Church (FCBC)
Offices held
Senior Pastor
TitleLawrence Khong

Lawrence Khong Kin Hoong (born 1952) is the Senior Pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) in Singapore. Founded by Khong in 1986, FCBC is one of the megachurches in Singapore with a congregation of about 9,000.[1][2] Khong has been criticized for his public opposition to equal rights for gay people.

Early life

Khong is the son of a businessman and a housewife. His father, a general commodities wholesaler who came from Guangdong province in China, had another family in Hong Kong with four children, but remarried when he came to Singapore before World War II broke out.[3]

As a young boy, Khong was rebellious and did poorly in primary school. However, his grades dramatically improved when he entered secondary school at St Joseph's Institution. Following this, he went on to National Junior College, where he met his future wife, Nina. In the army, his rebellious streak resurfaced; he took to chain smoking, sometimes up to three packs a day. He also stopped going to church. Upon entering his first year as a business administration undergraduate in the University of Singapore, he had a spiritual awakening during the summer vacation.[3] Subsequently, he followed his future wife, Nina, to a church camp in Port Dickson, Malaysia, where a boy drowned on the second day. That startled him and he "felt a calling" to become a pastor.[3]

Faith Community Baptist Church

While in university, Khong joined the Varsity Christian Fellowship (VCF) and eventually preached while still an undergraduate.[4] After graduating with a B.A Business Administration from the National University of Singapore,[5] he worked as an intern pastor.

Khong returned to serve in his church, then set up Faith Community Baptist Church. It has about 9,000 members and was at one point the biggest church in Singapore, although other mega churches such as City Harvest Church, New Creation Church and Lighthouse Evangelism (Singapore) have since overtaken it.[3] FCBC was founded as a cell church.[6][7]

Khong is one of the International Twelve of Cesar Castellanos (founders of the G12 movement), and is committed to bring the G12 Vision to churches in Asia.[8] FCBC is a charismatic church that believes in the power of the Holy Spirit.[9]

Following the pattern in G12 churches, FCBC is led by Lawrence Khong and his wife, Rev (Dr) Nina Khong.

TOUCH Community Services

Khong founded TOUCH Community Services (TCS), a community arm of FCBC. TCS is a non-profit, non-religious community organisation, which has served over 100,000 individuals since its establishment[3][10]

In 1998, Khong was conferred the public service medal in recognition of his contributions to the community.[10][11] In 2002, Khong conceptualised Project SMILE or Sharing Magic in Love Everywhere. For his achievements, he was selected as a finalist for the SIP-Schwab Social Entrepreneur of 2007.[12]

In 2007, TCS won the Outstanding Non-profit Organisation Award in the National Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards, which recognises best practices in the management of volunteers and donors, including fundraising practices, in non-profit organisations.[3][13]

Media and entertainment

In recent years, Khong entered the media and entertainment world by producing movies[14][15] and performing magic shows including "Magic of Love" and "Magic Box" as a platform for him to spread his Christian message.[5][16][17]

Khong is the founder of Gateway Entertainment (formerly TOUCH Media), the entertainment ministry of FCBC, which provides Christian-friendly stage and movie productions and magic shows.[14] These productions promote religion to a secular audience.[18] Khong has performed magic shows, with his daughter Priscilla.[19]

Khong shared his experiences of "Magic of Love" in his book Give me the Multitudes! Obeying God's Call into the Media World, TOUCH Ministries International: Singapore but has received some criticism from fellow Christians for his use of magic and involvement in "marketplace ministries."[20]

Views on Homosexuality

Khong has been accused of homophobia[21] for actively campaigning against equal rights for homosexuals in Singapore. In January 2013, Khong issued a statement to ex-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong against repealing Singapore's discriminatory anti-homosexual laws. He sees the repeal of controversial Section 377A of the Penal Code, which effectively criminalises homosexuality[22] as "a looming threat to this basic (nation) building block by homosexual activists."[23] and regards the “homosexual act” as “the greatest blasphemy against the name of God”.[24]

Personal life

Khong and his wife, Rev (Dr) Nina Khong, have four children – Priscilla, Michelle, Anthony and Daniel, and a grandson, Isaac. In 2003, Khong's daughter, Priscilla had a child out of wedlock.[25] He is also a national polo player who won a silver medal with the Singapore team at the 2007 South-east Asia Games.[26][27][28]

Notes and references

  1. ^ "About FCBC", Retrieved 5 October 2009
  2. ^ http://www.fcbc.org.sg/index.asp
  3. ^ a b c d e f "The Pastor Who Does Magic: 'PREACHER'S MAGICAL TOUCH'", The Straits Times, 7 July 2008
  4. ^ "FCBC: Lawrence Khong", Retrieved 5 October 2009
  5. ^ a b G12 International Conference 2009
  6. ^ Lawrence Khong (2000), The Apostolic Cell Church (Paperback)
  7. ^ "Purpose Driven Church", Retrieved 5 October 2009
  8. ^ "PastorNet: Lawrence Khong", Retrieved 5 October 2009
  9. ^ "FCBC: Characteristic", Retrieved 5 October 2009
  10. ^ a b "Profile of Lawrence Khong", Retrieved 3 October 2009
  11. ^ "Public Service Medal Recipients", The Straits Time, 14 August 2009
  12. ^ "Business With Heart: He's Well-Schooled", The Straits Times, 15 December 2007
  13. ^ "SMRT Has A Soft Spot for Charity", The Straits Times, 16 November 2007
  14. ^ a b "Destiny with HD", TODAY, 25 September 2003
  15. ^ "Digital dramas", The Straits Times, 14 October 2003
  16. ^ Lawrence Khong (2008) Give me the Multitudes! Obeying God's Call into the Media World, TOUCH Ministries International: Singapore
  17. ^ "Winning the Marketplace", Retrieved 5 October 2009
  18. ^ "Rise of New Churches", The Straits Time Interactive, 21 July 2002
  19. ^ http://www.lawrenceandpriscilla.com/lawbio.html. Retrieved 21 July 2013. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ^ "Lawrence Khong's Give Me the Multitudes", 13 December 2008, Retrieved 5 October 2009
  21. ^ http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/ikea-singapore-under-fire-supporting-anti-gay-pastors-evangelistic-magic-show190415/#gs.B8RxLEA
  22. ^ "Singapore High Court upholds criminalization of homosexuality". Singapore High Court upholds criminalization of homosexuality. Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  23. ^ Khong, Lawrence. "SP Lawrence Khong's statement at ESM Goh Chok Tong's visit to TC". SP Lawrence Khong's statement at ESM Goh Chok Tong's visit to TC. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  24. ^ url=http://mothership.sg/2015/06/pastor-lawrence-khong-we-will-wear-white-until-the-pink-is-gone/
  25. ^ theindependent.sg/the-passion-of-pastor-khong/ June 2014. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  26. ^ "SG Polo Team Clinch Silver Medal: 'POLO TEAM EARN SILVER TO END SEA GAMES ON NICE NOTE FOR TEAM SINGAPORE'", 2007
  27. ^ "Polo Player Who Wears Many Other Hats: 'Middle-aged, But at the Top of his Game'", The New Paper, 15 December 2007
  28. ^ "The Polo-Playing Pastor: 'Being a Sport'", TODAY, 25 October 2007
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