沙巴教會簡介 ◎撰文∕GA Sabab 沙巴總會 ◎期數:329期 ◎2005.02號
1926年初,新加坡教會溫約翰執事,將一本中國真耶穌教會南京總會出版的《聖靈報》,寄給沙巴亞庇的朋友曾恩福先生。曾先生當時是個僑領,因業務繁忙,無暇閱讀而轉寄給山打根的朋友李錫齡先生,並隨筆註曰:「有真教會興起」,真道從此在沙巴萌芽。 李錫齡先生是基督復臨安息日會的信徒,詳細閱讀《聖靈報》之後,深受感動。由於求真心切,於1927年農曆新年初一乘船前往新加坡尋找真耶穌教會,一路詢問教會的所在,竟遇見溫約翰執事。經過一段時間的查考後,終於在1927年1月11日接受真耶穌教會的合法大水洗,三天之後領受了聖靈。 同時徵得陳見信長老及溫約翰執事等人同意後前往山打根傳揚福音。1927年沙巴第一間真耶穌教會在山打根成立。陳、溫二人受迫離開山打根之前,按立了陳馬可、何腓利門和江腓比三位執事,李錫齡弟兄則被委任為文書,共同負責教會事務。當時是以南京總會為主,本身被稱為「南洋北婆支會」,以山打根教會為中心,於1932年首次派田腓力執事為代表出席總會假上海舉開之第八屆全體代表大會。 1936年斗亞蘭教會獻堂後,第一位土著魯姆比罕姊妹信主,將福音傳入山區的灣谷,建立了第一間杜順族教會,按立一位土著弟兄為雅各執事牧養教會,並於附近成立數處聚會所,之後陸續建蓋會堂。 1958年初,雙涯亞卑的一位毛律族人沙河病危,適逢田腓力執事往內陸傳道,向他傳福音,按手禱告後不再吐血,數天後痊癒。此後在沙河弟兄家設立祈禱所,靈恩普及全村,神蹟奇事顯明,信徒驟增,由雙涯壩教會的鄒多馬執事帶領十多位同靈在雙涯亞卑建蓋會堂,於1961年4月17日獻堂,成立了首間毛律族教會,真道逐漸傳開至各部落,因而建立了多處毛律族會堂及祈禱所。 教會數:76間 祈禱所:30間 家庭聚會所:10間 信徒:12,091人 傳道:22人 長執:99人 教員:577人 班級:215班 學生:1,964人 The truth was preached to Sabah then North Borneo through a copy of the "Holy Spirit Times" published by the General Assembly of the True Jesus Church in Nanking, China sent by Dn. John Voon of the Singapore Church to his friend, Mr. Tsen En Fook of Jesselton in early 1926. Mr. Tsen, a Chinese community leader then was preoccupied with his business and did not have time to study it and instead, he sent it to a friend in Sandakan called Lee Siak Lin, a member of the Seventh Day Adventists Church with a note written "A True Church has arisen". After reading the "Holy Spirit Times" and found Biblical truth in it, Lee Siak Lin was deeply touched and the desire to seek the truth was burning in his heart. He boarded a ship to Singapore on the first day of the Chinese New Year in 1927 to look for the True Jesus Church there. While he was looking for the True Jesus Church he came upon a man and asked him the location of the True Jesus Church and that man was Dn. John Voon who later took him to the TJC. After studyin g the Truth for some times, he received water baptism on 11 January 1927. Three days later, he received the Holy Spirit. With their consent, Eld. Tan Chien Sing, Dn. John Voon and a few others travelled with him to Sandakan to propagate the truth there. Thus, the True Jesus Church was first established in Sandakan in the year 1927. Before Eld. Tan and Dn. Voon were forced to leave Sandakan, they ordained 2 brothers and 1 sister as deacons and deaconess viz. Dn. Mark Chin, Dn. Philemon Ho and Dns. Phoebe Kong and Bro. Lee Siak Lin was appointed as Secretary to jointly administer the churchs affairs. At that time, the headquarters was at Nanking and the church here called itself "The Branch Board of North Borneo" with the Sandakan Church as the coordination centre. Dn. Philip Tyan was sent for the first time as delegate to attend the 8th Delegates Conference of the General Assembly held at Shanghai in the year 1932. Propagation of the truth to the indigenous hill tribes After the dedication of the Tuaran Church in 1936, the truth was spread to the hill tribe in Wangkod through the first seed of the indigenous believer, Sis. Lumbihan Gimpit and thus the first church for the Dusun community was established. An indigenous brother was later ordained as Dn. James to pastor the church and at the same time established several places of worship followed by the construction of churches. In early 1958, a Murut by the name of Sahoh was gravely ill and incidentally, Dn. Philip Tyan was at that time spreading the words in the interior. He preached to him the gospel and after praying and laying hands on him, he stopped vomiting blood and was completely cured after a few days. Thus, a prayer-house was set up at his house and the grace of God came upon the whole village with miracles and signs. The number of believers increased gradually. With the help from some ten brethren led by Dn. Thomas Chew of the Sungei Paal Church, the church at Sungei Apih was completed and dedicated to the Lord on 17 April 1961 and thus the first Murut church was established. Thereafter, the propagation of the truth continued to flourish and many churches and prayer-houses of the Murut community were thus established. Churches: 76 Prayer-houses: 30 Family Service: 10 Membership: 12,091 Preachers: 22 Deacons/Deaconess: 99 R.E. Teachers: 577 Class: 215 Students: 1,964 |