The Sungei Paal Church is the 1st church in the Interior Residency. In the year 1951 Bro. Pung Min Sang and his family consisting of 3 members of the Telipok Church moved to settle down at Sungei Paal as farmers and used his house as a prayer-house to worship God on Sabbaths.
By early 1955, Dn. James Pung and Bro. Kichik, together with their families of 18 members moved from Klias in the Beaufort district to settle down at the Ladang Lagut Estate in the Tenom district as farmers. In the same year, Dn. John Chin of the Branch Board and Dn. Timothy Ho of the Beaufort Church were on pastoral visit to that area and set up a prayer-house at the residence of Dn. James Pung. After which, they visited Sungei Paal and Sabbath Services were held alternately at these two prayer-houses.
Dn. Philip Tyan and Dn. Timothy Ho visited Bro. Pung Min Sang at the end of 1958 and studied the truth with another Christian named Chong Kai Wee who was touched from what was being preached and accepted the truth. His whole family was baptized into the Lord and thus, prayer-house was set up at Bro. Chongs residence.
A 3-day Evangelical service cum spiritual convocation was held at the prayer-house by Dn. Philip Tyan and Dn Timothy Ho from February 5 to 7, 1960. After which, Dn. Philip Tyan stayed back for two months to accompany Bro. Chong to propagate the truth from house to house. Fourteen families accepted the truth and were baptized. The number of total members then increased to more than 200. the Sabbath services became over crowded. Subsequently, proposal to construct a church was raised and an acre of land was donated by Bro. Pung Min Sang. Thanks to the Lord, under the leadership of Bro. Chew Cho and the collaboration and hard works of all the members in building the church, it was completed and dedicated to the Lord on April 7, 1961 during the spiritual convocation. The divine works then was very active. Later, Dn. James Pung and family moved to Balung, Tawau with no one to lead the church there. Hence, Dn. Mark Chin was sent by the Branch Board to ordain Bro. Chew Cho as Dn. Thomas; Bro. Chang Seng Shsu a s Dn. Thaddaeus;Bro. Pung Min Sang as Eld. Zephaniah and Sis. Chin Yun Len as Dns. Dorcas. The divine works then was very progressive with signs and miracles.
但因生活之故,全部執事相繼遷離雙涯壩,以致教會無人牧養,幸得巴轄教會的張永香弟兄協助領會。
For the sake of livelihood, all the deacons left Sungei Paal one after another in search of greener pasture elsewhere. Thus, the church was left without a shepherd. Under such circumstances, Bro. Chong Yun Hiong of the Pahat Church came to the rescue voluntarily.
The landlord sold the land on which the church was built to others, hence, the only solution was to look for another piece of land to construct another church. A half acre land by the road side at mile 10 was purchased and again with the assistance of Dn. Chew, the 2nd church was completed and dedicated to the Lord in the year 1973. The members then was in the state of neither hot nor cold, some members left to work elsewhere. Thanks to the Lord, Dn. Lai Yong En and Bro. Wong Shau Vui from Kudat came to settle down in Sungei Paal in 1982 and assisted the church in setting up of the church board. Feeling that the church was obsolete, they planned to construct a new church on the land donated by Bro. Chong En Kong with Dn. Lai as the overseer. The new church was completed and dedicated to the Lord on August 8, 1998. At present, there are about 50 members.