Beatrice Ch’ng & Pastor Dr Albert Chia’s (both Malaysians) Open Letters to National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) (Dated 8 Oct 2021)
Open Letter to National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) – By Beatrice Ch’ng
(This letter was also sent to the General Secretary, NCCS office)
Dear Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian (General Secretary of NCCS),
I’m a Malaysian but I lived in Germany & Europe for the past seven years and I attended Assembly of God churches or international churches throughout my time there. I am currently based in Korea since February this year.
I was unpleasantly surprised to learn about Joseph Prince’s reach and popularity in Europe as I saw church elders giving Joseph Prince’s translated books and teachings to new believers or newly baptized Christians as gifts.
His grace-filled teaching also came out occasionally in our conversations with my believer friends, regardless of their denominational backgrounds. At the same time, there were a handful of people who spoke out against his teachings as well.
I was personally exposed to Joseph Prince’s sermons and teachings when I was a youth in Malaysia and I was quickly impressed due to the eloquence and the “intelligent” explanation of the “unseen parts” of the Bible with his so-called “fresh revelation” of the word.
I attended New Creation Church once when I visited Singapore as a tourist about 7 years ago (2014). I was once again very impressed by the number of people queueing up to attend a religious service (and not a concert)! Joseph Prince’s sermon that day was on 1 John 4:17 (NKJV), “as He is, so are we in this world”, mainly on healing, blessings, and completeness in Christ. I could remember his sermon that Sunday very clearly because I felt encouraged and he emphasized this exact scripture in 1 John 4:17 throughout his one-hour sermon, so it got stuck in my head.
However, even at that time, I could already detect that he was over emphasizing one scripture in 1 John 4:17 and twisted it to how he wants to present the message. But it didn’t bother me enough to check out on this further.
I spoke to my friends who attended that church and they loved his teachings too. I did not find anything substantially wrong with it as I felt that it was edifying. I started to search for his sermons on YouTube or online.
It was around the time in Europe (when I was based there) that I had more time to learn about God’s word and His truth that I slowly began to discover something was wrong with Joseph Prince’s teachings.
Rev George Ong’s emails which contained his very exhaustive teachings helped me a lot to see what was so false about Joseph Prince’s teachings. I then came to the same conclusion as Rev George Ong did that Joseph Prince is a heretic.
(As many of you may know, before Rev George Ong started his website in February 2020, and put his 4,800 pages of notes and 100 over videos on it, his teachings were first sent to us through emails from October 2017 to December 2019. I have also forwarded Rev George Ong’s emails which contained his teachings against Joseph Prince to many of my church friends in Germany.)
What is so sneaky about Joseph Prince’s teachings is his use of half-truths to deceive. I agree with what Rev George Ong said: “False teachers are too clever at alerting you with full-lies, but they are most deadly at alluring you with half-truths.”
Believing in a half-truth could be more detrimental than believing in a whole lie because it is harder to recalibrate my belief system and differentiate what is right from wrong.
Because of this, many, including pastors and elders, are themselves deceived by the half-truth teachings of Joseph Prince. If shepherds, themselves are deceived, what about the sheep? Just mulling over this, sends shivers down my spine.
This issue of Joseph Prince’s heresies is that serious and urgent that I finally decided to make a public stance and write to NCCS. Though I’m not a Singaporean, I have every right to make my voice heard. Jude 3 says it clearly that to contend for the faith and against false teachings is the responsibility, of not only pastors and elders, but also every believer of the Church.
Moreover, it is because no concrete effort has been put to stop Joseph Prince from spreading his heresies by the Singapore Church Leadership for all these years, we, in Malaysia, Germany and many other countries have to put up with them. Malaysians and Germans are themselves to blame too for being deceived by Joseph Prince because of their ignorance, naivety and neglect of the word.
I have followed Rev George Ong’s regular (email) updates from October 2017 till now (website), and that’s why I am aware of his recent call to National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) to make a decision on the teachings of Joseph Prince. Joseph Prince cannot be allowed to continue spreading his heresies without restraint anymore.
None of us would be that naïve to believe that just because Joseph Prince is removed from NCCS (assuming he is), his influence in Singapore, Malaysia, Germany and around the world would be curtailed. Yes, it may or may not. But that’s not the only issue.
The other issue is about the kind of spiritual leadership that exists in Singapore. It is the question of whether they have the courage to do what is right or they would act in self-preservation to defend the establishment’s view, and in the process, end up protecting the heretic.
Just remember, whatever decision NCCS makes will not only impact Singapore but also the many nations of the world including Malaysia, where I belong. This is why I am writing to NCCS even though I am a Malaysian.
It is sad that because no one dared to openly challenge Joseph Prince’s teachings in Singapore and bring to the public’s attention for all these 20 over years, Joseph Prince’s heresies have spread far and wide.
Thankfully, there is finally one in Rev George Ong, and others too in their various capacities, who dared to sound the alarm. Such people, who came forward to blow the whistle at great risk to themselves should be encouraged, instead of being spurned and even opposed.
I am quite sure that God has raised Rev George Ong and the courageous others to surface this crucial issue to the Christian public because God wants to give the spiritual leadership of Singapore another chance to redeem herself for all these years of silence to Joseph Prince’s heresies, and such silence has contributed in some way to the spread of Joseph Prince’s heresies around the world.
And if these spiritual gatekeepers of Singapore choose to let Joseph Prince off, imagine more would be enticed to attend New Creation Church, more would embrace his teachings, and his heresies would become even more entrenched. If such becomes the reality, the blood of the multitudes, would indeed, be on the hands of the Singapore Church Leaders, despite being given a second chance to redeem herself.
Yours sincerely,
Beatrice Ch’ng
A Malaysian who attended Charis Christian Centre (Assembly of God) in Malaysia
Left for Germany & Europe for 7 years, and attended Centrum für Lebendiges Wort (CLW) in Germany
Now based in Korea since February 2021, and attending Jubilee Seoul
Open Letter to National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) – By Pastor Dr Albert Chia
(This letter was also sent to the General Secretary, NCCS office)
Dear Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian (General Secretary of NCCS),
NCCS has failed us!
NCCS, as custodian of the truths, has failed to take action against the false teachings of Joseph Prince that are contrary to the Word of God for all these years.
As a result, the curse of Joseph Prince’s teachings has not only befallen on Singapore but also Malaysia (where I hail from) and many countries around the world. This is the reason I’m writing to NCCS.
In Malaysia, there are many who have been influenced by Joseph Prince’s teachings. They listen to his teachings through YouTube. When they visit Singapore, many would head for New Creation Church. I am saddened by what is happening. This has to stop.
While NCCS cannot be fully responsible for the spread of Joseph Prince’s teachings around the world, they are responsible to act against Joseph Prince and his heresies as his church comes under the umbrella of NCCS.
Does NCCS accept and promote the effortless Christianity that is being preached by Joseph Prince of New Creation Church, Singapore?
Philippians 2:12 (NIV), “… Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
Working out our salvation with fear and trembling is definitely not an effortless exercise.
Does NCCS accept and promote the suffering-free Christianity that is being preached by Joseph Prince of New Creation Church, Singapore?
John 16:33 (NLT) Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Jesus did not promise believers that there will be no suffering. Instead, he told them that they will suffer trials and sorrows.
These are just two of the wrong teachings of Joseph Prince I have highlighted. There are plenty more of even more serious teachings that are false in Rev George Ong’s website.
Obadiah Sedgwick raised three penetrating questions concerning biblical truths:
1. What is God without the truth?
2. What is all the goodness of the Gospel without truth? &
3. What is the fabric of man’s salvation without truth?
NCCS, as the custodian of the truths, has failed to warn the local churches of deviating from biblical truths.
Isn’t correcting the false teachings of Joseph Prince part of the responsibility of NCCS? Did NCCS ever highlight the dangers of such teachings to the local churches in Singapore? Have they ever called Prince up to account for the many strange teachings that he has been dishing out for all these 20 over years? And if he refuses to repent, then excommunicating him is the only biblical and logical course to take.
Does NCCS have eyes but cannot see; ears but cannot hear? If not, why aren’t they acting against Joseph Prince’s church, which comes under NCCS? How can a church that teaches and even promotes heresies that destroy still be parked under NCCS? Because no action was taken to contain such heresies, the cancer of Joseph Prince’s teachings has not only infected Singapore but also a large part of the world.
Obadiah Sedgwick confirms that “A church is never closer to death than when it gives up its claim to the only truth.”
In the same wavelength, John MacArthur reiterates that: “To reject and rebel against the truth of God results in darkness, folly, sin, judgment, and the never-ending wrath of God.”
Jesus Himself had warned of severe judgement on the Church of Thyatira (Rev 2:20-23) for tolerating the false teachings of Jezebel: “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet…” (Rev 2:20 NIV) All we need to do for God to bring about judgement on the Church is for us to just tolerate the spread of heresies.
It is time for NCCS to stop tolerating the heresies of Joseph Prince. It is time for NCCS to take Joseph Prince, the heretic to task and act against him! It is time for NCCS to come out of its ivory tower and feel the heartbeats of God’s people that have grown tired of NCCS’s dignified silence in acting against Joseph Prince’s heresies.
It is my prayer that NCCS be like the Spiritual leaders who speak not against the person of Joseph Prince but against his false teachings that lead people astray and to their damnation.
Finally, I, a Malaysian, am making my voice heard to NCCS because whatever decision NCCS makes will also affect the churches and Christians in Malaysia. This goes without saying as Malaysia, being the closest geographically to Singapore, will feel the most impact.
Yours Truly,
Pastor Dr Albert S K Chia
Shalom Community Church, Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia
If you have missed reading Pastor Dr Albert Chia’s previous short article that is featured on this website, please click here.