Betrayal & Departure

Since early February, 2nd month into my notice of resignation given early January, I started writing again my commentary on John’s Gospel 13-21. For about 6 weeks before I became the church pastor, from early September 2024, I commented on John 13 to 16 with just a few verses on ch. 16 left when I stopped writing mid-October 2024 after I had signed up to be pastor starting officially on 1st Dec 2024. In fact, I worked 6 weeks for the church even before official starting date as I had to prepare for two seminars early in the year 2025, first a leaders’ retreat and then a seminar on our church’s constitution as we were having our election year, first the local church, then the District and finally, our HQ statewide.

So basically it was within my rights as I worked most public holidays including Chinese New Year 2025 when we had our seminar on SIB constitution. In early February, we launched a membership drive to update members’ records, old and new in preparation for our AGM last April. It was late Feb 2025 when we started our drinks fellowship after the service and it was well received. I do not know how many pastors could have done all that before starting and in the few months of pastoring the church. 

But after the AGM in April 25, troubles started. We elected our deacons and deaconesses and we had a two-week break before election of office bearers, chairman, his deputy and secretary, treasurer, etc. I was totally blindsided with what happened on the night of the council meeting. 

I received a call at 6pm from the chairman and he asked me to come before the meeting commenced at 7.30pm. I did not think much of it this urgent request of a meeting half an hour before the election of office bearers. I was ushered into the church office at 7pm and the two elders were present. They were probably present for an hour before me and they had discussed the content of a letter which they received.

I won’t go into the details, but one day God willing I will include that in my 2nd edition of Departure Points. In brief, they told me that I had been disqualified to stand for the chairman’s post. But I told them outright, it can’t be so as I received my letter from HQ stating I was free to serve any SIB churches without conditions. 

In fact, the two elders met with me three times and they knew exactly the circumstances of my appointment to their local church. They initiated it and they knew the full facts, but now they wanted to disqualify me. It was not a letter from the HQ and I told them to reject the letter because it was all lies and defamation, but the two elders seemed to be persuaded by it and were using it against me. 

I was totally blindsided by the turn of events. I felt the height of betrayal, because these leaders knew me full well and they “courted” me, one elder even used the word, “meminang”, hoping I would accept their offer to become pastor. At the end I accepted with the request that a church council meeting was called to discuss my appointment, but somewhat the chairman side-stepped that and told me everyone was on board with me coming in as pastor. 

But in less than 5 months, they stabbed their pastor at the back. During my Jan 25th 2026 announcement of my departure to the whole church, I told the church that I would have resigned way back in April last year due to that incident (the leaders knew full well what I meant), but for the sake of the 51 children present the Sunday before and I thought I needed some time to teach the parents to teach their children the way of the Lord. That’s why I lasted more than 10 months after the April incident that still shakes up my soul at the height of betrayal and my leaving the church is not the HQ’s fault or anyone’s fault but those who chose to betray their pastor during that one dark April night.