Issue 64, September – December 2022

Defending and Confirming the Gospel

The Early Church grew in the contexts of stiff opposition and persecution from Judaism and the many gods and many lords of the Greco-Roman world.

The Spirit-filled church in Jerusalem saw daily additions of new converts in their community (Ac. 2:42-47). As a result of persecution, the believers share as a result of persecution, the believers shared the gospel across geographical and cultural frontiers and established the church in Antioch (Ac. 11).

The Spirit-led church in Antioch sent out their first missionaries in Paul and Barnabas to evangelise, plant and establish other churches (Ac. 13:1-5ff). Paul saw his missionary work as one of “defending and confirming the gospel” in partnership with the saints (Phil. 1:7).

Today’s Church of the Third Millennium needs the same spiritual dynamics to advance the gospel against Secularism, Universalism and other competing religions. We desperately need a revival towards being: 1) Spirit-filled, 2) Spirit-led, 3) Missions sending of the five-fold ministries (Eph. 4:11-12) to evangelise, plant and establish churches.

God-speed as we endeavor to “defend and confirm the gospel” together.

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Ph.D. Conferral Speech at Malaysia Bible Seminary on 23 June, 2022

An excerpt: “God Almighty be thanked for His grace and goodness in enabling me to complete the Ph.D.

My esteemed Supervisor Dr. Peter Riddell, the AGST Faculty, church leaders, Theological Seminaries, Christian friends and supporters in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, The United Kingdom, The United States of America and The Bahamas have contributed in prayers, finance and research materials towards the doctorate. Thank you one and all. Thank you to my beloved wife, Lydia Li, for her unwavering encouragement and support.

Now that the Ph.D. has been conferred, Lydia and I would covet your prayers and support as we seek under God to serve the Church globally in ‘the defence and confirmation of the gospel’ (Phil. 1:7).

To God be the glory!”

With the Asia Graduate School of Theology (AGST) Alliance Conferral Team. Left to Right: Dr. Victor Lee, Dr. Tan Sooi Ling, Dr. Ooi Chin Aik, Lydia Li HeDa, Dr. Rosalind Tan, Dr. Sunny Tan
With church leaders, prayer partners and supporters from the different states of Malaysia. Thank you one and all.

Thanksgiving Service Message at Taiping Gospel Hall, Perak on 9 July 2022

An excerpt: “Thanks to the Brethren missionaries who brought the gospel to Taiping and established Taiping Gospel Hall in 1880. Through the faithful witness of the church, I came to Christ at a tender age of 10 in 1965. Without any doubt, the early years at Taiping Gospel Hall were foundational and formative towards my eventual call to serve God full-time as an Evangelist and Bible teacher to the nations in Asia Pacific and beyond, today. Thanks be to God!”

Thanksgiving Service in my home church at Taiping Gospel Hall, Perak, with leaders and supporters from the north of Peninsular Malaysia and Selangor.
Praise God for the many pastors, church leaders and supporters who came to participate in and commemorate the Thanksgiving Service from the different churches in Taiping, Ipoh, Sitiawan, Nibong Tebal, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

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REAP in Many Many Lands

Since the launch of Rural Evangelists Adoption Programme (REAP) in China in 2006 with the first 16 rural evangelists, we reaped over 1,200 conversions to Christ within a year and have never looked back. REAP expanded to 13 countries of Asia and witnessed an exponential increase in conversions to over 204,000 in September 2022 through the collective work of over 450 REAP evangelists in: China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei, Thailand, Mongolia and The Philippines.
The multiplication of sending REAP evangelists to sow and harvest results in an exponential increase in souls saved (Luke 10:2, Isaiah 55:11). As of September 2022, we have seen:

  • Over 6 million receiving the gospel in Asia
  • Over 204,000 souls saved
  • Over 2,000 rural churches planted, and
  • Over 53,000 Bibles given to new believers.

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”  2 Corinthians 9:6

We aim to ride the wave of exponential increase in conversions by increasing the support of REAP evangelists to 1,000 evangelists by 2030.

Our vision is to achieve by 2030:

  • Over 25 million receiving the gospel of Christ
  • Over 1 million salvations
  • Over 5,000 rural churches planted
  • Over 250,000 Bibles given to new believers.

Over 2 billion in rural Asia need to hear the good news. The support of one REAP evangelist is RM200 per month or RM2400 per year. We work in partnership with the local church.

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REAP Myanmar: More Prayer and Support Needed

In 2021, MAP raised RM146,000 to provide basic food for over 1800 families for one month. More than 1000 received salvation in the process. The people are receptive to the gospel. The workers are plentiful but the senders are few.

Currently MAP is supporting 31 rural evangelists, spread mainly over Rakhine State and Yangon Region. It is our prayer to double the number to 60 for the ripening harvest. MAP provides financial support of RM200 per month or RM2400 per year per evangelist. Do pray and join in the harvest.

Contact person (MAP Office): Matthew Ngoh +6016- 380 4463 or Winnefred Teoh +603- 6276 7510.

Food distribution together with evangelism in the rural areas

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MAP Diploma of Evangelism Leadership (Dip. EL) in 2023

Who Should Join?
Church and Christian leaders looking for a cutting-edge evangelism and evangelism leadership learning programme and those called to lead a designated ministry in evangelism for God’s kingdom.

Lectures Include:

  • The local church in cutting-edge evangelism – every member in ministry
  • Principles and practice in effective evangelism – learning from the leaders
  • Reaching and discipling youth and the millennials today
  • Sports evangelism
  • Social concern and evangelism: ministering to the needy
  • Effective outreach to senior citizens
  • Prayer, revivals and evangelism movements
  • Faith-goal setting in evangelism
  • And others.

Course Overview
Module 1 (Mar) : Evangelism: Principles and Practice
Module 2 (Jun) : Evangelism: Historical and Contemporary Movements
Module 3 (Sep) : Evangelism: The Malaysian Context
Module 4 (Nov) : Evangelism Leadership: Biblical and Contemporary Models

Contact: Steven Yam M.C.S., M.B.A.
Principal of Asian Institute of Contemporary Christianity (AICC)
@ +6012- 289 8640

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MAP in Partnership for Sports Evangelism

MAP is honoured to be in partnership with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) where 120 staff, volunteers, board members and guests from South-East Asia (SEA) were present at the Conference in Kuala Lumpur from 5-9 June 2022, including 10 college students from USA.

William Chang, SEA Regional Vice President of FCA gave his feedback:
“The morning sessions of the conference were taken up by aspiring Christian leaders sharing on their ministries. While in the afternoons, various workshops were being conducted. We had the honour of having Dr. Ooi Chin Aik taking on one of the morning platform sessions. His deliverance on ‘Raising Workers for the Harvest Field’ was insightful and practical. Many participants approached our dear speaker after his session to seek for more advice.

We are truly indebted to Dr. Ooi Chin Aik and his Ministries for Asia Pacific (MAP) for the partnership. We look forward to greater partnership in the future.”

MAP staff team at the Conference.
Left to right: Dr. Ooi Chin Aik, Lydia Li, Winnefred Teoh and Rev. Albert Tang
FCA participants and speakers

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MAP 21st Anniversary Awards Night, 6 December 2021

Ministries for Asia-Pacific (MAP) registered as MAP Partners Berhad in Malaysia, and MAP Partners (Aust.) Inc. in Melbourne, Australia, celebrated 21 years of gospel advance in Asia-Pacific and beyond by honouring the MAP long service staff of 10 years and above. Below are the recipients:

1. Dr. Ooi Chin Aik

2. Lydia Li HeDa

3. Audrey Chew Gaik Im

4. Rev. Albert Tang Tiu Hock

5. Low Jan Ni

We give thanks to God for their dedicated service. Through the collective efforts of staff and Council members of both MAP Malaysia, MAP Australia and the support of God’s people worldwide, we have supported over 450 REAP evangelists in 13 countries of Asia and reaped over 204,000 conversions to Christ with over 2000 rural churches planted.

Dr. Ooi Chin Aik, MAP Founder and International Director, giving the MAP 21st Anniversary Awards address to both staff and Council members
Recipients of the Long-Term Service Awards of 10 years and above. Left to right: Rev. Albert Tang Tiu Hock, Audrey Chew Gaik Im, Dr. Ooi Chin Aik, Lydia Li HeDa, Low Jan Ni

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Itinerary Highlights, October – December 2022

October 2022

2Sunday Preaching, Bandar Puchong Gospel Centre, Selangor8.30 am (OCA)
9Sunday Preaching, FGA Batu Pahat, Johor, Chinese Service9.00 am (AT)
16Sunday Preaching, Gereja Grace, Cheras, Selangor9.00 am (AT)
23Sunday Preaching, Petra Gospel Centre, Kuala Lumpur10.00 am (SY)
23Sunday Preaching, FGA Cheras, Kuala Lumpur9.00 am (OCA)

November 2022

5Ordination Service for Dr. Ooi Chin Aik by Evangelical Community Church Inc. (ECCI), Melbourne10.30 am (OCA)
6Sunday Preaching, ECC Holland Road, Melbourne, 9.00 am, ECC Courtstreet10.30 am (OCA)
13Sunday Preaching, Go Evangelical Church, Boxhill, Melbourne9.00 am (OCA)
13Sunday Preaching, Faith Assembly of God, Teluk Intan, Perak, Chinese Service11.00 am (AT)
13Sunday Preaching, Bidor Gospel Centre, Perak10.00 am (SY)
20Sunday Preaching, Grace Church of Christ, Melbourne10.00 am (OCA)
20Sunday Preaching, Gereja St. Faith, Sri Kembangan, Selangor, Bahasa Malaysia Service10.00 am (AT)
27Sunday Preaching, FGA Selayang, Selangor10.00 am (OCA)

December 2022

4Sunday Preaching, St. Francis Anglican Church, Sungai Buloh, Selangor10.00 am (AT)
9Evangelistic Preaching, Air Jernih Presbyterian Church, Kuala Terengganu9.00 am (OCA)
11Christmas Evangelistic Preaching, Shalom Fellowship, Kuantan, Pahang9.00 am (OCA)
25Christmas Evangelistic Preaching, Cornerstone Emmanuel Church, Kota Permai, Selangor9.00 am (OCA)
25Christmas Evangelistic Preaching, First Assembly of God, Tapah, Perak, Chinese Service10.00 am (AT)
25Christmas Evangelistic Preaching, Petra Gospel Centre, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur11.00 am (SY)
OCA – Dr. Ooi Chin Aik, AT – Rev. Albert Tang, SY – Steven Yam