Free Community Church

(Singapore) In a country where homosexual sex is punishable by prison time and the government bans gay-themed parties, the Free Community Church stands out. It is the only place of Christian worship willing to accept gays and lesbians in Singapore.

"Each time, God seemed to use the people that didn't fit in to bring salvation," church leader Clarence Singam, who is gay, said at a recent Sunday service.

"I wonder how many of you don't fit in, you don't feel comfortable in your skin?" he asked the 100-or so members of the congregation, using John the Baptist as an example of the "odd one out."

The Southeast Asian city-state of 4.2 million considers gay sex as "an act of gross indecency," punishable by a maximum of two years in jail.

The country also has banned Asia's largest gay-themed party, Nation '05, from its shores. High-ranking government officials said such same-sex parties may be the reason for rising HIV infections in Singapore.

At the Free Community Church, however, the attitude toward sexuality is much different.
"At this church, there are no prejudices, no preconceived notions," said Gary Chan, who left his old church when its leaders discovered he was gay and asked him to quit the church band.
"Here, we look at people like they're clean sheets of paper," he said.

The status of the church says something about the place of gays and lesbians in Singapore.
Though in practice homosexuality is often tolerated, gay sex is illegal here, and gay groups are unable to register as legitimate organizations.

The church, however, has managed to circumvent regulations by registering itself as a company, meaning the worship sessions are considered private gatherings. The group has moved several times, meeting in a pub, a theater and now at a low-rise commercial building.
Leaders say they still get hate mail.

"They say that this church exists that is going out, reaching out, trying to make people gay," said Susan Tang, a married housewife with three children and the only heterosexual on the church council.

Former Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said in a 2003 interview with Time magazine that the straight-laced city-state was now more tolerant of homosexuals and the administration was "not going to chase you all over the place." But Goh, now senior minister, also warned homosexuals in the same interview not to "flaunt your gay rights."

The Free Community Church is not recognized by the influential National Council of Churches in Singapore, which represents Anglicans, Methodists and Presbyterians, among others. NCSS vice president Robert Solomon said in a statement that "the practice of homosexuality is clearly incompatible with the teachings of the Christian faith."

In terms of membership, the church is a mishmash of people from various Christian denominations and its services have elements from several worship styles ---- there's a communion service, and also a Christian rock band, for instance. The congregation has no pastor, so different people preach every week.

"We cover the whole spectrum," Tang said.

At once recent service, most people in the church were ethnic Chinese, who constitute around 80 percent of the country's population. Most of Singapore's people are Buddhist, followed by Christians. The nation's other main religion, Islam, is also against homosexuality.

Tang acknowledged the church has members who defy Singapore's conservative culture with a party-loving and promiscuous style, but added the church has counseling sessions to advise them to "behave responsibly."

The church's chairwoman, Jean Chong, said the church offers a place for gays and lesbians to finally find acceptance. "It took me a long time to figure out that it's OK to be gay and Christian in Singapore," she said.

Abstract from http://www.freecomchurch.org/06-170705.htm



hmm..the church service was awesome.. it's kind of weird though for a first timer like me, where your brother and sister in christ are gays, lesbian and even straight.

It's been some time and now i'm back to Church, not a normal church with discriminate eyes.. maybe a special one where everybody treated you like their brother or sister.

Early in the morning, i woke up ard 8 plus. Wash up and prepare to go to Free Community Church at Aljunied. FCC, this three letters has been in my mind for like 3 days..and finally i can explore the internal of this church.

I've check on the direction of this church so i've no problem reaching there. Service starts at 10.30am and i reach there ard 10.25am.. the church was not like the church i imagine where the hall is big or what.. it's a cosy small service hall where it look like a family gathering. I chose one seat and sat down, this is my first time in the church, no ppl bring me there. Weird sitting there without talking..so i bring out my book 'quiet time' and sat there to read. Someone approach me, "Hi, you are first time in this church?" i reply, "Yes." and he intro himself. "I'm mark." i reply "i'm gary." and we started to like silent for 30 sec before he starts to speak, looking at his features and the way he speaks my gaydar was on and i know he is Gay.

He look at the book i'm holding and not surprising he know the book. He ask me, i just brought this book is it? i told him nope i got this book quite sometime. He starts to talk abt the book and ask is this book nice? i told him it's nice and i told him i got to know the church thru this book. And we started to laugh and he said it was a good publicising for the church. Hahas.. then another gal came siting beside me and mark intro her to me, and formely i introduce myself..and we started to chit chat the gay books.

not surprise the girl beside me was lesbian becos this church welcomes gay and lesbian and they don discriminate them. So this church is full of gay, lesbian and even straight ppl.

ltr on the service started, i notice this guy name Gary, of course not me.. hahas.. he play the key board of the day and he plays really well..and i can see he is well built, i can see his veins on his hands, the muscle on his arms is big that the shirt he is wearing is stretching at the side. He is previously from City harvest playing as a key boardist for dialect service and chinese service.

I know there is no standard pastors for this church, normally it's the community that speak for the sermon. And this is the first surprise i got, Gary was the sermon speaker today. And i think he is the first guy that can make me feel tears in my eyes for a sermon. He talks abt Milk Preview, how the christian did and etc. An urge of sadness overflow me, and one point my tears did rush out of my eyes, but i don think anyone saw it. I can see his teary eyes too, our eyes met. But i don feel shy, cos it's a respect to look at him when he speaks.

He just came back on fri, he went to london to study.. hmm..

Ltr on, some news came regarding a married gay couple got divorced after a year of marriage..and the marriage couple was still in FCC.. and they started to pray for the two of them. Hmm..

and some of the news also include the chinese new year celebration as a church in a restraunt at outram park. which cost $30 per person, but even if you are a student or can't afford it, they still want you to come.

another thing is a party on Valentine's day..they are still organising, saying we may met new friends there or even new lovers there. so who knows.. hmm.. so ya.. i will probably leave valentine's day off.

Posted in: FCC