Page 62 - Malayan Story
P. 62
MALAYAN STORY
CHAPTER 19 BARRIERS TO PROGRESS
In those early years when British soldiers were losing their lives in the jungles of Malaya and Sir
Gerald Templar was using every means in his power to overcome the subtle attacks of the physical
enemy, what was happening in the spiritual realm? Were the ‘soldiers of the Cross’ being any more
successful against the enemy of souls?
An old Chinese proverb says, “In the beginning all things are difficult”, and we expected
difficulties. As time went on it seemed as if the people in the New Villages of Malaya were bound
hand and foot by the enemy from which we had come to release them. We began to wonder
however, when we would ever see the Church being built as our Lord had promised it would be. It
was true that some missionaries were living in villages where there were already a few Christians.
Winnie and Maijory and the Pearces were being encouraged as they saw the number of believers
growing and reaching out to others. But in Pontian the Bentley-Taylors felt that the church leaders
were against them rather than for them. They had gone to Pontian at the church’s invitation, but
had found when they got there that the church had really wanted the CIM workers to help influence
the authorities to produce permits and funds for the start of an English school and to promote it
among the community.
Ignorant of these aims, the Bentley-Taylors launched into evangelism among the children and
young people, open air meetings and tract distribution, visiting and Bible teaching. They soon
began to see results and were joined by an evangelistic team, led by a Chinese Christian, which
was a great blessing. Unfortunately this aroused opposition from the church elders who felt that the
church was theirs as it had been financed by them, and they resisted the emergence of a new
spiritual leadership. The new leadership found it difficult also, especially when rumours were
started by the elders reflecting on the moral character of the evangelistic team. By the time the
Bentley-Taylors finished their year at Pontian they felt that the future of the church was very
uncertain.
In Sungei Chua there had been a Methodist Church for 30 years, but two years prior to Norah and
Stanley Rowe settling in to the new village, all meetings had ceased. This had happened because
the pastor had received a threatening letter from the communist guerrillas. The church bell had
ceased to ring out the call to worship, the building had been used for a school and even the
communist flag flew from what had been a place of worship.
Then the Government enclosed the whole area and it became one of the many new villages. Most
of its people were rubber tappers and, as in other new villages, the workers were searched by
guards at the gates before going out to work or returning in the afternoon.
People in this village were willing to have services if Stanley Rowe would preach, and they also
started a Sunday School which the children enjoyed attending. But one day, while Percy and I were
visiting and having dinner with the Rowes, one of the women came in to ask Norah no to go to
Mrs. Chin’s for a cottage meeting she had planned. She said one of the Chin boys had been caught
out in the plantation giving food to the guerrillas. Mrs. Chin was supposed to be a Christian, but
Norah and Stanley had often wondered why the older young people in that family seemed so
antagonistic and hardened against the Gospel. Now the reason for it became clear.
62
CHAPTER 19 BARRIERS TO PROGRESS
In those early years when British soldiers were losing their lives in the jungles of Malaya and Sir
Gerald Templar was using every means in his power to overcome the subtle attacks of the physical
enemy, what was happening in the spiritual realm? Were the ‘soldiers of the Cross’ being any more
successful against the enemy of souls?
An old Chinese proverb says, “In the beginning all things are difficult”, and we expected
difficulties. As time went on it seemed as if the people in the New Villages of Malaya were bound
hand and foot by the enemy from which we had come to release them. We began to wonder
however, when we would ever see the Church being built as our Lord had promised it would be. It
was true that some missionaries were living in villages where there were already a few Christians.
Winnie and Maijory and the Pearces were being encouraged as they saw the number of believers
growing and reaching out to others. But in Pontian the Bentley-Taylors felt that the church leaders
were against them rather than for them. They had gone to Pontian at the church’s invitation, but
had found when they got there that the church had really wanted the CIM workers to help influence
the authorities to produce permits and funds for the start of an English school and to promote it
among the community.
Ignorant of these aims, the Bentley-Taylors launched into evangelism among the children and
young people, open air meetings and tract distribution, visiting and Bible teaching. They soon
began to see results and were joined by an evangelistic team, led by a Chinese Christian, which
was a great blessing. Unfortunately this aroused opposition from the church elders who felt that the
church was theirs as it had been financed by them, and they resisted the emergence of a new
spiritual leadership. The new leadership found it difficult also, especially when rumours were
started by the elders reflecting on the moral character of the evangelistic team. By the time the
Bentley-Taylors finished their year at Pontian they felt that the future of the church was very
uncertain.
In Sungei Chua there had been a Methodist Church for 30 years, but two years prior to Norah and
Stanley Rowe settling in to the new village, all meetings had ceased. This had happened because
the pastor had received a threatening letter from the communist guerrillas. The church bell had
ceased to ring out the call to worship, the building had been used for a school and even the
communist flag flew from what had been a place of worship.
Then the Government enclosed the whole area and it became one of the many new villages. Most
of its people were rubber tappers and, as in other new villages, the workers were searched by
guards at the gates before going out to work or returning in the afternoon.
People in this village were willing to have services if Stanley Rowe would preach, and they also
started a Sunday School which the children enjoyed attending. But one day, while Percy and I were
visiting and having dinner with the Rowes, one of the women came in to ask Norah no to go to
Mrs. Chin’s for a cottage meeting she had planned. She said one of the Chin boys had been caught
out in the plantation giving food to the guerrillas. Mrs. Chin was supposed to be a Christian, but
Norah and Stanley had often wondered why the older young people in that family seemed so
antagonistic and hardened against the Gospel. Now the reason for it became clear.
62
