As Singapore Bible College is celebrating its 73rd anniversary, we invited our alumnus Rev. Andrew Chai to paint a full wall mural at Block 1 of our campus. The mural brings the continents of the world into the campus itself, portraying the Lord calling faithful servants from every place. Their churches and agencies recommend SBC as a community where they can be formed in Scripture, theology, counselling, church music, and diverse ministry skills. As students, they give their weekends and vacations to internships in local and overseas churches and organizations. After graduation, they are sent to the nations to proclaim the gospel, train disciples, and plant churches.
The whole picture is one of interlacing branches and abundant fruit¡ªlike the tree of life by the river of life bearing fruit with leaves for the healing of the nations (Rev 22:2). The branches signify the universal church¡¯s union in Christ; the abundant fruit symbolizes gospel harvests; the flowing river points to the Spirit¡¯s guidance in history. This mural is not a mere piece of decoration but our self portrait: at SBC, missions is our pulse and heartbeat, a rehearsal of the kingdom¡¯s presence.
Why is missions the heartbeat of the College? Firstly, because missions flows from God himself. A century of missional reflection has insisted that theology must return to proclaiming the mission of God (missio Dei), the triune God who sends, reveals, elects, and renews the church to be a witness to the gospel. Theology must not allow any culture, organization, or ideology to displace God¡¯s sovereignty. Therefore, all teaching and practice at SBC exist not for scholarship per se but to prepare for the Lord¡¯s sending¡ªintegrating knowledge, virtue, and skill so our students embody the gospel in real contexts.
Secondly, missions also heals the echo chamber of faith. History warns that when theology is sealed inside a single culture and a self-referential academic loop, it fragments into disciplines, narrows its vision, and slides into self-centred, exclusionary ¡°involution¡±.? When theology meets cross cultural missional practice, however, the gospel is ¡°translated¡± into the languages and lifeworlds of many peoples; traditional doctrines are reheard, deepened, and renewed; theology moves from a single centre to multiple centres, from a monolingual solo to a multilingual chorus, displaying the rich understanding of God among the nations.
Thirdly, missions corrects nationalism and the Christendom mindset. Church history shows repeatedly that when faith is bound to empire, nation, or cultural interests, power co opts the gospel and the church forfeits catholicity and the ministry of reconciliation. Missions reminds us that Christ¡¯s kingdom is not of this world. His reign inaugurates the new creation by way of the cross and resurrection, and it gathers all peoples into one body. The church becomes a boundary-crossing community serving society, seeking justice, and healing wounds, rather than endorsing any worldly power.
Globally, the centre of gravity of Christianity has shifted from Europe and North America to the Global South¡ªAfrica, Asia, and Latin America. The churches, with their commitments to biblical authority, communal life, a holistic gospel, and interreligious witness, are catalyzing a renewal and rearticulation of traditional theology. SBC stands alongside global churches to integrate theological education with this moment in ¡°World Christianity¡±, by helping our students become rooted in local cultures while carrying a translatable gospel to all nations, bearing witness that Christ alone is Lord.
To this end, SBC will continue to renew itself in three missional directions:
- Make missions the integrating axis of education:?curriculum design, spiritual formation, research?areas, and internship opportunities resonate together?so theological education participates in the mission of?God.
- Make cross-cultural formation the norm:?strengthen cultural and contextual studies, expand?the incorporation of regional studies and inclusion?of missions-focused seminars and workshops,?and facilitate short- to mid-term internships in the?multilingual, multi-ethnic churches and organizations?of Singapore. This encourages students to pursue?communication and unity amid difference.
- Aim for a decentralized and truly catholic World?Christianity: co build curricular and research?networks with local and overseas churches,?seminaries and missions agencies, and bring Eastern?and Western scholars and front-line ministry workers?into relationships of mutual edification.
May this 73rd year of SBC resound with a new trumpet call to tighten the triple cords of theology, church, and missions, attuned to one rhythm¡ªthe heartbeat of Christ. May the SBC mural not simply exist on the wall of Block 1 but be an illustration of the intertwined lives of all our students, alumni, and partners. Dear pilgrims, may you know that your prayers, support, and care are part of this very story of the kingdom¡¯s presence among us.
1See also ¡°Reflecting on Involution in Christianity¡± in SBC Heartbeat issue 292 (Feb¨CApr 2025): /reflecting-on-involution-in-christianity/.
