One of the greatest challenges the Singapore church faces today is a lack of unity. The situation has worsened with several denominations and independent churches highlighting their own distinctiveness. Claiming that one’s preaching is better or that others’ worship is too emotional only damages the overall witness of the body of Christ. This lack of unity is a primary reason why the Singapore church has been stagnant for the last decade while non-Christians’ view on Christianity has become increasingly negative.

I rely on public transportation, private-hire cars, and taxis to get around. I’ve found my conversations with private-hire and taxi drivers to be an enlightening source for how people perceive Christians and churches. It’s easy to strike up a conversation on Sundays as many are driving people to and from church. They are often surprised that I want to listen to them rather than try to convert them. One shared, “You’re the first Christian that’s ever asked me what I think or believe.” This comment in itself is telling.

Here is what I have found from the conversations:

1. Most do not fully understand the gospel. Less than a handful in my ten years of conversations are Christians. Many know about God and Jesus, but are not too sure how Jesus “saves” people.
2. Many do not know why there are so many churches, some next to each another. For example, just by SBC, there are three different churches.
3. Many cannot understand why Christians are critical of other Christians or other churches for a religion that claims to “love Singapore”. (We often forget that the drivers are listening to our conversations.)
4. Most are aware of and do appreciate the social ministries churches carry out.

Diversity in the church enables different people to find a church that best ministers to them. In the end, how we preach and worship or whether we rely more on the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit are just different flavours of the same triune God and body of Christ. We should all heed Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 12 against criticizing other parts of Christ’s body.

However, this lack of unity limits the power of the gospel message.

My home church in Seattle began the Kindred project in 2016 (see https://www.thekindredcommunity.org/kindred). We as a Chinese church decided to come together with an African-American church and a Caucasian church every year to share pulpits, have joint cell-group and fellowship gatherings, and have joint events such as serving food to the poor or holding basketball tournaments. This invigorated each church to see beyond their own walls and served as “salt and light” to the whole city.

In keeping with the kampung spirit beloved by Singaporeans, I wonder if church neighbours would be willing to work together for their communities. What would happen if the churches along Adam Road and Farrer Road put on a neighbourhood fair together? Or those in Geylang hold a cultural festival? Or those around Clementi have a joint Christmas celebration? Maybe this is what might spur the next phase of growth for the Singapore church.

For Discussion

1. Which churches are within a one-kilometre radius from your church? What is your relationship with them like, if any?
2. What joint activities might be possible if these churches come together?