our journey
OUR STORY
starting small
1958 – 1960
Our journey began in 1958, when siblings Henry and Margaret Khoo, both teachers with huge missional hearts, were led to open up their home on King’s Road as a place for their students to learn about Christianity. King’s Youth Group, as we were known then, consisted of students from Bukit Panjang Government High School and Duchess Primary School, where the Khoos respectively taught. With their friend Herbert Woon, they provided tuition for the youths and conducted Bible study classes.
In 1960, as numbers grew, the group moved to Nanyang Kindergarten, opposite the Khoo’s house.
becoming Bukit Timah EFC
EARLY 1960s
The King’s Youth Group joined the family of the Evangelical Free Church (EFC) in 1961, after being introduced to Rev Eric McMurray, an Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) missionary. We shifted to a house on Yarwood Avenue and called ourselves Bukit Timah Evangelical Free Church (BTEFC).
In 1964, we officially registered as a local church under the EFC in Singapore. This move was supported by another missionary, Rev Ben Sawatsky, who composed our church constitution and aided with the registration process.
We owe a great debt to EFCA for sending missionaries across the world to Singapore and supporting the work financially. This served as the catalyst for our own firm commitment to missions work years down the road.
12b King Albert Park
1958 – 1960
In 1968, we moved again when the lease at Yarwood expired. Singapore Bible College became our home for two years. During this time, we steadily grew in number. End 1969, we successfully secured a plot of land at 12B King Albert Park (KAP) — our home for the next 29 years — with support from churches in the US, donations, and interest-free loans.
We commenced our first meeting at KAP on 4 January 1970. In 1975, Rev Lee Twee Kim, who had attended the King’s Youth Group as a teenager, began leading BTEFC. He would serve for 30 years, till stepping down in 2005.
multiplying & moving again
1980s – 1990s
Growth continued through the 80s and 90s as Rev Lee and the leaders taught God’s Word boldly and cared for the flock in a warm family church setting. Rev Lee also put in place the small-group structure to ensure all members would receive adequate pastoral care. All these laid a strong foundation for our priorities and our personal tone of ministry in years to come.
Our commitment to missions took shape with our first Missions Committee formed in 1984. And in the early 90s, we sent out our first missionary families to Africa and Japan.
In 1993, we were informed that our permit to use 12B KAP as a church would expire in 1994. This was heart-breaking as we were in the midst of upgrading our premises. When it became clear there was no possibility of permit renewal after multiple appeals, we began our search for a new location, sensing that God was directing us to a heartland estate. Thankfully we were allowed to stay on in KAP while looking for a new place.
becoming Woodlands EFC
1999
In 1997, the government released a plot of land at 1 Woodlands Street 83 for church purposes. We bid for it, and by God’s grace, acquired it. Upon moving to Woodlands, we officially changed our name to identify not just with the neighbourhood that God had planted us in, but the neighbours whom He was calling us to reach. On 14 March 1999, WEFC held its first service. That very first day, our worship attendance doubled as the neighbourhood flocked in! Over the next few months, many Woodlanders made WEFC their home.
We set up the Woodlands Social Centre that same year so that we could fulfill our mission in coming to Woodlands — to minister to the needs in the heartlands. As the social arm of the church, WSC was first housed in church before its move to nearby Block 830.
extending beyond our walls
2000s - EARLY 2010s
In 2005, Rev (Dr) Kenny Fam became our next Senior Pastor. Under his leadership, our outreach platforms expanded. The newly formed Chinese Ministry opened its doors in 2007, giving us an avenue to reach the Chinese-speaking in Woodlands. That year, we also took our first steps into the prisons, marking the birth of a ministry that remains instrumental in helping many ex-inmates and their families find Christ.
With the vision of further growth, we undertook major renovation works to expand our premises starting early 2010. We held our first service in our current church building on 3 July 2011.
deepening our discipleship
LATE 2010S – PRESENT
In 2014, we celebrated our 50th anniversary with a series of Jubilee events. This was a time of commemorating God’s unfailing faithfulness to us through both good and hard times, and recalibrating ourselves to partner Him in His redemptive work in our midst and the community.
Ps Lim Kee Oon became our Senior Pastor in 2018, and has since been moving us towards a deeper discipleship that is to have a transformative impact for Christ — first in our own lives, and then in our homes, our community and the nations. This is reflected in our renewed mission statement: Making disciples who transform Woodlands and the world.
