A new era in the history of the Church in Singapore has dawned with the formation of the Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore in May 1980. With its emphases on concerted prayer, co-operative evangelism and a co-ordinated missions programme, the EFOS launches the Church in Singapore into the 80’s on a united front.
The EFOS, however, did not develop in a vacuum. Playing significant roles in its formative were a series of events, especially in the latter half of the 70’s when culminated in the Singapore Billy Graham Crusade in December 1978.
Chronologically, para-church organizations (many now concentrated in the Bible House) had laid much of the foundation upon which was built inter-denominational co-operation in evangelistic efforts. This foundation was given substantial impetus by the “Here’s Life Singapore” evangelistic movement during 1976 – 77 which had mobilized some 110 churches. A co-operative spirit was further developed by regional conferences (particularly the Conference on Evangelism for Malaysia and Singapore in April 1978) which brought together many local leaders from various denominations. Finally, the unprecedented support of 237 churches for the Singapore Billy Graham Crusade crystallized the growing unity among the churches into this well defined fellowship of Christians committed to propagating the Christian gospel on a national level.
EFOS, then, is primarily a fellowship in the Gospel. It exists for the furtherance of that Gospel in its simplicity and splendor, as “the power of God for the salvation of those who believe” (Rom 1:16). It is thereby committed to maintain and defend the faith of the Gospel as defined authoritatively in the God-inspired Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (2 Tim 3:14 – 17).
EFOS was registered on 24 May 1980. The Lord has blessed EFOS in the first year with Dr Benjamin Chew as Chairman, Mr William Wan as Hon General Secretary and Mr Liew Kee Kok as Executive Secretary.