At 41, George Tiong looks a decade younger. The senior pastor of City Harvest Church Fellowship (CHCF), Kuching recently shared the story of his church with City News.
Tiong had first come into contact with City Harvest Church (CHC) in 2004. When Tiong discovered CHC and its works, he maintained a connection in the hope of being able to witness a similar work of God in Kuching.
When Tiong first heard CHC’s senior pastor Kong Hee preach an inspiring message on the importance of building the local church, he was motivated to learn from CHC. That was when he contacted Kong for advice and help.
That was the turning point for the church in Kuching. From what Tiong describes as a church that had “difficulty in disciplining its members”, the church in Kuching started to see a complete change in its atmosphere. The people became more confident and united, having a common passion and vision for the church. They also started to reach out to the unchurched and bring the love of Christ to them.
As a result, CHCF, Kuching has seen a dramatic increase in its attendance, from 250 members in 2004 to 450 in 2006. The church continued to grow and hit a record attendance of 2,080 people for its Christmas services in 2008.
  |
| PHOTOS: City Harvest, Kuching |
In addition, the church has started to organize events, such as the Emerge Conference in Kuching, which has brought the youth to a new level of love and fervency for God. This was an important milestone for the church, as such a large conference has never been conducted in a small town like Kuching.
One of Tiong’s most memorable experiences since coming into affiliation with City Harvest Church, was the time that he and a team of church workers attended the School of Theology (SOT). Tiong explained that it was during SOT that he truly received the vision to reach out to the nations. Before this it had been merely head-knowledge, but in SOT, he received a revelation in the Spirit to bring the message of the Gospel to all of Kuching.
CHCF, Kuching, under the able leadership of Tiong, aims to grow to even greater heights in the near future.
