7 Jan 2023
I have had the pleasure of visiting CERC six times since its early days and ministering there. I have mostly stayed with Robin and Joy Gan and experienced the fellowship of their home, allowing us to have many hours of discussing ministry aims and methods together. I have been amazed to see the way God has grown this church and its associated ministries, maturing many in their faith, evangelistic zeal, and leadership roles.
Over those years I have also heard a number of criticisms of this work and have engaged in conversations with those who have expressed some disquiet. There are three issues I wish to comment on. The first is the pattern of leadership at CERC. In the early days Robin was the only leader and some feared that this was dangerous and open to abuse. However, it was always Robin’s intention to develop other leaders and share the work with them. There are now two mature and gifted lay leaders who share the administration of the church with him, two overseas–trained pastor–teachers who share that core work (and others in training), and teams of leaders who are responsible for finance and property, growth group leadership ministry, as well as special responsibilities such as university campus work, youth and children’s work. The constitution they have devised provides for different levels of consultation, criticism, and decision-making. I have not been able to discern any way in which this could be considered inappropriate or abusive. The fruit of this development is a growing congregation of biblically–informed, caring, and committed Christians in a strategic context in Malaysia.
The second area of concern that some have expressed relates to the pattern of membership at CERC. Although I come from a tradition where church membership is less strictly defined and the obligations are not so precisely articulated, I acknowledge that CERC has adopted a pattern that has honourable precedents in church history. I have also seen the blessing that flows from requiring such commitment and have seen no evidence of abuse. At the same time, it should be said that CERC ministers openly to and embraces a very large number of people who have not yet taken the step of formal membership. It is a very welcoming church. I think that a pattern of membership is an area of choice for a congregation or denomination that others should be slow to condemn. It is certainly not a good reason for telling people they should not attend or support the church.
The third area of concern that some have expressed relates to the length of the sermons. In my experience, people vote with their feet if they don’t like the pattern of preaching in a church. Many, however, continue to come in increasing numbers to hear the teaching at CERC. Robin and his team preach to a congregation mostly consisting of university students or graduates, who are competent to listen to long sermons. Robin is trying to mature people in the faith and equip them for ministry in a very needy country. In this respect, he is following the pattern he learned from Philip Jensen, when he was a student at UNSW in Sydney. Once again, I feel that this is the sort of criticism that people in other churches are not entitled to make. It is also not a good reason for telling people they should not attend or support CERC. I am happy to enter into correspondence with anyone who wishes to take up any of these matters with me.
David Peterson (8.11.21)
Emeritus Faculty (Moore College, Sydney)
Former Principal, Oak Hill Theological College, London
ThL (ACT), BA, MA (Sydney), BD (London), ThSchol (ACT), PhD (Manchester)
