Perak’s Largest Church Building & the Story of the God-Ordained 3,000-Seater

Some 30 years before the Asbury Revival sparked a global movement, God moved the heart of a lawyer from Sitiawan to leave a prestigious law firm and return to his hometown. Bro Nga Hock Cheh obeyed God and returned at the end of 1979 to set up his own legal practice in Sitiawan on 2-1-1980. Sitiawan then was a seemingly insignificant and out-of-the-way town, with no major highways passing through it nor a train station nearby. The closest train station was an hour away in Batu Gajah. With no local tertiary education institutions, most young people left for further studies and rarely returned. Most churches in such areas faced the challenge of losing their youths to bigger cities as they moved away for career opportunities.

Upon his return to Sitiawan, he joined a local English-speaking Methodist Church. Together with two other Foochow-speaking Christian brothers (Mr. Yong Diong Lee, a teacher, and Mr. Ling Ong Sing, a secondary school principal), they helped the congregation grow steadily, doubling its membership. In a “Joseph-like” saga, Bro Nga was suddenly removed from the leadership of the church without any just cause or reason. At the time, he was the President of the Judicial Council of the Methodist Church in Malaysia.

It was this sudden removal from leadership that led Bro Nga to seek refuge in Christian Life Center, Sitiawan, which became like Brook Besor to him (1 Samuel 30:10). According to Bro Nga, a trip to South Korea to attend the 13th Church Growth International Seminar by Pastor David Cho Yonggi of the Yoido Full Gospel Church and a quiet time on the “Prayer Mountain” uplifted his spirit. After three years of sojourning in CLC, Bro Nga was commissioned by Bro Eric Fung (the then Director of Asia Outreach) to launch out and labor in the Lord’s vineyard.

A Protem Committee was established to undertake the pioneering work, which the Holy Spirit directed to be carried out under the Methodist umbrella. The inaugural service was held on 3-4-1994 (Easter Sunday) at the humble Tamil Methodist Chapel in Pundut, Seri Manjung, Perak. In the same year, a 5½-acre piece of prime land was purchased to provide a permanent base with proper amenities and facilities for Sunday worship services and other educational, recreational, and social service programs for children, youths, adults, and senior citizens. The Holy Spirit impressed upon Bro Nga to build a multipurpose complex with a 3,000-seat capacity and to wait for one ‘Pentecost’ sermon to fill the complex to its full capacity. The multipurpose complex was duly completed and dedicated on 4-6-2016 and named “JOY CENTRE.”

At all material times, Bro Nga was unaware of Dr. John Sung’s prophecy about a church with a 3,000-seat capacity where God would be glorified and healings would occur in that church hall. It was Pastor Daniel Phua who later told him about the prophecy in 2023 (seven years after the building was completed). Read Dr. John Sung’s prophecy here: https://voanews.xyz/dr-john-sungs-vision-of-a-3000-capacity-church/

Occasionally, various interchurch meetings are held there, with the church offering its space free of charge for other congregations to use. However, for years, the massive church building remained underutilized, with weekly church attendance hovering at less than 200 regular members. It might have seemed like an overly ambitious project for such a relatively small congregation.

However, the church was built with a long-term vision for Kingdom expansion. It wasn’t just about filling seats but preparing for a time of spiritual awakening and revival while equipping believers. In 2023, Pastor Daniel (Allan) Phua returned from Singapore in obedience to God’s call to trace and walk the “Ancient Path” to reignite the flame of revival. Together with Rev. Dr. Leow Hong Too, the Asbury Revivalist, and Rev. Dr. Raymond Mooi, the Revival/Evangelistic Healing Meetings saw the crowd exceed 1,000 people—reaching 2,500 onsite, with nearly as many joining online. It’s a first in the history of the church. Just as Noah’s Ark was built long before the flood came, this reminds us that God’s timing often differs from our own. Preparation in faith leads to the fulfillment of His purposes at the appointed time. Watch video clips of testimonies from the evangelistic healing meeting on 8th September 2023: https://voanews.xyz/healing-meetings-in-sitiawan-2023-2024/

Sitiawan, though humble and remote, became a significant part of God’s larger plan, showing that even places seemingly bypassed by development can become centers of revival.

This important prayer event is just around the corner! Please join us. We can’t wait to see you there for a powerful and uplifting time of seeking the Lord together!

Sitiawan National Prayer Sharing by Rev. Dr Jayarajan Durairaju, Chairperson of Klang Valley Pastors Fellowship

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