The Reformed Insurgence

There is a very interesting post by our Watchman Daniel Chew Huicong of late. In his post, “The Reformed Resurgence,” Watchman Chew wrote:

“I have been busy with various projects recently, and will be busy until March at least. One thing which I have been working on is the starting of a new group of reformed-minded Christians to work towards Reformation and revival in the churches. The few of us have been liaising via email (and phone), and the Monday which has just passed saw our first "official" meeting so to speak [apart from the local church]. There are obviously a lot of things to be sorted out, and we most definitely need much prayer in this regard [apart from the local church].

As part of forming the group, The Reformed Resurgence, I had prepared a paper which was read and feedbacked on by the other members. The paper would thus be helpful in this regard as an introduction to our group, and it with this intention that I submit it here for your edification. May it spawn many such movements of reformation in the churches for the building up of the Church and the glory of Christ. Amen.”

Consistent with his extra-ecclesiastic authority as Watchman over pastors, elders, bishops, archbishops and popes, he has started a Christian group called The Reformed Resurgence with the sole aim of working “towards Reformation and revival in the churches.”

I have a couple of questions for our Watchman Chew. For your information, my friend Markbark had likewise asked similar questions over at Watchman Chew’s blog and post, but of course, those comments were quickly deleted by Watchman Daniel Chew Huicong for fear of those comments exposing Chew’s dark intentions to the general public.

Is the pastor of Watchman Daniel Chew Huicong, Pastor Paul Goh, involved in this Reformed Resurgence?

Is Pastor Paul Goh overseeing this “movement” or “group?”

Obviously not – and will Pastor Paul Goh correct me if I’m mistaken (you may clarify this with Pastor Paul Goh at handphone number +65 97831037; this number is found on the church's website).

Consistent with Chew’s believe that a Watchman does indeed have spiritual oversight even over his own pastor, “The Reformed Resurgence” is a parachurch organization aimed at working “towards Reformation and revival in the churches.” This “working towards reformation and revival in the churches,” of course, includes Watchman Daniel Chew Huicong’s own church, Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church. If you carefully check the ministries of CERC, you will find no ministry by the name of "The Reformed Resurgence." This is clearly not a local church's ministry. This is a parachurch "ministry" started by and led by the venerable Watchman Daniel Chew Huicong.

In short, the Reformed Resurgence oversees and seeks to reform all Reformed churches in Singapore apart from their pastors’ supervision and assistance. What a great and grievous spiritual authority and responsibility, Watchman Chew!

So what is the big deal?

As the saying goes, action speaks louder than words.

Daniel Chew had, in a previous rant on my blog, denied all charges of disrespecting the ecclesiastical authority of his own Pastor Paul Goh. But in Chew’s recent attempt at setting up a parachurch organization i.e. “the Reformed Resurgence” apart from the direct spiritual supervision of his church’s session, Chew had publicly announced his intention to disregard his church’s supervision and spiritual oversight. This is Chew’s belief. He has always felt that he is able to “reform” Reformed churches in Singapore. And this he does apart from the spiritual oversight of his own pastor and church leaders.

Besides, the FACT that he feels Reformed churches in Singapore NEED reformation speaks A LOT about how the Watchman Chew regard Reformed churches in Singapore.

Despite his insistence that he “respects” and “submits” to his church leaders, his actions speak otherwise. He claimed to believe in the competency and capabilities of his church’s elders. But in his own actions, he has to resort to the organization of “The Reformed Resurgence” to reform his own church – apart from his church leaders supervision – with his self-appointed spiritual authority and self-recognized “gifts” of reformation.

This is a true saying: Truth will out!

What the Watchman Chew does in real life reveals his true convictions despite his rabid denial of the previous charges against him. A Mr Lee (apparently from Chew’s church) had accused Chew of the following, “[Chew] thinks that his pastor is a lousy preacher, unlike him … He thinks the church elders are un-gifted, unlike him.”

If Chew really believed that his church elders are adequately gifted for leadership and at least capable of reformation as reformed elders, will he have started a parachurch organization - apart from his church’s supervision and elders’ assistance – to reform the churches (including the reformation of his own church)?

Will he have enlisted the help of lay members of the blogosphere, instead of his own church’s pastor and elders, to do whatever he had planned to do i.e. to reform the churches (and his own church)?

Will Chew have started this parachurch organization at all if he truly believed that his own pastor (and other churches’ pastors for that matter) is capable of leading the reformed churches on the right track?

All you have to do is to read Watchman Daniel Chew’s blog, and you will see his self-deluded, self-appointed spiritual “authority” which he truly believes will lead the Reformed Resurgence to reform the Reformed churches in Singapore – including his very own church.

This is what he truly believes: he thinks he can do a better job than his church’s pastor and elders.

Let me ask you readers: is this a Reformed Resurgence or a Reformed Insurgence?

I would place my bet on the latter option. Wouldn’t you?