(Picture - Left to Right): Ms Marina Tan Harper, Rev Dr. Nina Khong & Apostle Lawrence Khong
Singapore, 15 October 2011 – In tandem with the spirit of celebrating its 25th anniversary which paid tribute to God's countless blessings, Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) set a new milestone of blessing the community by being the first church in Singapore to endow a bursary fund – the FCBC Bursary Fund, with Nanyang Technological University (NTU). A cheque of $120,000 was presented to Ms Marina Tan Harper, NTU's Director for Development by FCBC’s Senior Pastors, Apostle Lawrence Khong and Rev Dr. Nina Khong at the evening service on Saturday.
The bursary fund is in partnership with NTU’s Business & Community Partners programme which will benefit four NTU students who will receive financial help to cover their annual tuition fees and study-related expenses. It will specially benefit students pursuing an undergraduate degree at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information or at the School of Art, Design and Media at NTU.
FCBC is investing $120,000 to start the endowment fund which will then be matched by the government with a grant of $180,000, bringing it to a grand total of $300,000. This total invested sum of $300,000 will be left intact to grow and gain interest (of 4% per annum) amounting to $12,000 annually. This amount will then be distributed among the four students who will receive $3,000 each for the span of an academic year. The disbursement begins in August next year, 2012.
"We have yet again been blessed with another opportunity to engage the community, and leave an endearing mark for our involvement in community transformation," said Apostle Lawrence Khong, Senior Pastor and Founder of FCBC. "We recognise that our involvement in the education field gives us a meaningful platform to bless students, where we forge foundations for promising careers and leave lasting impressions and even legacies. In turn, these lives that have been touched become empowered to give back to the community and touch other lives as well."
Over the years, FCBC’s Education Gate has been actively involved in transforming and positively engaging Singapore’s education institutions, teachers and students. Just last year, Gateway Entertainment, the creative arm of FCBC, celebrated its 10-year anniversary by partnering with Hougang Secondary School to refurbish its existing multipurpose hall where major school-wide events – especially arts and cultural performances are conducted.
ENQUIRIES:
Faith Community Baptist Church
Simeon Cheok (Mr)
Tel: 6424 9400
E-mail: simeon.cheok@fcbc.org.sg
ABOUT FCBC
Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) was founded in 1986 by Senior Pastor Apostle Lawrence Khong. Together with his wife, Senior Pastor Nina, and a dedicated team of pastors, Apostle Lawrence has nurtured FCBC to grow into a 10,000 strong member church with a vision to serve the nations by effecting Community Transformation in Singapore and gateway cities in Asia through cutting-edge ministries.
ABOUT Gateway Entertainment
Gateway Entertainment (GE) – is a theatre and entertainment production business that forms the creative arm of FCBC. Since its inception in 2000, GE has staged innovative world-class performances that uniquely combine magic, music, drama and dance. As Singapore's only father and daughter illusionist team, Lawrence and Priscilla became the first in Asia to receive the Elite Diamond Merlin Award for the Magician of the Year (2010) conferred by the International Magicians Society.