The FGBMF Malaysia has been the birthplace of many Christian leaders. Some of the FGBMF brothers are now serving as pastors, elders, deacons and in many various leadership positions in churches and other ministries. One such person is Pastor Charles Yong, who is now serving as the pastor of Calvary Glory in Kuala Lumpur. The FLAME interviewed Pastor Charles recently.

Q. Bro. Charles, what led you to the FGMBF and how were you involved in it during the early days?

A. Proir to my involvement in the FGBMF activities, there was a weekly Christian fellowship in my office. Christians around my office in the Bukit Bintang areas used to congregate at my office for about two years for regular prayer and for the weekly Friday fellowship. The few Christians in my office attended the regular weekly fellowship and after the relocation of my office to another part of KL, we continued the weekly fellowship. Somehow, news came to us that there was a weekly FGBMF fellowship meeting not too far from our office in Jalan Sultan. We decided to pay a visit to that FGBMF fellowship and very surprisingly was urged by Dr. Stephen Goh to join him and start a new chapter in Brickfields. I was taken aback with this sudden invitation because I was not familiar with the FGBMF’s modus operandi.

We decided to stop our own Friday office fellowship and got involved, for the next 3 months, in the fellowship of the FGBMF Jalan Sultan Chapter. The next thing that happened was when the Lord led me to pioneer the new FGBMF Brickfields chapter.

The Brickfields chapter started off very well and eventually there were more than 25 Christians who attended the weekly fellowship. This chapter grew very fast, and within the next fifteen months, the Lord showed us that we should start a new chapter in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail.

From my initial involvement as president of the Brickfields chapter, the Lord gave me a promotion to be a field representative. A year later we started the Wisma Methodist chapter. After serving faithfully for more than three years with the FGBMF, the Lord opened a new and exciting door for me to pioneer a new church in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur.

Q. Can you compare the spiritual climate then and now?

A. I believe that you are referring to the spiritual climate within the FGBMF activities?

Very frankly, I cannot answer this question well. The reason being that since I stopped my involvement with the FGBMF, I had not been in touch with the present FGBMF activities.

During the tenure of my office as chapter president, the Brickfields chapter was very aggresive in winning souls. Many souls were saved as new people were invited to our weekly fellowship. And the Brickfields chapter was very consistent in organising banquets. We used to have more than 200 friends and guests attending each function. With this emphasis of reaching out to new souls to bring them to the Lord Jesus for salvation, the spiritual climate then in all the chapters of Brickfields, Taman Tun and Wisma Methodist was very active and vibrant.

Q. Would you say you have attained utmost satisfaction when filled with the Holy Spirit?

A. I came to accept the Lord Jesus when I was in dire financial straits. For about three years I was lost and helpless and went through many kinds of struggles. Within ten days of accepting Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, I was relieved of a certain critical financial dilemma. My love for the Lord Jesus was very shallow during that early stage of my walk with Him though I knew that the miracles I had experienced was from the Lord. Deep inside me was a desire to know Him more but I did not know how to draw closer to Him. When I was about six months in the Lord, I was privileged to be blessed with the baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking a strange language. My first experience of speaking in tongues truly uplifted my whole being as a new believer in the Lord Jesus. That first experience was like an eruption of a dormant volcano and from that day onwards, my whole perception of the Lord Jesus slowly but surely changed. It was like what the Scriptures tells us in Romans 12 v. 1 : “ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. V.2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

As what John 14 tells us that the Holy Spirit is our Helper, Comforter, Teacher and Revealer of the Truth, I received tremendous help from the Lord Holy Spirit every day.

The Lord Holy Spirit who was abiding in me had been helping me to be transformed day by day to know the Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.

God, the Holy Spirit, helped me in many wonderful ways that gave me much satisfaction in my walk with the Lord Jesus. Through this daily partnership, I was able to read with deeper understanding the truth of God’s Word. With my commitment to have the desire to draw closer to the Lord Jesus, I received great help from the Holy Spirit. I would pour out my soul to the Lord and saw His faithful help in every struggling situation.

The Holy Spirit gave me more words so that I could speak in tongues in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Many times when faced with uncertainty in situations that I could not find immediate answers, I prayed in the spirit. I could then see an extra dose of wisdom being jabbed into my understanding. And for sure those extra wisdom is from the Holy Spirit.

I must declare that my walk with my Lord and with the help of the Holy Spirit, has truly filled me with much satisfaction. And now knowing the Lord Jesus’ expectation upon my life, I am willing to offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to the Lord Jesus - this is my spiritual act of worship. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I do not need to conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind that will help me to be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

I thank the Lord Holy Spirit for helping me to attain the utmost satisfaction of knowing the Lord Jesus more intimately.

Q. You certainly have fond memories of FGBMF Malaysia. Would you kindly share them with us?

A. Unlike the setting of the church that has limited places of position for men to use their talent and time to serve, FGBMF Malayia offers unlimited opportunities for Christian men who want to use their time and talent to serve the Lord Jesus. Once a Christian man gets excited about the vision of FGBMF Malaysia that he can bring friends and colleagues to the FGBMF weekly lunch fellowship. He can then use the banner of the FGBMF to reach out to unsaved souls where pastors cannot position themselves. Now having said about this noble vision of FGBMF Malaysia, I have fond memories of many Christians using the FGBMF lunch fellowship to bring unsaved souls to the Lord Jesus for salvation, as well as inactive Christians to be involved in the ministry of the Lord Jesus. I have seen the many good intentions of Christians who truly wanted to serve the Lord Jesus but could not find opportunities to do so within the setting of their own churches. However, when they got involved in FGBMF Malaysia, they could be transformed to be men on fire for the Lord Jesus. The Brickfields chapter saw many businessmen and matured Christians being blessed with the opportunities to grow to be better and useful Christians through what FGBMF Malaysia can offer them.

Taking up positions in FGBMF as chapter leaders and with their commitment to run successful chapters have provided many to grow to be more confident to eventually become missionaries, pastors and church leaders. Having seen many talented Christian men rising up to serve the Lord Jesus is certainly a fond memory of how FGBMF Malaysia has contributed towards extending the Kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth.