"I remember one afternoon a church sister and I visited Ps Clarke to talk about our boy-girl relationships and sought for his advice. Looking back, our questions were so immature and naive but he did not show any impatience or loss of interest. He gave us very practical solutions and until today I still remember what he had told me. That s why today I am called Mrs Phang!"

- Karen Phang

"Ps Clarke was a cheerful, committed and helpful pastor. He was somebody who was very easy to get along with. I felt comfortable in his presence. I can remember so vividly how he would sacrifice his sleep and go picking up different ones for choir practice early Sunday morning. During Christmas, he would pack his car with all the noisy youngsters and take us for Christmas caroling from house to house. At times I could see him sitting in the chair exhausted but he uttered not a word of complaint. It was a blessing to have him as one of my pastors."

- Irene Ong

"I remember the rides with him to the Dragon school, 24th Mile, where he was ministering to the ISCF (Inter school Christian Fellowship) All the way, those of us who followed him in his car had a good time listening to his sharings and teachings. We were nurtured n taught often under this kind of friendly setting instead of a classroom!"

- Karen Phang

"I can still picture Ps Yarnell sharing the good news with me when I was taking care of my sick mother at the SGH. I was led to Christ by him there and then. He always had his Bible in his hand, ready to "strike when the iron is hot". He had demonstrated the zeal of carrying out the great commission. It was and still is something that I keep in my heart to do the same, to grasp every opportunity to share the gospel. Ps Yarnell became my father's good friend. He frequently visited and talked to him when he was very sick. He was at our house the night he passed on. Ps Yarnell always carried the presence and glory of God with him wherever he went."

- Susan Ong

"I had always enjoyed listening to Ps Yarnell’s teaching and preaching. It was amazing to see how he had touched so many of our lives young as we were when we first came to know Christ. I am very thankful to God for him. His invaluable guidance and impartation of God’s word had impacted our lives. He was also a very caring pastor who was always ready to minister to us and our relatives in times of difficulties. "

- Irene Ong

"Ps Yarnell was like a father to us. He taught us many things of the Spirit- spiritual gifts, deliverance and speaking in tongues. As new born again Christians, we were fascinated by all the new teachings. His disciple-making sessions were on Friday nights called ‘Deeper Life’. He invested his time teaching us and would pick us up to go for church camps in Sematan. Soon my parents found out that my sisters and I had become Christians. We were ordered us to get out of the house because we made our parents angry. In desperation, we called Ps Yarnell who willingly offered us a place to stay. We were so relieved! Ps Yarnell was always there for us."

- Sharon Law

A year has passed and I still find it difficult to bring myself to adequately describe in words the sudden departure of a dear brother and fellow pastor in the ministry. Pastor Cheng was a brother, a friend, and a fellow soldier in the ministry.

Our relationship went back many years to the time when I was just starting out as a young pastor.  Pastor Cheng whom we fondly called Lip Kiong came to know Christ in EBC Youth Fellowship. My wife Irene and I had the privilege to disciple and journey with him through the different seasons of his life -his student days, as a working adult ,his marriage, to ministering together as a team  in the church. It was indeed a joy to see the grace of God transforming him from a challenging upbringing to become an able and recognized minster of the Gospel, loved and accepted by the pastors in the city.

We  travelled together on many local and overseas trips for ministry, training and missions. One of the earliest ministry trips was driving with him to Sri Aman to speak in a SU (Scripture Union) student camp. He was serving in SU as a full time staff at that time.  A memorable trip was going to Argentina to attend the revival  gatherings there. One evening after a meeting it was quite late at night and we were hungry, I casually said, "how nice it would be if we could get some Malaysian food", and he replied, "no problem" and  "magically" produced a packet of Maggi Mee Grinning Face With Smiling Eyes. How we were able to get it cooked  was another interesting story. Yes he had a sense of humor. Fun aside, we did have a marvelous and enriching Holy Spirit experience in Argentina.

Pastor Cheng was a talented musician and an anointed worship leader. His gifting greatly complemented my teaching ministry in church. Flowing together in the Spirit during that season of Holy Spirit renewal in EBC was indeed one of the high points in our partnership. The songs that he had composed and recorded will be an inspiration and a legacy for the next generation.

As a pastor and friend Pastor Cheng was loyal, trust worthy and faithful through the trails, the highs, the lows and the battles that we fought together. He was honest with his feelings and opinions even if we didn't see eye to eye on an issue. I knew he had my back and would hold the fort when I had to be away.

He loved his family and his church family. Connecting and reaching out to members and people was one of his strengths. He was instrumental in opening the door for some of the foreign pastors to minister in Kuching. Also as a leader he was able to disciple and raise a committed group of young people who continue to serve faithfully in EBC. It was his desire and vision to raise and see the next generation rising up to the call of God.

EBC is blessed to have Pastor Cheng who was committed to his calling and was dedicated to completing the assignments which God had given him.

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives". (John 12:24)

Delaying this matter further will mean more struggle and heartaches. We (Belinda and I, Frank) have been deliberating on what to share regarding our beloved late Pastor David Cheng. The truth is, it had been very hard for the both of us to want to recall our memories about Ps Cheng , because every time we think of him , our eyes cannot help swelling up with tears.

As we recall, the privilege we had, over the years, partnering along-side Pastor David Cheng whom we fondly called Lip Kiong, somehow causes deep emotional stirrings. The Mandarin congregation missed his very anointed worship especially the Worship team. Pastor Cheng had devoted much of his time, efforts and his gifting in helping to keep both the English and Mandarin Worship Ministry very much alive and still pursuing excellence in line and tune to the pleasure and acceptance of God. This is one very distinct legacy Pastor Lip Kiong had left and now often being mentioned among those brothers and sisters in EBC who expressed their heartfelt loss.

As a pastor, Belinda and I found him to have lived worthy of the calling he had received from the Lord. Ps. Lip Kiong was very helpful in many ways to those around him, sensitive and showing sympathy to friends and strangers regardless. We remembered on this occasion when we had the opportunity to help a family in distress. Both husband and wife who were Chinese converts were jobless and the husband walked into EBC and asked for help. The husband was without a job, the wife had just delivered a new born baby few months ago (both mother and girl were sickly). To cut the long story short, Ps. Cheng, together with us, did not hesitate to extend his love and care. We could still remember the joy and satisfaction that Ps. Cheng had when he was able to be a channel of blessings to this family. 

We are sure , there are many others out there, who have been blessed by his loving pastoral care too.

Even as we are writing this, Belinda reminded me that, many years ago, the teachers in her school were very impressed by Ps Cheng’s friendliness as he regularly, faithfully, waited for his dear wife, sister Lee Na’s school to be over, to help her carry her bags and belongings. Most of them commented that he’s an amazing example of a very caring and loving husband. 

On top of all these, Ps Cheng had also been a father who had nurtured and brought up his children with the training and instruction of the Lord which we can evidently see in the characters of Ivan, Anders and Lavender. Let us consistently remember to pray for sister Lee Na and her children , that God’s presence will continue to bring much love, comfort and strength as they move through this tough time, into another future season of their lives.

Much as we all miss him, we are still thankful to God for Ps Cheng’s life, who had been a beacon of life and hope to many. Taking Ps Cheng as a God given example, with the legacy left by him, our prayers is that may we all continue to stand strong and zealous, with unwavering faith in God, bringing that eternal hope through our Lord Jesus Christ, to the people and communities around us.

-Pastor(s) Frank and Belinda (Pastors of EBC Mandarin Service)