There is space for everyone

Sexuality should not be an issue when worshipping God, says this fringe church that accepts gays. By Andre Yeo

They lead a fringe group that does not wish to remain closetted. For the first time, its leaders have agreed to be photographed to put a face to Safehaven.

It is a bible study group that is part of the Free Community Church (FCC), which does not regard homosexuality as a sin, unlike the mainstream churches here.

The New Paper reported last July that the group worshipped in a pub in Tanjong Pagar. But things have changed. They now meet in a large room, in Yangtze Building in Eu Tong Sen Street, which houses the Yangtze cinemas.

FCC's head, Ms Jean Chong , 30, is a lesbian who works freelance in the broadcast industry.
On whether homosexuality is a 'sin', she said 'It's a complex issue. FCC is a progressive church. There is space for everyone.'

Safehaven's interim head , Mr Peter Goh, 32, said sexuality must not be an issue when worshipping God. The R&D manager, who is gay, said 'That's why we started FCC - for people to learn more about God.'

The New Paper on Sunday was at their 10.30am service last month . Sited on the 4th floor, between cinemas 2 and 3, is a large room where the 1 1/2-hour service is held on Sundays. About 60 people, mostly gay men, turned up that day. Some were at the service for the first time. They were from the Philippines, Belgium and South Africa.

A band, which included a straight guitarist and a drummer, was on stage to accompany church songs. The congregation mingled with one another after service.

The move to Yangtze was in January this year, after the church operated in the Tanjong Pagar pub for about three months. They used to hop from one location to another to accommodate more members.

The congregation has grown from about 10 people, when Safehaven was started six years, to about 200, which includes straight members, said Ms Chong.

Safehaven was in the news recently for trying to organise a concert featuring an American gay couple, but The Media Development Authority turned down its request for the show. Mr Lee Boon Yang, the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts later rejected Safehaven's appeal against the ban.

FCC has several ministries, with around 250 people, but Safehaven has been drawn the most attention, said Mr Gary Chan, 30, a product manager in a local telco.

Mr Chan is also gay and, together with Mr Goh, are two of the three vice-chairmen of FCC. The other is not gay. She is Mrs Susan Tang, a mother of three. (See report on page 12.)

Mr Chan said he had come up with the idea for the concert featuring the gay couple. 'We wanted to raise funds for Action For Aids, reach out to the gay community and tell them there can be a better way to live their lives.'

NOT JUST A GAY PROBLEM
On the recent publicity on the Government's fight against the spread of HIV and gay parties, the three church leaders agreed that gays who engaged in reckless sexual behaviour, especially after taking drugs and alcohol, were being irresponsible.

But they stressed this was not a homosexual problem. They said this was also practised by heterosexuals at other parties.

Up to 20 per cent of the church's 200 members are straight, Mr Goh said.
'They want to know more about homosexuals. They want to see if we're heretics, lunatics or a cult,' he added.
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It's OK if my child is gay
Too liberal? It's okay by mum if kids turn gay
By Andre Yeo

She is part of a gay ministry. But she's not a lesbian. And she's not an ordinary Singaporean either.

Housewife Mrs Susan Tang, 48, a mother of three teenagers, says she would accept it if any of them should choose a gay lifestyle later in life. Her 19-year-old son, who is straight, plays the guitar in the church band. Her other kids, a 15-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, do not go to church because they choose not to. Neither does her husband, who is not a Christian.

An unconventional outlook makes Mrs Tang's family different from most here. She says she home-schools her kids in their Methodist faith but does not insist they go to church.

And she's a vice-chairman of Free Community Church (FCC), along with Mr Peter Goh and Mr Gary Chan who are gay.

TOO PROTECTED
She said 'I was educated in the US. And my father was a Methodist pastor.

'He always told us to think for ourselves, not to accept church teachings blindly and to think through our faith.

'I would not be afraid of my son being gay. However, he is straight and I like it that he mixes with different people because Singaporean children are too protected.

'They have to be educated that there are people of different cultures, social status, skin colour and sexual orientation.'

Mrs Tang is a Malaysian who is a Singapore permanent resident. Her husband and children are Singapore citizens.