Lawrence Khong Kin Hoong (born 17 July 1952) is a

Singaporean Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial, multi-cultural, m ...

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

religious leader Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and a magician. Khong is the founder and overseer of

Faith Community Baptist Church Faith Community Baptist Church (), or FCBC, is an independent charismatic megachurch in Singapore founded by Pastor Lawrence Khong in 1986. The church was one of three megachurches to make it to a list of Singapore's 10 largest charities, acco ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

and the former chairman of LoveSingapore, a network of about 100

socially conservative Social conservatism is a political philosophy and a variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional social structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institu ...

Singaporean churches. Khong is also the founder and chairman of TOUCH Community Services, a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

, non-religious

welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...

organization.

Early life and education

Khong is the son of a businessman and a housewife. His father was a general commodities wholesaler who came from

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

province in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. Khong was a child of his father's second marriage, which began before

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

after his father relocated to Singapore."The Pastor Who Does Magic: 'PREACHER'S MAGICAL TOUCH'"
The Straits Times, 7 July 2008 Khong attended

St Joseph's Institution St. Joseph's Institution (SJI) is an independent Catholic educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1852 by the De La Salle Brothers, it is the first Catholic school and the third oldest school in the country. SJI has been offering a dual ...

and

National Junior College National Junior College (NJC) is a government Junior college (Singapore), junior college located in Bukit Timah, Singapore. Established in 1969, it was the first government junior college in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-universit ...

, where he met his future wife, Nina. Despite becoming a Christian at the age of 13, he said he "backslid" during his army days. During that time he attended a church camp at Port Dickson and later said that a

drowning Drowning is a type of Asphyxia, suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where othe ...

incident at the church camp made him reflect deeply on life and on himself. He returned to church and joined the Varsity Christian Fellowship. Khong began preaching from the pulpit while he was at university., Retrieved 5 October 2009 As an undergraduate, Khong also started performing publicly as a magician. He became a member of the Singapore Charter of the

Society of American Magicians The Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) is the oldest fraternal magic organization in the world. Its purpose is "to advance, elevate, and preserve magic as a performing art, to promote harmonious fellowship throughout the world of magic, and ...

. After graduating with a B.A. in

Business Administration Business administration is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. Overview The administration of a business includes the performance o ...

from the

National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...

, he worked as an intern pastor. A year and a half later, he married his fiancé Nina, who had completed her medical studies and gained her (

MBBS A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

) from the

. The two set off for

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

so that Khong could attend the

Dallas Theological Seminary Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) is an evangelical theological seminary in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system of dispensationalism. DTS has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C., as well as extension ...

. While studying at the seminary, Khong was asked to pastor a Dallas church with a Chinese congregation because he could speak some Chinese. Khong returned to Singapore and joined Grace Baptist Church in 1981.

Career

Faith Community Baptist Church

(FCBC), was founded by Khong as a

cell church A cell church is a Christian church structure centering on the regular gathering of cell groups. Small group ministries are often called cell groups, but may also be called home groups, home friendship groups, home care groups, house fellowships, ...

in 1986."About FCBC"
, Retrieved 5 October 2009Lawrence Khong (2000), The Apostolic Cell Church (Paperback)
, Retrieved 5 October 2009 Khong delivered his first message to the new congregation on August 17, 1986. As of 2014, the church was reported to have a congregation of around 10,000 members. Besides serving as the pastor of the

megachurch A megachurch is a church with a very large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities. Most megachurches are Evangelical, although the term denotes a type of organization, not a denomination. A megachurch draws 2 ...

, Khong also stages entertainment shows that combine magic, music, drama and dance to engage his congregation. Khong is one of the International Twelve of Cesar Castellanos."PastorNet: Lawrence Khong"
, Retrieved 5 October 2009 Khong began assuming the title of "

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

" after a church service in 2000 in which he was given the title by theologian C. Peter Wagner. Wagner was a key leader of the Church Growth Movement and the controversial

New Apostolic Reformation The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a Christian supremacist theological belief and controversial movement associated with the far-right that combines elements of Pentecostalism, evangelicalism, and the Seven Mountain Mandate to advocate for s ...

, a movement of

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

and

charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of magnetic charm, persuasion, or appeal. In the fields of sociology and political science, psychology, and management, the term ''charismatic'' describes a type of leadership. In Christian theology, the term ...

churches advocating for the "lost offices" of church governance, namely the offices of

prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divinity, divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings ...

and apostle. Khong's use of the title is not recognised by churches in mainline Christian denominations. In 2016, Khong delivered a series of sermons at Faith Community Baptist Church in which he called

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

Theory of Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, resulting in certai ...

"a real deception from the

Devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...

". The church's support for

creationism Creationism is the faith, religious belief that nature, and aspects such as the universe, Earth, life, and humans, originated with supernatural acts of Creation myth, divine creation, and is often Pseudoscience, pseudoscientific.#Gunn 2004, Gun ...

in its pulpit and on social media prompted a discussion on the spread of the idea by certain groups of Christian evangelicals in secular Singapore. The

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

has since clarified that creationism is not taught in local schools.

TOUCH Community Services

Khong is the founder and chairman of TOUCH Community Services (TCS), a non-profit, non-religious welfare organisation that has 18 services, 19 centres, and 24 youth clubs in Singapore helping the under-privileged. The organisation has served over 100,000 individuals since its establishment."Profile of Lawrence Khong"
Retrieved 3 October 2009 In 2002, Khong conceptualised ''Project SMILE'' or ''Sharing Magic in Love Everywhere''. He was selected as a finalist for the SIP-Schwab Social Entrepreneur of 2007."Business With Heart: He's Well-Schooled"
, The Straits Times, 15 December 2007 In 2007, TCS won the Outstanding Non-profit Organisation Award in the National Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards, which recognises best practices in the management of volunteers and donors, including fundraising practices, in non-profit organisations."SMRT Has A Soft Spot for Charity"
, The Straits Times, 16 November 2007

Media and entertainment

Khong has been performing magic since his late teens. He started producing movies in 2010"Destiny with HD"
, TODAY, 25 September 2003"Digital dramas"
, The Straits Times, 14 October 2003 and performing magic shows such as "Magic of Love" and "Magic Box".Lawrence Khong (2008) ''Give me the Multitudes! Obeying God's Call into the Media World'', TOUCH Ministries International: Singapore Khong shared his experiences of "Magic of Love" in his book ''Give me the Multitudes! Obeying God's Call into the Media World, TOUCH Ministries International: Singapore'' but has received some criticism from fellow Christians for his use of magic and involvement in "marketplace ministries."
13 December 2008, Retrieved 5 October 2009 Following the church's embrace of

dominion theology Dominion theology, also known as dominionism, is a group of Christian political ideologies that seek to institute a nation governed by Christians and based on their understandings of biblical law. Extents of rule and ways of acquiring governing ...

, Khong launched Gateway Entertainment to "reclaim the media industry for Jesus Christ", performing in "totally commercial, non-religious" magic shows and other theatrical productions alongside his daughter Priscilla Khong. Gateway Entertainment stated that Lawrence Khong was the "first in Asia to receive the Elite Diamond Merlin Award for Magician of the Year" in 2010, an award conferred by the

International Magicians Society The International Magicians Society (IMS) is a magic society created by Tony Hassini to "help promote and preserve the art of magic and provide a format where magicians could share their secrets and ideas." The society gives its own "Merlin Award" ...

. Lawrence Khong has also been vocal against the spreading "anti-Christian and immoral values promoted by the secular world" by entertainers in Singapore, a non-religious state. He has spoken out against a performance by

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

in the country.

Recognition

In 1998, Khong was conferred the public service medal in recognition of his contributions to the community."Public Service Medal Recipients"
, The Straits Times, 14 August 2009

Controversies

Views on homosexuality

Khong has been criticized for his stance against equal rights for

homosexuals Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...

in Singapore. In January 2013, Khong issued a statement to Emeritus Senior Minister

Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the second prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004 and as a senior minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2011. He served as the secretary-general of the Peo ...

against repealing Singapore's laws that criminalise sex between men. He called the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code "a looming threat to this basic (nation) building block by homosexual activists". He has referred to the "homosexual act" as "the greatest

blasphemy Blasphemy refers to an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of Reverence (emotion), reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something considered Sanctity of life, inviolable. Some religions, especially Abrahamic o ...

against the name of God". He has stated he believes in

conversion therapy Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, romantic orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. Methods that have ...

and has called the

LGBT community The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ people, LGBTQ individuals united by LGBTQ culture, a common culture and LGBTQ movements, social movements. These Community, comm ...

"some of the most intolerant people that I have ever met". In 2014, LoveSingapore, a network of 100 local churches that Khong chairs, created a guide to supporting Section 377A of the Penal Code. Khong also criticized the

Health Promotion Board The Health Promotion Board (HPB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Health of the Government of Singapore. It was established in 2001 to act as the main driver for national health promotion and disease prevention programmes. School H ...

in an open letter, saying their webpage on sexual health "condones same-sex relationships and promotes homosexual practice as something normal". He has also actively protested against the annual Singapore

gay pride In the context of LGBTQ culture, pride (also known as LGBTQ pride, LGBTQIA pride, LGBT pride, queer pride, gay pride, or gay and lesbian pride) is the promotion of the rights, self-affirmation, dignity, Social equality, equality, and increas ...

event Pink Dot SG, and has supported the counter-campaign and encouraged his followers to speak out against the normalisation of homosexual relationships in Singapore.

Personal life

Khong and his wife, Nina Khong, have four children - Priscilla (a magician alongside him), Michelle, Anthony and Daniel Khong Bao Liang (Senior Pastor of FCBC) - a grandson, Isaac, and a granddaughter, Hannah. Nina Khong has given up her medical practice to serve full time in FCBC and is now CEO of Gateway Entertainment. In 2003, Khong publicly disclosed that Priscilla had had a child out of wedlock. The family has since reconciled with the church and stands strong on their belief of 'sex after marriage'.

Singapore Polo Club

Khong is a national

polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...

player who won a silver medal with the Singapore team at the 2007 Southeast Asia Games."SG Polo Team Clinch Silver Medal: 'POLO TEAM EARN SILVER TO END SEA GAMES ON NICE NOTE FOR TEAM SINGAPORE'", 2007"Polo Player Who Wears Many Other Hats: 'Middle-aged, But at the Top of his Game'"
, The New Paper, 15 December 2007"The Polo-Playing Pastor: 'Being a Sport'"
, TODAY, 25 October 2007 In August 2013, Khong filed a suit against the Singapore Polo Club when the club suspended his rights and privileges for two months for allegedly misusing the club's e-mail system and his position as honorary secretary. Khong had sent a mass email to the club members and Registrar of Societies questioning the conduct of the club committee when it amended results of a vote of no confidence against the previous committee. According to a suspension notice filed in his affidavit, Khong was allowed to keep his horses stabled at the club, but would not have the right of access to the club nor the right to the services of a personal professional polo player. At the time of the suspension, Khong was the honorary secretary of the club. As of 2023, he is the president of the club.''Singapore Polo Club website'', Retrieved 2023-04-12
/ref> The High Court ruled in Khong's favor and set aside his suspension from the club.

Notes and references

External links

Faith Community Baptist ChurchTOUCH Community ServicesInternational G12 Conference 2009 - Give me the Multitudes!Gateway EntertainmentSingapore Polo Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khong, Lawrence 1952 births Living people National University of Singapore alumni Singaporean Baptists Singaporean people of Cantonese descent Singaporean Charismatics Singaporean Christian clergy Singaporean people of Chinese descent Singaporean religious leaders Singaporean magicians