Harvest Bible Chapel KL : An International Church In the Heart of Malaysia’s Capital City

1 Jan 2015 edited by Jason Law CM –

 

As the Malaysian churches welcome in the New Year, right in the heart of our nation’s capital city, there is also an International Church that is interceding, praying and worshiping God alongside us. The church is known today as the Harvest Bible Chapel International Church of Kuala Lumpur (HBCKL).

 

Harvest Bible Chapel KL’s History

HBCKL had their start in 2004 through a group of believers that gathered together in a borrowed space at a local school. The church was known at that time as The Bridge International and had a vision to create a truly international church where both local Malaysians and expatriates could worship together and hear the preaching of the Word of God. In 2014, The Bridge joined effort with Harvest Bible Chapel, a non-denominational, Evangelical Christian megachurch with multiple campuses in the Chicago area and over 100 church plants on four continents. 

 

 

At the launch of the newly-named Harvest Bible Chapel International Church of Kuala Lumpur, there were over 200 people with more than 20 countries represented including Malaysia, Korea, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Australia, Ghana, Canada, Liberia, the United States and others.  All of these nations worshiping together serves as a testimony to the fact that  Jesus is our peace– as it says in Ephesians 2:14 –“made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility” between people groups and races.  

 

Harvest Bible Chapel Leadership

Leadership at Harvest Bible Chapel KL is invested in a board of elders, brothers Jim Keogh, Ron Koh, Ken Kohl, and a pastor of Family Ministries, Christopher Moscoso. This reflects the structure of leadership in the Acts church during the early history of Christianity. The time of Acts was a time of rapid growth and strength, a large part of which was the plurality of elders within the New Testament churches (Acts 14:23; Acts 20:28; Titus 1:5; Philippians 1:1).

This model of a plurality of Godly elders, each exercising their individual giftedness, and empowering the church with an accountable and multi-faceted leadership, is in line with the wisdom handed down in Scriptures (Proverbs 11:14; Proverbs 12:15; Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 19:20; Proverbs 24:6).

 

 

The elders of Harvest Bible Chapel KL have the following responsibilities

• Doctrine – Ensuring that the doctrine of the church is biblical; all doctrinal issues in the church will be settled by the Board of Elders.
• Direction – Ensuring that the direction of the church is consistent with the Harvest Bible Chapel statement of purpose and the Four Pillars.
• Discipline – Administering in love and humility the process of church discipline as outlined in Matthew 18:15-20; Galatians 6:1-4; Titus 3:10; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; 1 Timothy 5:17-25; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, and Romans 16:17.

 

The Four Pillars of Harvest

The four pillars of Harvest Bible Chapel are:

• Proclaiming the Authority of God’s Word Without Apology

• Lifting High The Name of Jesus Through Worship

• Believing Firmly In The Power of Prayer

• Sharing the Good News of Jesus Wild Boldness

 

Harvest Bible Chapel’s Mission

Harvest Bible Chapel’s mission is to extensively develop disciples for Christ. Believers in Christ are shaped to be a passionate worshipper, a diligent student, an obedient servant, a generous giver, and a faithful witness. In Harvest Bible Chapel KL, the path of authentic discipleship comes in three areas, encapsulated in the expression ‘Worship, Walk, Work’. Put in simple terms, it means a holistic development of a believer to be more and more like Jesus. Maturity comes when a follower learns how to intentionally honour God in these three major areas of life, and as they grow deeper in their relationship with God and with one another.

 

 

An emphasis on the importance of ministry to one another means that HBCKL believes that it’s not just a small group of leaders that bear the total responsibility of the whole congregation, but each member are taught and empowered so that they become effective ministers for God. It’s all about disciples using their God-given spiritual gifts to provide mutual ministry, in the context of a vibrant and strong local church. A huge part of the culture at Harvest Bible Chapel KL is their Small Groups Ministry.

 

 

The asset of an International Church such as HBCKL goes both ways. From our side, as Malaysian hosts, we have a role to provide support and encouragement to our brothers and sisters from guest countries, and in return, churches such as Harvest Bible Chapel KL are taking up their own roles to bless Malaysia as their host nation.

 

 

Taking the call from Galatians 6:10 to heart: ‘So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith“, the members of HBCKL believes that it is not by accident that God has given them a place to meet but that He has a purpose in planting them in one of the most diverse cities in the world.

While meeting the needs of those in their midst and around them, they also recognize that God desires them to work hard to reach the communities around them. In response to this, they have established a care ministry as an opportunity for their members to live out the Great Commission. Currently they collect groceries once a month that they then deliver to some families they have adopted in one of the most dangerous areas of the city. 

 

Harvest Bible Chapel Kuala Lumpur is located at Wisma Chinese Chamber, Jalan Ampang. You can find out more about the church at http://www.harvestkl.org/ or on their FaceBook page at /HarvestKL.

 

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