Note: As we were not able to be present at the event, this article condenses the TG2024 reports available on FaithHour’s website. Its purpose is to raise awareness for the important event and to highlight the key points and insights shared in those reports. We encourage readers to visit FaithHour’s website for more detailed and comprehensive accounts as well as photos from the event. Photos in this article as shared on Tribal Gathering Borneo’s Facebook Community Group Page. Visit the page to find many more photos.
Believers from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore gathered at the Miri Indoor Stadium on October 10th-12th to celebrate the Tribal Gathering 2024 (TG2024) and in preparation for revival. Pr Sabrina Low from Cornerstone Community Church Borneo and event pastor, emphasized that when revival comes, it will disrupt religious structures, warning against relying on polished sermons, predictable programs, and controlled environments. She urged the Church to embrace a move of God that defies comfort and control, declaring that systems built on ego and tradition will crumble.
The focus of this year’s gathering was on prayer, worship, and intercession, seeking a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Sessions emphasized God’s presence over human-led programs, with the question, “Is His presence enough for us?” resounding throughout. Pr Rachel Bulan, who is co-lead of Cornerstone Community Church Borneo and event pastor alongside Pr Sabrina, stressed that only God’s presence can truly satisfy, while her father, Pr Solomon Bulan, reminded participants that Jesus Christ is the Church’s greatest reward.
Leaders from various countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Papua came together in unity, with Pr Hanny Setiawan from Bethany El-Bethel Church, Indonesia, proclaiming Malaysia’s role as a “mother of nations,” called to birth and nurture other nations. Additionally, Pr Lee Choo urged believers to build prayer altars, cautioning against pride and self-absorbed passion (Malachi 1:10, Isaiah 50:11). Rev Teo Kwee Keng and Pr Nancy Lyn challenged the Church to pursue holiness, offering their whole hearts to God and passing on the revival fire to younger generations.
The Tribal Gathering (TG) 2024 celebrated Malaysia’s rich spiritual heritage, honoring both the indigenous tribes and the legacy of Chinese believers, while ushering in a new wave of revival. Built on over 50 years of revivals in Borneo — most notably the Bario Revival, where God’s Spirit moved through Bario, Ba’kelalan, and Taginambur— the event featured prophetic voices from remote villages and highland communities.
Prayer warriors from far-flung places like Kapit and Long Kevok and from as distant afield as Bario and Ba’kelalan shared visions from God, urging participants to pursue intimacy with Him rather than revival alone. These warriors, often regarded as spiritual ‘mothers,’ have faithfully maintained prayer altars in their homes and interceded for the Holy Spirit’s outpouring for generations.
Pr Rachel Bulan challenged participants: “We’ve prioritized mission over intimacy, but true intercession begins with knowing and loving God.” The event highlighted the need for the Church to move beyond programs toward a presence-oriented faith, surrendering fully to Jesus and trusting Him to lead the way.
Revisiting the Roots of Revival
Revival has long shaped Malaysia’s spiritual journey. In January 2024, Pr Aaron Tan of SIBKL led a team to Sitiawan, Perak, reconnecting with a spiritual awakening that began in 1903. In Kampung Koh, Foochow migrants encountered God through pastors and later through evangelist John Sung’s ministry. “The Sitiawan revival changed a generation,” Pr Aaron noted. “Many from Kampung Cina entered full-time ministry, carrying the revival’s flame forward.”
In Long Kevok, among the Penan people, revival ignited twice — in 2011 and 2023. Pr Jabriel, a Lun Bawang pastor married to a Penan wife, testified: “When revival came, drunkards repented, addicts were freed, and families were restored. This revival isn’t just for the Penan but for anyone who humbles themselves before God.”
Embracing Indigenous Identity and Purpose
Throughout TG2024, leaders encouraged indigenous communities to embrace their divine calling. Pr Rachel urged her fellow East Malaysians: “Anak sulung (firstborn), arise! You are not weak. Take authority over your voice and your land. Now is the time to know that God calls your name — you are loved, seen, and heard.”
Pr Sabrina Low reminded attendees that revival would not conform to tradition: “It will be raw, wild, and messy. It will offend the religious and disrupt the status quo to reveal God’s glory.”
A Revival Beyond Borders
The gathering brought together believers from across the region in united prayer, declaring the start of a new spiritual era. Pr Hanny Setiawan encouraged the church to yield to the Holy Spirit: “Stop writing your own song; start singing His. These revivals are orchestrated by God, not by human hands.”
Josh Yeoh of Riverlife Church echoed this message: “When God does something new, we respond with a new song. Our worship not only proclaims what God is doing but helps bring His will to pass.”
The First Light of a New Dawn
TG2024 offered a glimpse of a revival poised to transform churches, families, and communities all across Borneo and Malaysia. Organized by Cornerstone Borneo churches in collaboration with the Persatuan Kelabit, Saban dan Berawan (PKSB) and Nehemiah Prayer Ministry, the event aimed to equip future generations to walk in their God-given purpose.
Those present have experienced the first light of this new dawn. May the wave of revival follow them home, igniting transformation throughout the nation and beyond.
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