They are very polite in saying ; "This is purely Lawrence's Taichi. Don't involve us or God leh"
In other words, they don't support Pastor Lawrence. Maybe they even arm chio too
FCBC case not a matter of ‘church vs state’, says NCCS
SINGAPORE — The judicial review application made by Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) over the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) intervention in the dismissal of an employee should not be framed as a “Church versus State” matter, the National Council of Churches Singapore (NCCS) said.
In a letter sent to its members today (Oct 10) on the case — a copy of which was obtained by TODAY — council president Terry Kee said the NCCS sees the case as “one of employer’s-employee’s obligations and duties under the Employment Act and the common law in this area”.
“Since the application for judicial review has already been filed, we have confidence that the courts will shed light on the matter and decide what is right in the interpretation and application of the law of the land in such instances,” Mr Kee said.
Last week, FCBC applied for a judicial review of the MOM’s decision to order the church to compensate a pregnant employee it had sacked in September last year for having an extramarital affair with another former church worker. The woman had filed a complaint with the ministry, which ruled that she had been dismissed without sufficient cause.
FCBC senior pastor Lawrence Khong had said that the church wants the courts to “give guidance on where we stand with reference to the constitutional rights of religious bodies in the management of their religious affairs”. The church also said in its application that the dismissal was within “religious affairs”, and that managing them was its constitutional right.
In response, the ministry stated that Singapore’s system of governance is a “secular one” and that “employment laws have to be applied equallty to all regardless of their religion”.
Here is the letter, in full:
Dear members of National Council of Churches in Singapore,
Greetings to you in the most blessed name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ.
With reference to the current judicial review application by Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC), which feels aggrieved and concerned that its action of dismissing one of its staff over a moral issue was deemed by the Ministry of Manpower to be a “dismissal without sufficient cause”.
We wish to make clear that from our perspective, this course of action is not to be framed as a Church versus State matter. Rather, we see the case as one of employer’s — employee’s obligations and duties under the Employment Act and the common law in this area.
Since the application for judicial review has already been filed, we have confidence that the courts will shed light on the matter and decide what is right in the interpretation and application of the law of the land in such instances.
Yours truly,
Bishop Terry Kee
President, NCSS
In other words, they don't support Pastor Lawrence. Maybe they even arm chio too
FCBC case not a matter of ‘church vs state’, says NCCS
SINGAPORE — The judicial review application made by Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) over the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) intervention in the dismissal of an employee should not be framed as a “Church versus State” matter, the National Council of Churches Singapore (NCCS) said.
In a letter sent to its members today (Oct 10) on the case — a copy of which was obtained by TODAY — council president Terry Kee said the NCCS sees the case as “one of employer’s-employee’s obligations and duties under the Employment Act and the common law in this area”.
“Since the application for judicial review has already been filed, we have confidence that the courts will shed light on the matter and decide what is right in the interpretation and application of the law of the land in such instances,” Mr Kee said.
Last week, FCBC applied for a judicial review of the MOM’s decision to order the church to compensate a pregnant employee it had sacked in September last year for having an extramarital affair with another former church worker. The woman had filed a complaint with the ministry, which ruled that she had been dismissed without sufficient cause.
FCBC senior pastor Lawrence Khong had said that the church wants the courts to “give guidance on where we stand with reference to the constitutional rights of religious bodies in the management of their religious affairs”. The church also said in its application that the dismissal was within “religious affairs”, and that managing them was its constitutional right.
In response, the ministry stated that Singapore’s system of governance is a “secular one” and that “employment laws have to be applied equallty to all regardless of their religion”.
Here is the letter, in full:
Dear members of National Council of Churches in Singapore,
Greetings to you in the most blessed name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ.
With reference to the current judicial review application by Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC), which feels aggrieved and concerned that its action of dismissing one of its staff over a moral issue was deemed by the Ministry of Manpower to be a “dismissal without sufficient cause”.
We wish to make clear that from our perspective, this course of action is not to be framed as a Church versus State matter. Rather, we see the case as one of employer’s — employee’s obligations and duties under the Employment Act and the common law in this area.
Since the application for judicial review has already been filed, we have confidence that the courts will shed light on the matter and decide what is right in the interpretation and application of the law of the land in such instances.
Yours truly,
Bishop Terry Kee
President, NCSS
