Rather than allow disagreement over vaccinations to confuse or divide the church, we should focus our effort and energy on evangelism, said Pastor Lawrence Khong, Chairman of LoveSingapore, in a post published on the prayer network’s Facebook page on Thursday, August 19.

“The hearts of many are troubled. They are looking and longing for a reason to hope in a world without hope. In this climate of uncertainty and fear, the need for a Saviour has never been more obvious,” wrote Ps Khong, who is the Apostolic Overseer of Faith Community Baptist Church.

In his Facebook post, Ps Khong said he himself chose to get vaccinated, citing his trust in the Government’s medical findings as well as “as an act of love and concern for my family and friends”.

However, he acknowledged the objections raised by some against vaccination, such as questions over their efficacy and the conflicted interests of pharmaceutical corporations.

“This has brought confusion to many and, worse, division within the Body of Christ,” noted Ps Khong, who instead exhorted believers to not allow such differences in viewpoints to divide the church.

“I accept the fact that there are those in the Body of Christ who hold a different view. But please do so without insinuating that others who differ with you are less spiritual, less astute or less informed than yourself. Please don’t let the evil one divide us,” he wrote, citing Ephesians 4:1-6 as Scripture which reminds us of the importance of keeping the bond of peace and unity.

His words echoed those of Faith Community Church’s Senior Pastor Benny Ho, who recently wrote: “The important thing is this: Those who choose to be vaccinated, must not despise or judge those who refuse and vice versa.”  

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Ps Khong pointed Christians to heed the word of their church leadership when debating such matters.

“Above all, I urge every believer to be under the spiritual covering of your church pastor. Submit to them as an obedience to the Lord. This is the teaching of Holy Scripture. Remember God’s Word in Hebrews 13:17 – ‘Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.'”

He ended with the reminder: “Let’s focus on how to maximise this challenging situation for the effective sharing of the Gospel!”

Read Pastor Khong’s full post here: