As I stood among generations of ACSians during the combined ACS140 Founder’s Day celebration at the National Stadium, holding the hands of two ACS (Academy) students and handing them over to my principal before she went on stage with the other ACS principals and student leaders for the closing, the singing of the school anthem, I was struck by a simple yet sobering truth: None of us stands here by ourselves.

We stand because God has been at work through those who have gone before us.

Men and women who gave of themselves with quiet faithfulness, often in unseen ways, shaping lives that would, in turn, shape others. Among them were not just founders and leaders, but teachers, people who responded to need rather than position and whose influence stretched far beyond the classroom.

The celebration of ACS 140th Founder’s Day at the National Stadium on February 26, 2026. Photo by Wesley Loh of Memphis West Pictures and Methodist Message.

At the 140th Founder’s Day Dinner with BB boys, officers and teachers across generations. (The author, second from right)

In many ways, the ACS story is a story of standing on the shoulders of giants. The ACS spirit is often described in terms of charisma, excellence, loyalty and service, sometimes even jokingly as “All Can Swim”.

But beneath all that is something deeper, a missional calling rooted in the Gospel, one that began more than a century ago and continues to shape lives today.

Education as mission

When Anglo-Chinese School first began in 1886, it started with just 13 boys in a small shophouse at 70 Amoy Street. It was never merely about education. It was about mission.

Bishop William Fitzjames Oldham believed education could be a powerful way of sharing Christ’s love and transforming lives. In a growing port city with many needs, he did not simply see students, he saw opportunity for ministry.

There is a well-known account of how he was invited to give a lecture on astronomy to Chinese businessmen and later asked to tutor them in English. He declined and instead offered to teach their sons.

That response says a great deal about the spirit that shaped ACS from the very beginning. It was never just about imparting knowledge. It was about investing in lives and building for the future.

Oldham did not wait for perfect conditions. He simply responded in faith. From that small beginning, God grew a work that has touched generations. The ACS story is not ultimately about institutional success, but about God working through people who said yes to His call. His work often begins in hidden ways, through obedience rather than visibility, through faithfulness rather than scale.

As a student, I was drawn to ACS in ways I could not quite explain. Even before Primary One, I would keep wearing my Anglo-Chinese Junior School uniform at home because, to me, it looked like a policeman’s uniform. I was fascinated by the idea of becoming one, which perhaps explains why I later joined the Boys’ Brigade.

The author (second from right) was a 1992 Founder’s Day Award Recipient. Here with his brother and good friends.

The author in 2014 with the late Mr Wee Kim Cheng, who was his principal in ACJS.

I also thought it was “cool” to be a prefect or class monitor, even making my own cardboard badges at home. When I was not given those opportunities in primary school, I remember feeling deeply disappointed.

Looking back, I realise much of that was rooted in pride. Yet even then, God was already at work, patiently shaping my heart and redirecting my desires.

In ACS (Independent) and later Anglo-Chinese Junior College, I was given opportunities to serve through the Boys’ Brigade, the Prefectorial Board and various student leadership roles. Looking back, I see these not simply as positions, but as spaces God used to shape my heart and grow my understanding of service.

The author (front row, first from right), 1997, in Sec 4.1 Joshua.

The author (playing red bagpipe) in the Boys Brigade Band, 1997.

In later years, I also had the opportunity to serve on the Management Committee of the ACS Old Boys’ Association and contribute to initiatives that support the ACS community, experiences through which God continued to teach me what it means to serve beyond self.

Looking back, these were not merely roles or experiences. They were part of how God was forming me, gently shifting my understanding of leadership from recognition to service. ACS always felt like more than a school. It felt like a family shaped by something deeper, a shared spirit grounded in faith, service and purpose.

This spirit was captured well by ACS Principal TW Hinch: “The past we inherit, the present we create; but to those who will hope, believe and work, The Best Is Yet To Be.”

These words resonate deeply because faith is never passive. It is lived out. As James reminds us: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17) The ACS spirit is therefore not something we simply inherit, but something we live.

Obeying God’s call to teach

Becoming a teacher, however, was not something I had planned.

Towards the end of my Business Administration studies at NUS, I found myself wrestling with questions of purpose. Together with a few ACS friends, I started a small training company and conducted workshops. I enjoyed working with young people, but something felt incomplete. The work was meaningful, but it lacked a deeper sense of direction.

During that season, I was reminded to seek God’s leading rather than rely on my own understanding.

At an ACJS Class of ’93 gathering, my former teacher, the late Dr Teong Su Kwang, prayed with me. Along with the encouragement of my Boys’ Brigade teacher and mentor, Mr Jonathan Ng, I began to sense God calling me into teaching.

The author in Sec 2 (wearing BB uniform) visiting the late Dr Teong Su Kwang, his teacher in ACJS, in 1995.

Looking back, I see how God often guides us through people. We do not discern our calling in isolation. It is often through faithful teachers, mentors and friends that God makes His purposes clearer.

After completing my postgraduate diploma in education in 2006, I was posted to ACS (Junior). It felt like a homecoming. The boys were full of life, curiosity and energy. But beyond the classroom, God began to open my eyes to something deeper: Teaching is not just about academic outcomes, but about shaping lives for His purposes.

This year, two weeks after Founder’s Day, I had the privilege of attending the wedding of a former Primary 4 student I taught back in 2006, Augustine Choy and his wife Amanda. Today, Augustine serves in the social service sector and Amanda in education. Watching them step into a new season of life was a deeply moving reminder that the work of education goes far beyond the classroom.

By God’s grace, the seeds we sow continue to bear fruit in ways we may never fully see. Teaching is, in many ways, a long and faithful journey of loving, shaping and gradually entrusting each life into God’s hands.

As Scripture reminds us: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Over time, I have come to see that educators are entrusted with something sacred. We nurture hearts, shape character and affirm the worth of each child. To teach is to honour God in the way we see and love our students. It requires humility, patience and a constant dependence on Him.

In later years, I was seconded to the National Institute of Education , Nanyang Technological University, from 2017 to 2023, where I had the opportunity to help prepare future teachers. I am thankful for that season, as it deepened my conviction that teaching is not merely a profession, but a calling. Even in moments of affirmation and achievements, God was reminding me that recognition is not the same as obedience, and that His purposes are often different from our own plans.

Towards the end of that period, I began considering a move into higher education as a university lecturer. But once again, God gently redirected me.

At a Methodist Fathers Movement anniversary event I had helped organise, a verse appeared on the screen as a speaker spoke: “Go back the way you came.” (1 Kings 19:15a)

In Elijah’s life, this was not a retreat, but a recommissioning to continue God’s work in obedience after a season of doubt.

In that moment, I found myself overwhelmed and weeping. It felt as though God was speaking directly to my heart.

All my striving for position and titles began to fall away. I sensed that this was not a call to move forward in my own plans, but to return in obedience. Like the prophet Elijah, I felt that God was not finished with me yet.

I also sensed His heart for those who are often overlooked, for children and youth whose needs are not always visible.

With that, I reached out to Mr Richard Seow, chairman of the ACS Board of Governors then, about returning to ACS. Around that time, plans were unfolding for a new MWS (Methodist Welfare Service)-ACS SPED (Special Education) school, and I was given the opportunity to be involved in various workgroups and serve in the secretariat.

On December 15, 2024, I officially began serving in ACS (Academy) as a member of staff. In this season, I am deeply thankful. While I still hold hopes of returning to the university one day, I am learning to trust God’s timing and to be faithful where He has placed me.

The school leaders of ACS (Academy).

Ordinary people, divine legacy

As I reflect on the missional spirit of ACS, I am reminded that this legacy has always been carried forward by ordinary people who simply responded to God’s call.

One such person is Rev Goh Hood Keng. Though he would later be known as a Methodist minister, he was first a teacher.

After graduating from ACS, he chose to stay and teach because the school needed teachers, even though he sensed a call to ministry. Teaching was not a fallback. It was obedience.

He was known for his methodical teaching and for shaping lives, not just minds. Many of his students were drawn to the faith. By 1916, he was entrusted with the upper classes, a reflection of both his competence and character. He served in ACS for about 20 years before entering full-time ministry.

His life reminds us that Christian education is not just about instruction, but about spiritual formation that leads to transformation.

Today, his legacy continues in ACS in a very tangible way through Goh Hood Keng House. What began as the steadfast faithfulness of a teacher has become a name that continues to shape identity and belonging in the lives of students today.

The author sharing a message at a BB camp at ACS (Junior).

This idea of legacy carried across generations is something I have come to appreciate more personally. My wife Angela and I were both from Oldham House during our schooling days in ACS, and today, our sons Elijah and Elias are also in Oldham House in their respective ACS schools. There is something quietly meaningful about that continuity.

It is a reminder that these are not merely school structures or affiliations, but part of a larger story, one that connects past, present and future through shared values, identity and faith.

In many ways, this is what Rev Goh’s life points us towards. The impact of a life lived in obedience does not end with the individual. It ripples across time, often in ways unseen, shaping communities and generations beyond what we can imagine.

For me, his story speaks directly into our work in the ACS (Academy). In Singapore, we often measure impact by results and outcomes. But his life reminds us that what we do daily, patiently teaching, nurturing and walking alongside each child, carries eternal significance.

We are not just delivering lessons. We are participating in what God is doing in each life.

Working with students on the autism spectrum has deepened this conviction. Every child bears God’s image. Each one has dignity, worth and unique strengths. Progress may take time. Breakthroughs may not always be obvious. But in God’s economy, none of it is insignificant.

ACS (Academy) is, in many ways, a continuation of the mission that began in 1886. The mission has not changed. Only the context has.

The ACS spirit is not confined to schools. It is meant to be lived out wherever God places us. At a recent ACSOBA Marketplace Christian Fellowship gathering, we were reminded to seek God not only in major decisions, but in our daily choices.

In a world full of noise, the question remains: what is God leading us to do?

As we reflect on more than 140 years of ACS history, we are reminded that this is ultimately God’s story, still unfolding through each generation that chooses to respond in faith.

We do not stand alone. We stand because God has been faithful through those who have gone before us.

And now, perhaps, it is our turn to be faithful.

Where might God be calling you to serve?

For some, it may be in the marketplace. For others, in ministry. And for some, in education.

If you are discerning your next step, may I gently encourage you to consider teaching. It is not always easy but it is deeply meaningful. There is a sacred privilege in shaping lives and participating in what God is doing in the next generation.

And perhaps, in God’s grace, your faithful obedience and service, often unseen, will one day become the very reason someone else is able to stand, and in standing, come to experience His love.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

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