Deacon Nathan: Four Years of Faithful Service to JCC’s Dialect Ministry
In 2021, after the retirement of the Dialect Ministry’s previous deacon, JCC faced a difficult challenge to find a replacement with a strong command of Hokkien. However, God provided us two candidates for the DLT and English Council to consider. The final choice was Deacon Nathan, an Indonesian missionary who had just completed his service in Cambodia and was in Singapore at that time.
Despite his Hokkien having a heavy Penang accent, Deacon Nathan was chosen for the role.
Over the past 4 years, he has adapted to speaking the Singapore version of Hokkien. Beyond the language, he also brought new energy to the Dialect Ministry, especially in home and hospital visits. He visited elders frequently in their homes, hospitals, and other institutions, often bringing along his wife, Florence, and different groups of DLT or JCC members.
Deacon Nathan enhanced the Dialect cell group by expanding it to include songs, exercises, games, short messages, and a hi-tea, with assistance from the Café Moriah team on some occasions. This was made possible with the support of many retired DLT members, who were able to volunteer their time.
Deacon Nathan was quick to get involved with the Goshen Bridges program of JCC. He recognized that many of the elderly Hokkien-speaking residents in the neighbourhood would be a perfect fit for the Dialect Ministry. He joined the Manna Bridge home visits to distribute bread and connect with residents. He and Florence even went the extra mile, often pushing elderly individuals in their wheelchairs from their nearby homes to the church.
Deacon Nathan collaborated with Baker’s Hut and the Prayer team to organize a monthly Exercise and Prayer meeting for the elderly on the last Saturday of each month. The Prayer team members would come to pray for the attendees and the Baker’s Hut will invite them to taste the bread or cakes they baked. The alternate Saturday Men’s Walk was also one of his initiatives and in the past 2 years, he expanded it to include an annual trip to Johor Bahru (JB), with a visit to the JB Lutheran Church. The most recent trip took place on 15th August 2025.
Various outings were organized during Deacon Nathan’s term, including going for a movie (“Money Not Enough 3” – Mar 2024) and a visit to Mandai Bird Paradise (May 2024). In-house events like Christmas parties, the Worshippers Retreat, Mid-Autumn fun, and Dialect Ministry Anniversaries were all great opportunities for fun, fellowship, and community building.
In 2023, Deacon Nathan led the DLT on a summit and retreat to his home church in Medan. Unfortunately, in 2024, he was diagnosed with pneumothorax (a collapsed lung), which prevented him from joining the DLT for their retreat at Talulah Hill Farm Resort in JB. Due to health issues and some personal matters, he has decided to leave JCC and return to his hometown.
JCC Dialect Ministry said their farewell to Deacon Nathan on Sunday 17th August. He was presented with a gift, and Rev. Ximi prayed for him. Afterwards, there were refreshments and photo-taking with the elderly members of the Dialect congregation. The elders will surely miss him, as he frequently visited and provided them with support.
View this event on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4KgHEvTu6xc
The DLT will also miss him and Florence, but they have agreed to join us for this year’s DLT travel fun to Kota Kinabalu at the end of August 2025 for the last time. This self-funded trip is a personal get-together among friends rather than an official summit or retreat.
To Deacon Nathan and Florence, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for their four years of dedicated service to JCC. We wish them God’s continued guidance in their mission.
Martin Cheah
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