Looking Back: Rev David Gwee Reflects On His Ministry At CCMC
- Loaves+Fishes
- Jun 27
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 29
As CCMC’s Pastor-in-Charge Rev David Gwee prepares to take up a new appointment at another church, Loaves+Fishes speaks with him to reflect on his 3 years with us.
Q: You took the helm at CCMC on 1 June 2022. What would you consider to be the highlights for our church in the past 3 years?
L-R: Blessing MGS Staff with Lunch, Blessing MGS Students with the Life of Sophia Blackmore book,
CCMC Community Picnic
A: 2024 was exciting as it was our 30th anniversary. We started with a sermon series ‘Experiencing the Spirit’ where our congregants were encouraged to read the book of the same name and have discussions.
We also had more than 30 blessing projects, including major ones such as Movie Night, Blessing MGS Staff (Lunch) and students (Sophia Blackmore book), Church Picnic, Carnival/Fiesta, and Christmas Play at the Christmas Service.
L-R: CCMC Fiesta, Christmas Service 2024, Blessing Migrant Workers in Blackmore Drive
We also had various outreach and charitable works such as blessing low wage workers in nearby condos, home helpers and migrant workers, and sponsoring and visiting residents in nursing homes.
Q: How would you say the church body has grown over the years?
A: I think many are now more clued in in the work of the Spirit in our lives and our church. We also have become more outreach-oriented.
Q: What would you consider to be your personal highlights in the past 3 years?
Rev David Gwee with some of CCMC's staff, leaders and members
A: That the leaders, staff and members were very supportive of me and that we were able to pull together and carry out work effectively for God’s kingdom.
Q: What would you have done differently, if anything at all?
A: At the very beginning, I may have been slightly hasty in certain decisions. I’ve learnt to become more circumspect. But by and large, God has kindly granted me much guidance and there are few things that I would redo.
Q: In an interview with Loaves+Fishes in July 2022, you shared how you came to serve full-time after struggling with the decision for 2 years. You provided a short story to summarise your journey, and said the long story was a lot more interesting. Care to expand on this now?
A: My call to enter full-time ministry began sometime in late 2000. I was lying in bed, having just woken up. It was still dark. Suddenly, God said to me, “Go Full-Time”. It was so out of the blue that I immediately dismissed it as my imagination. However, I did tell my wife Dawn, “Something happened to me but I’m not going to tell you because it’s too scary.” At that time I was working in Hewlett Packard earning a good salary and was reasonably happy there.
As time went by, I began to feel holy discontent. Sitting in meetings I would question the importance of what I was doing and was dissatisfied that I was not directly contributing to the welfare of people and society.
Then from 6 to 8 July 2001, I attended the TRAC Young Methodist Leaders Conference. During one of the sessions, there was an altar call for those who felt led to into full-time ministry. I felt rooted to the spot and did not go up. Suddenly, Pastor John Foo Fook Heng was beside me, asking me whether he could pray with me. I agreed. After he prayed, I asked him, “Why did you come all the way to the back to pray for me?” His answer was that he just felt led to pray for me. That night, I shared with our TMC group that I felt that it was God’s call to go into full-time ministry. I also shared this with Dawn, my parents and my close friends.
On 15 August, I had lunch with my PIC, Rev Philip Lim, to share with him my calling. He gave me a lot of encouragement. I guess that at the time, I didn’t feel the real sense of urgency to go ahead.
On 22 August 2001, I was retrenched from HP. Strangely, although I felt sadness at leaving behind colleagues who had become good friends, I was not devastated as I would have expected.
On 24 August 2001, I had lunch with Chong Hiok who felt that I had been called.
I took the time off to seek God by prayer, reading His word and meditating on his direction for my life. I also worked as an intern in Trinity MC for 5 months. On 9 September 2001, Rev Dr Issac Lim and Bishop Robert Solomon spoke from the pulpit on TMC’s anniversary. Both of them issued a call for more pastors.
I felt that God was personally speaking to me. Finally, Dawn and I took a retreat for a few days from 25 to 27 January 2002. Although I felt reasonably sure about going into full-time ministry, it was difficult for me to take the step of drastically reducing my income as my monthly payments for my HDB flat were not small. Also, the mortgage will not be fully paid up until 2021. In addition, Dawn had yet to arrive at the same conviction with me that I should enter the ministry.
So in April 2002, I accepted a sales position in a major Singaporean IT corporation but frequently pondered my calling. Early in December, my heart was heavy as I felt I was not heeding God’s call. I awoke at about 4am and asked God to tell me clearly what I should do. He led me to read Psalm 62, strongly convicting me again to enter into full-time ministry. That day at the weekly meeting, the mild-mannered sales manager said something out of character, to the effect of leaving if one felt that one was unsuitable for the job. Immediately, I called Dawn and told her that I really believed that God wanted me to go into the ministry. This time, she shared with me that she too, that very morning heard God’s call during her quiet time. I immediately made preparations to resign and apply for admission into TTC. In July 2003, I began my Master of Divinity programme there.
I graduated in 2006 and after approval by TRAC, was appointed to Barker Road Methodist Church as Member-on-Trial. Thus began my pastoral ministry.
Q: As you leave CCMC to take on your new post, what would be your prayers for our church and our members?
A: One is the same as 3 years ago when I first arrived: I deeply wish for everyone in CCMC to love the church dearly. Not the building or the organisation, but the people. When that happens, we will see the true vibrancy of the church as it was meant to be.
Two: that everyone in CCMC deeply experiences the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Three: that everyone in CCMC has an outreach mindset and acts on that mindset.
Q: You moved west to CCMC and you will be moving back east to Bedok Methodist Church. What will you miss most of our neighbourhood?
A: That it is an easier drive! Haha! I will miss MGS because of the vibrancy of the school: Students, Staff and Activities. And the convenience of and low cost canteen food!
I’ll have to admit I won’t miss the jams coming into the school at the start of school! Bukit Timah is a nice area. Thankfully, Bedok isn’t too bad either. I’ve been blessed to be in these two nice areas.
Read Rev David Gwee’s first interview with Loaves+Fishes in July 2022 here:
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