Cornerstone Community Church

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Cornerstone Community Church (CSCC) (simplified Chinese: 房角石教会) is an independent, Pentecostal multi-congregational Church based in Singapore. The church currently runs 7 services over the weekend, comprising its English, Mandarin, African, Indonesian, Filipino, Youth and Children congregations.^[1] It is committed to global missions, and has affiliate congregations in Kenya, Uganda, Myanmar, Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia, Australia and in other parts of the world. ^[2]

Led by Rev. Yang Tuck Yoong, the founder and senior pastor, the church seeks to be on the cutting edge of the prophetic anointing and to become a voice to the nations. Cornerstone is part of the Zion Fellowship of churches, under the leadership of Dr. Brian Bailey, based in Waverly, New York.

1 History
2 Vision
3 Opponent of Homosexuality
4 Lobbying of Government on Homosexuality Issues
5 Letter to Time Magazine in September 2003
6 Notes

[edit] History

Cornerstone Community Church was established in 1990 under the umbrella of the Anglican Church in Singapore, then known as "Bedok Christian Centre". On January 1, 1994, the name of the church was changed to Cornerstone Community Church to better reflect the growing diversity and ministry of the congregation, and on June 2, 1995, to further facilitate the spiritual calling of the church, it became an independent Pentecostal church. On July 16, 2000, it became officially affiliated with Zion Ministerial Fellowship Inc., a ministerial fellowship based in Waverly, New York. ^[3]

[edit] Vision

The vision of the church is to love God and know Him first of all, and to give of itself to the end-time harvest, with the mind of raising, training and sending its labourers into the nations. The church seeks to be: ^[4]

An Apostolic Church A Church that is always about the Great Commission; preaching the gospel to all nations, engaging in missions through training, giving of finances, sending out of missionaries (short term and long term), church planting, partnering and networking, and always having upon our hearts the desire to fulfill Jesus' command to go and make disciples of all nations.

A Glorious Perfected Bride A people sanctified by Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit, holy and without blemish, having an onward vision towards the Zion of God; longing and yearning for the coming of the Bridegroom, making every effort to get ready for the return of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

A House of Prayer for All Nations Every believer trained to intercede and brought to a place where they are committed to pray individually and corporately. To grow beyond praying for personal needs to the carrying of the Lord's burden for the nations. To be a house where there will be ongoing prayer, and where prayer becomes a primary focus of all that they do.

A Prophetic Voice to the Nations Being constantly at the cutting edge of what God is saying to the nation(s) and to be a people who knows the times and seasons. Becoming a clear voice used by God, proclaiming the purposes and plans of God for His Church and for the nations.

A Pattern for Others To be a pattern that God would want others to see and emulate. A Church aligned to His divine plumb-line by which others will take their measurements from. A people who will effectively be salt and light influencing and impacting every strata of society for His glory.

A Temple of the Holy Spirit Every livingstone connected and fitted together in love and unity, offering true and pleasing worship to the Lord. A dwelling place for the tangible manifest presence of God, where the holiness and the glory of God is powerfully manifested.

A Family of God's People Connected relationally in a network of cell communities for the purpose of growing in Christlikeness, loving and serving one another and to do the work of the ministry.

[edit] Opponent of Homosexuality

Yang came into the attention of the Singaporean public in 2004 in an article titled "Gay Backlash." ^[5] Published in The Straits Times, the local daily of the island nation, the article summarised the responses of Christian organisations in Singapore towards an interview with Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, in which he announced his government is open to employment of homosexuals, despite homosexual acts still being illegal. The article reported that Yang, together with a group group of 20 Christians from different denominations, voluntary organisations and professions, met to discuss a strategy and plan of action for Christians to tackle what they termed as a "volatile situation."

The meeting supposedly ended with a decision to draft an immediate plan of action that every pastor and church can adopt in a battle against homosexuality. In particular, Yang called for Christians to "express their concern" to their Member of Parliament, through letters or during Meet-the-People sessions, and send their views to the Feedback Unit and write letters to the media. Though Yang subsequently varied the details of the meeting, and also denied being the main organizer, the website of his church did publish a statement on July 20, 2003 titled "Don't Keep Silent." In it, the statement wrote "We cannot stand idly by. Homosexuality is a sin and it is far more rampant, militant and organised than most of us actually believe it to be. The battle lines are now drawn and it is time for the Church in Singapore to rise up and make a stand."

[edit] Lobbying of Government on Homosexuality Issues

Yang also issued a letter dated Jul 19, 2003, in which he encouraged associates to feedback their negativity on the subject to the government. He believed such a lobbying effort to be very effective, and even included a sample form letter of how the letter should be written. ^[6]

The elements of the letter is curiously similar to an alleged email by Pastor Derek Hong of Church of Our Saviour, another Singapore church also with a strong anti-homosexuality agenda. The alleged email surfaced during the 2007 debate on whether penal code 377a, which criminalises sexual acts between men, should be removed from the Singapore Penal Code.

[edit] Letter to Time Magazine in September 2003

In September 2003, Yang issued a feedback to Time Magazine whereby he accused the magazine of glamouring an illegal and condemned lifestyle in an article that reviewed the gay scene in Singapore. ^[7]. He also stated that the people of Singapore has spoken against the subject. No evidence of this claim, however, was provided in Yang's letter. Yang also did not mention that there is no specific penal code within Singaporean Law that criminalizes homosexuality. There is only a penal code 377a, which specifically criminalizes the act of sodomy between two men, without mentioning homosexuality.