James Wong Yui Kok (1939—2022)

Country of Origin

Singapore

Countries/Regions of Ministry

Singapore

Traditions

Anglican
Charismatic

Ministries

Priest
Church planter

James Wong was an instrumental leader in the Charismatic Renewal in Singapore. He was born on September 21, 1939, in Singapore, to Wong Wing Sum and Chan Pui Fong. Wong came to know Jesus at eighteen while studying in Manly Boys’ High School in Sydney, Australia. In February 1958, he visited St. Matthew’s Church, where he was deeply moved by the message. Although no altar call was given that night, he immediately surrendered his life to Jesus and dedicated himself to serving him.

Wong’s conversion was accompanied by a passion to share Jesus with everyone. Once, Wong converted an immigrant while riding the subway and led him in a Bible study, even though Wong himself was a new believer. Wong’s faith journey came at a personal cost as he was disowned by his family for converting to Christianity and cut off from their financial support. It was in this crucible of zeal and hardship that Wong’s early faith took root, shaping him to depend on the Lord always for all things.

After graduating from high school, Wong pursued theological training, enrolling in the Sydney Missionary and Bible College while pursuing his BA in Psychology and Education at the University of Sydney. He returned to Singapore in February 1963 and started work as a teacher in St. Andrews’ School for eighteen months. It was during this short stint as a teacher that Wong received the call to full-time ministry. He left teaching and pursued a Bachelor of Divinity at Trinity Theological College in 1964. Wong was ordained as a deacon in the Anglican Church by Bishop C. K. Sansbury in February 1966 and as a priest by Bishop Chiu Ban It the following year.

Wong furthered his studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he became the first Singaporean to attain an MA in missions, graduating in May 1972. Under professors like Donald McGraven and Peter Wagner, a holy dissatisfaction stirred within Wong regarding the state of the Anglican Church in Singapore. Through his research, Wong noticed that the Anglican Church had hardly grown in Singapore over the last 150 years. This ignited in him a desire to dream of planting churches across the nation.

Wong returned to Singapore in September 1972 and was appointed Priest over a youthful congregation at the Church of the Good Shepherd. Yet, even before his return, the wind of the Spirit had already been blowing. Since June 1972, various students from the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) gathered at the school’s clock tower every morning to pray and experienced an outpouring of the Spirit with the gift of speaking in tongues. This outpouring eventually spread to many students in other schools across Singapore.

On November 7 and 11, 1972, The Straits Times published two articles condemning the youth’s experience as trancelike and occultic. Wong was subsequently asked by the Scripture Union to investigate what was happening among the youth. One student whom Wong spoke to asked about his thoughts on the Holy Spirit, to which Wong humbly replied, “I don’t know too much…but I will find out.” It was in this duality of openness and caution that Wong sought the Lord for an answer. In January 1973, he encountered the Holy Spirit powerfully in his home and received the gift of speaking in tongues. Wong eventually discerned that the students’ experiences were a genuine work of the Holy Spirit, giving the movement ecclesial recognition. This movement was eventually known as the ACS Clock Tower Revival, marking the beginning of the Charismatic Renewal in Singapore.

Wong and Bishop Chiu Ban It subsequently became the main advocates of the Charismatic Renewal, inviting many Charismatic speakers to preach in their churches. Their openness to charismatic expression was initially met with fierce opposition, including accusations of conducting services that were “un-Anglican.” Nevertheless, they persisted in the face of intense personal attacks and institutional resistance. By the end of the decade, the tide began to turn, and the renewal extended beyond the Anglicans to influence other traditions, including Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, and Lutherans.

Wong’s earlier dream of planting churches also came to fruition as he started various extension centers which became parishes across the nation. Alongside church planting, Wong discipled many notable Christian leaders in Singapore, including Kong Hee, who would later pastor City Harvest Church, one of Singapore's megachurches. Wong was also actively involved in the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship and founded the Festival of Praise in 1986. This was an inter-church gathering where believers set aside denominational differences to worship the Lord together. Under Wong's leadership, it grew to over 10,000 attendees.

Wong died in Singapore on April 8, 2022, at the age of 83, after years of battling Parkinson’s disease. His life left an indelible mark on Singapore's spiritual landscape, particularly through the Charismatic Renewal, which ushered in a new wave of the Holy Spirit.

Kelvin Tan

City Harvest Church, Singapore

For Further Reading:

Wong, James, and Timothy Wong. Antioch Calling: From Dreams to Visions. Singapore, 2026. Antioch Calling: From Dreams to Visions..
Poon, Michael, and Malcolm Tan, eds. The Clock Tower Story: The Beginnings of the Charismatic Renewals in Singapore. 40th Anniversary Edition. CSCA Occasional Paper Series. Trinity Theological College, 2012.