MRS IVY TOW
Matron of the Far Eastern Bible College

Mrs Ivy Tow, the matron of the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) and wife of the late Rev Timothy Tow, went home to the Lord on 17th May 2024. She was a woman whom God used to be a rich channel of blessing to many in the FEBC and the Bible-Presbyterian Church at large. She was a powerful influence in my life. There are just too many lessons which I have learnt from her. I would like to list down just some ways in which she has impacted me in this short article, in praise to God for her.

First, I thank God for how she taught me the doctrine of divine providence. Mrs Tow used to remind the students in almost every Opening Day of Prayer of FEBC of how the college had only three students, when she opened her doors on 17th September 1962. There was little furniture. The halls of the college were truly halls of “majestic emptiness”. However, the Rev Timothy Tow encouraged the students from Psalm 34:10 – “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” I saw how this was exemplified in Mrs Tow’s life. She often trusted God for her provisions and God never left her with any lack in her life. Indeed, God will never leave any of his servants desolate.

Secondly, I thank God for her loving care when I started studying in FEBC in January 2009. She knew the difficulties I had in adapting to college life and the emotional upheavals I had in my heart. During meal time, she would always leave some extras for me. She would say, “Clem. Eat” and gave me the extra food. Interestingly, the extras for my first semester were often brinjal, which I heavily disliked. Brinjal caused my stomach to churn! However, I ate all of it without complaining because I knew she was trying to encourage me. It was only in the later years when some time had passed, after I graduated from FEBC that I dared to share this truth with her. She just laughed it away. Through this, I also learnt to give thanks for the food which God has provided and not to waste any morsel as far as possible.

Thirdly, I thank God that Mrs Tow gave me an opportunity to drive the FEBC van for marketing, as part of my student duties in FEBC. What was most astounding was the fact that I had just been involved in a major accident driving my family’s car along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE). The car hit the divider and missed the tree by mere centimetres. The damage to the car was so major that it needed to be scrapped. I explained this to Mrs Tow and told her that I might not be the most suitable person to drive the FEBC van. She scolded me and told me to get on with my duty. I praise God for her faith towards Him and her love towards me. It is still a decision that amazes me this day. However, it prepared me on how to drive the church van, which is important in the ministry in Singapore. By the grace and mercy of God, since Mrs Tow had asked me to drive the church van, I had not met with further accidents. Indeed, safety is of the LORD (Psalm 121). The marketing sessions also proved most valuable in preparing me for married life. I missed the marketing sessions together with Mrs Tow.

Lastly, I am most thankful to Mrs Tow and her daughter, the late Jemima Khoo, for encouraging and granting my wife and I several opportunities to go for the Holy Land and Bible Land Pilgrimages with the FEBC. We had our honeymoon in the land filled with milk and honey! I came to understand that these pilgrimages were not tours but trips where we walked the land in faith with an open Bible, so that we may learn rich lessons from the Lord. I have also learnt the preciousness of learning the Bible, not just individually but together with God’s people on the pilgrimage. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) I knew how much she loved to go to the Holy Land. My regret is that by the time the Lord allowed Tabernacle BPC to organise her first Holy Land Pilgrimage, I could not bring Mrs Tow any more as she was in her later months. Nevertheless, seeing how the Lord had blessed the pilgrims during the Holy Land Pilgrimage, I am also thankful for the rich blessings that I had received from my earlier trips.

In conclusion, I would like to end this article with the following testimony of Reverend Timothy Tow in his autobiography, Son of a Mother’s Vow.

“When Ivy first joined FEBC she asked me this question, ‘Since I cannot be a pastor, what could I do when I graduate?’ ‘ Well,’ said I, “If you are faithful to your day-to-day work and are willing to scrub the floor and polish the church furniture, God will use you when you graduate.’” The Lord indeed used Mrs Tow to the blessing of many in FEBC and the Bible -Presbyterian Church.

The principle of the words which Reverend Tow gave to Mrs Tow are still pertinent today. “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matt. 23:12) The Lord will use those who will humbly surrender their all to Him.

Yours affectionately,
Pastor Clement Chew