Letter of Condolence to the Co-workers in the Philippines, the Church in Cebu, and the Wife and Children of Brother David Tan 致菲律宾众同工，宿务市召会和David Tan弟兄的妻子及儿女的吊唁信

Our dear Brother David Tan departed to be with the Lord on March 16. We brothers are deeply saddened by his departure. Brother Tan served the Lord full time for sixty years. In his early years he participated in the perfecting training for the co-workers that was conducted by Brother Witness Lee in Taipei, and then he went back to the Philippines to serve full time. He first served in Manila, Caloocan, and other localities in the north; later, he served in the church in Cebu for over forty years while also caring for the churches in the southern Philippines. Brother Tan served faithfully and always stood firmly with the ministry even during the time of turmoil in the church. Because of him the church in Cebu and the churches in the southern Philippines have followed the leading of the ministry steadfastly with one accord throughout these years.

In recent years many new buildings have been added to the church in Cebu and the surrounding areas, and the church is continually spreading. Yet at such a time our brother was suddenly taken by the Lord. We greatly mourn the loss of such a senior brother who was full of the experiences of the Lord. But we have the assurance that our brother’s departure was victorious and that at the Lord’s coming a crown of righteousness will be laid up for him. We, the brothers here, would like to encourage you to go on in the Lord and to follow the wonderful pattern of our brother to serve the Lord faithfully. We would like to share with you the following two verses for our mutual encouragement and comfort:

1 Cor. 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

2 Cor. 1:4: “Who comforts us in all our affliction that we may be able to comfort those who are in every affliction through the comforting with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

The blending brothers in the Lord’s recovery

March 29, 2017