The Pastor Who Talks Faster Than He Runs

“The Pastor who talks faster than he runs”… so goes a line from a script of a short play at the end of a PJEFC Family Camp held in the 1980s. Punchy, clever, and concise, it brought the house down and had many in stitches that evening. The witty remark was meant as a joke, but it perfectly described one aspect of the late Reverend Loh Soon Choy’s multifaceted personality. In my opinion, no one else deserved this brilliantly devised term of endearment more than him. He was a sharp-witted pastor who could ‘talk faster than he could run’ due to his ability to think, understand, and react to situations and things very quickly. I thought that was his ‘signature feature,’ and I meant it as a compliment. And it was perhaps this trait that saved him from physical harm one day, many years ago, when he was accosted by a knife-wielding extortionist outside the Immigration office in Klang during the Chinese New Year period. The thug demanded money from Reverend, who quickly responded by saying that he was just a pastor with limited resources and then came out with a counter-offer – a red packet containing a five ringgit note and a small pocket-sized bible that he always carried with him. The unlucky fellow took the red packet but not the bible and vanished. As a result, Reverend escaped unscathed, no doubt thanks to his own wit and the Lord’s intervention.

Reverend’s multifaceted personality made him a most interesting, unique, and versatile pastor to be around. Aside from his gift of gab, he was also a people person. Perhaps God had already predestined him to be a pastor before he was born, imbuing him with this extraordinary quality when He formed him. He was gregarious, liked people, and enjoyed being around them. He was also engaging and chatty, and there was never a dull moment when he was around. People never felt intimidated when he was around them.  In fact, they felt like he was one of them. He could dine or converse with almost anyone, regardless of age or gender, and they would feel at ease, accepted, and on par with him. He had no airs or inhibitions, was genuine and transparent, and was friendly and approachable to everyone. In that way, he reminded me a lot of our Lord Jesus, who sat and dined at the same table as sinners and tax collectors. Even though he had resigned as pastor of PJEFC in 1978 to join MBS, his shepherd’s heart remained intact, as he could always be seen reaching out, shaking hands, and inquiring after all and sundry after the Sunday services in church.

Reverend and Lydia’s friendship with my husband, Chow Kwong, and I dates back to our days at Home Fellowship. We attended the same Home Fellowship (later changed to Cell Group) since the late 1980s. The Fellowship thrived, grew, and multiplied into smaller groups along the way. When this happened, Reverend would ask to be included in our group, and he stayed with us until he passed on last November. In retrospect, we had thirty years of unbroken fellowship, which resulted in a very warm and enduring friendship. He was a godsend who helped me grow and come into my own as a CG Leader by mentoring me on the sidelines in an unobtrusive way. Reverend purposefully sought me out among the sea of faces in our church’s concourse after Sunday services to offer his advice. I had no idea those were his mentoring sessions with me at the time, but I appreciated them and learned a lot from them. He not only mentored me through the rigours of leadership, but he also assisted in meeting the needs of my CG and the Ladies’ Group I led. After retiring in 2008, he told me one day that he could be my “spare tyre,” meaning a “stand-by,” which sounded too good to be true. That meant I was given carte blanche to call on him whenever I needed to. I will always be grateful to God for bestowing such an undeserved blessing on me and to Reverend for obeying him. Following that, Reverend and I made the rounds with him in the lead, visiting pre or newly converted senior relatives of our CG members as well as the Ladies’ Group in homes, nursing homes, hospitals, and funeral parlours. We would both pray and evangelise based on the needs of the people, but Reverend would perform baptisms or mini-funeral services. Those sessions turned out to be part of his mentoring, as our Lord taught his disciples in this manner. Through my observations and collaboration with Reverend, I noticed many parallels between him and the Lord in how they carried out their tasks. Jesus ministered to people in their homes, in public, and in crowds. Reverend did essentially the same thing. He was neither shy nor concerned about what others thought of him. He simply followed in the footsteps of the Lord.

Reverend had been gone for a year, but memories of him lingered in my mind. I wish I had thanked him for his contribution to my life. If only I could go back in time. If there hadn’t been a pandemic, I would have thanked him and said my goodbye. But thank God all is not lost, for I will surely meet him again on the beautiful shore of that land that is fairer than day. Until then, he will be remembered and treasured in my heart.