About Us

The mission of Disciple Agency (DA) is to build the Body of Christ through the promotion and development of the DISCIPLE Bible Study materials and other related programmes. The Agency has progressed from coordinating and promoting the key Bible Study resource “DISCIPLE” to including other resources like the Spiritual Formation material “Companions in Christ”.

BRIEF HISTORY – U.S.A

Photo: Courtesy of Cokesbury

March 1986
A group of eighteen gathered in Flower Mound, TX, committed to a dream of developing a Bible study for training Christian Disciples. Together they shaped the dream into a vision of what became DISCIPLE: BECOMING DISCIPLES THROUGH BIBLE STUDY.

July of 1989
Three years after the Flower Mound gathering that gave birth to DISCIPLE, word had come across the church that lives were being changed and churches renewed. A group gathered once again and took on the challenge of providing another life-changing study. The result was DISCIPLE: INTO THE WORD INTO THE WORLD with the challenge of going deeper into the Word and out into the world.

December of 1992
A third gathering took place and the third study took shape. Experience confirmed direction and congregations were ready to confront and be confronted by the hard words of the prophets. The message was simple: Recall your past and your roots - DISCIPLE: REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE was published.

2001
The fourth and final study of the four-phase DISCIPLE program was published. From Creation to the New Jerusalem – that was the promise and the vision. DISCIPLE: UNDER THE TREE OF LIFE was published. The journey was long and in-depth and would take congregations through the Bible twice.

 

BRIEF HISTORY – SINGAPORE
1991-1992
Bishop Richard B. Wilke & his team (which included Mrs Wini Grizzle) introduced DISCIPLE to Singapore - upon the recommendatin of Rev Lee Lee Castor. TRAC Bo Evangelism (English) and CAC Bo Christian Education (Mandarin) were responsible for program. Arrangements were made to send persons to USA to be certified as Trainers by participating in the Trainers' Event.

1992
First Leaders' Training Seminar (Mandarin) was conducted.

1993
Lay Training Centre (LTC) CAC-BDN set up to promote DISCIPLE.

1997
DISCIPLE TASK FORCE (DTF) was set up on 1st August.

1998
DTF became DISCIPLE AGENCY (DA) on 1st August. DA secured contractual agreement with Cokesbury in the development of DISCIPLE in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

2001
10th Anniversary Celebration held on 21st October in PLMC.

2005
1st Trainers' Event (outside of USA) held in Singapore attended by 60 trainers both veterans and news trainers from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and UK was conducted by Mrs Wini Grizzle (assisted by Mr George Grizzle).

2007
A new programme 'Companions in Christ' is launched. One of the authors, Rev Marjorie Thompson as invited to Singapore to conduct the very first training in this region. A spiritual retreat was also conducted by her for a group of clergy.

2008
1st Chinese Trainers' Event conducted in Sofitel Palm Resort, JB by a team of veterans (Rev Goh Nai Lat from Singapore, Rev Lau Hui Ming from Sarawak, Mrs Helly Hong from PJ, Rev Wilson Chan; Rev Paul Kan and Rev May Poon from Hong Kong).

2011     
20^th Anniversary Celebrations held on 14^th July in Toa Payoh Methodist Church. Prior to the Celebrations, the 3^rd Trainers’ Event was held at Methodist Centre for both local and overseas trainers. Representatives from Australia and China were included into the existing pool of trainers.

2012      
The completion of Chinese translation for DISCIPLE 4: Under the tree of life, the final study in the four-phase DISCIPLE programme.