How We Started
Christian counselling in Singapore has developed over decades through the dedication of faith leaders, institutions, and community movements. This timeline highlights key milestones that have shaped the landscape of Christian mental health support in the nation.
Disclaimer: The following highlights are derived from a broad overview of the historical and developmental trends in Christian counselling in Singapore. They are intended to provide general insights and may not capture all perspectives or developments in the field.
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1950s: Foundations in
Prison Ministry
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1952: Rev Khoo Siaw Hua initiated the first prison ministry at Changi Prison.
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1953: The Singapore Government formally recognized Prison Ministry and Chaplaincy services.
1970s: Growth of Halfway Houses and Rehabilitation Ministries
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1973: House of Grace was founded by Sister Christina Gwee.
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1978: It was renamed The Hiding Place, led by Phillip and Christina Chan.
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1974: Rehabilitative Life Limited was registered and later renamed Prison Fellowship Singapore in 1985.
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Subsequently, other Christian halfway houses were established
1960s: Establishing Counselling Services
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1966: The Churches' Counselling Service was launched as a pilot initiative by Wesley Methodist Church and St Andrew’s Cathedral.
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1976: It was renamed the Counselling and Care Centre, under the leadership of Mr Anthony Yeo. They pioneered the first counsellor training program in Singapore.
1980s to 1990s: Expansion of Lay Counselling
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1991: Wesley Methodist Church established Wesley Counselling Services to provide Christian-based counselling services to individuals, couples and families from their church and the community.
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Other churches began to increase their focus on training lay leaders with basic counselling skills.
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Danny & Julie Ng pioneered Wholistic Christian Counselling and Spirituality in Asia (WCCSA). Annual conferences organised by WCCSA contributed to a greater awareness of counselling as a service to the churches and the community.
2004 - Present: Founding of ACCS
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2004: Association of Christian Counsellors (ACCS) was founded by Pastor Spencer Lee to advance the cause of lay counselling in the churches. To facilitate lay counselling within churches, ACCS conducted training to equip lay counsellors.
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2018: ACCS became the 6th member of Asian Christian Counselling Association (ACCA). As of 2025, ACCA has a total of 15 member countries.
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2019: ACCS hosted the first online ACCA conference with more than 1000 participants from 37 countries.
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2020: ACCS introduced the Code of Ethics as a precedent document to provide contextual relevance to support the Christian counselling profession in Singapore
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2023: ACCS was renamed as Association for Christian Counselling (Singapore) to reflect its focus to promote Christian counselling standards and collaboration. The Constitution of ACCS was updated to reflect its broader role and focus.
2000–2020s: Development of Faith-Based Counsellor Education
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Singapore Bible College:
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2001: Master of Arts in Pastoral Counselling (no longer offered)
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2009: Master of Arts in Counselling
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TCA College:
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2006: Postgraduate Diploma in Counseling (no longer offered)
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2012: Master of Arts in Counseling
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Asian Pastoral Institute:
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2022: Master of Arts in Counselling and Community Work
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Course Recognition - As of 2025, the various faith-based counsellor education programmes have been recognised by Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC)
2020s onwards: Mental Health and the Church
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2020: The first Pastors Mental Health Survey was carried out by Focus on the Family Singapore, ACCS, Promises Healthcare and Christian Mental Health Advocates (CMHA), receiving 400 responses.
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2021: The first Christian Mental Health Conference (CMHC) organised by ACCS, Promises Healthcare and CMHA, was held online with close to 800 participants.
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2022: The Second Christian Mental Health Conference (CMHC) was held at Farrer Park Hotel with 150 pastors in attendance.
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2023: The second Pastors Mental Health Survey for church leaders received 659 responses.
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2023: Introduction of the Pastors' Mental Health Fund to provide co-payment support for ministry staff and their families seeking professional care.
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January 2024: The Christian Mental Health Conference (CMHC) Organising Committee engaged nearly 100 senior pastors at the LOVE SINGAPORE Pastor’s Summit in Melaka.
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April 2024: ACCS launched a Mental Well-Being Survey targeting non-pastoral church staff.
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September 2024: The second Pastors’ Lunch and Dialogue was held at St Andrew’s Cathedral, fostering collaboration among CMHC partners and church leaders.
