Tributes from Many Individuals The messages below are an ongoing compilation of notes, tributes and memories shared from around the world. Some were received by Eric during his last few months, while others were submitted via messages@ekirton.com since his death. Some messages have been edited for conciseness. Dear Mr Kirton I want to express my gratitude to you, for your steadfast faith in God, for your exemplary Christ-like character, and for your devotion to teaching the Word, preaching the gospel, edifying His people and making available good Christian literature. Thank you. I remember well the Residential Bible School (RBS) 1993, where you taught the 'Doctrine' sessions. Those lessons challenged me to think systematically about the tenets of Christianity. Thanks for bringing good cheer to the campus - including 'getting lost' driving the girls' van in the streets of Penang while the guys prepared a Valentine's Day surprise back at the school! More importantly, I appreciate, especially in more recent years, the vignettes of your life that you shared at RBS and in your many sermons that I've been privileged to hear. How you came to Malaysia so many years ago, how you loved and cared for your wife when she was bed-ridden, how God is good and true, omniscient and omnipotent through it all. Some of your experiences that bear testimony to an honest, faithful, joyful Christian life will stay with me. One sermon illustration stands out - the story of you spotting that prized butterfly and staking out for a week in the hope of netting it. Then came Sunday and you were tempted to go to the woods, but had to drag yourself to church (I probably embellish a little). As a restless teenager, I so very much related to that - and still do sometimes. You delivered every gospel message with freshness. Thanks to you, the image of archers missing the mark - and "Sin!" resonating in a stadium - sticks in my mind. I've heard through Colin how God provided for your family, at precisely the right time for exact needs. Quite like my parents' experience, now that I am aware of how things were for a remarkable generation of church leaders, who lived by faith, day by day. My wife and I were blessed through your leadership of the Klang Valley Bible Conference (KVBC) and Evangel. A while back, when you learnt that I was writing a newspaper column, you said the important thing is what I write for the Lord. I have kept that in mind, and will continue to. We are striving to do all things for His purposes and glory - difficult as this is oftentimes. Your life encourages us to keep at it. Lee Hwok Aun & Jacqui Dearest Mr Kirton, I want you to know that I have treasured your fellowship over the years. Come to think of it, we do go a long way back! How well I recall the first time I met you in Kota Baru when the Grays invited you for a gospel effort. I had never in my life met anyone with such deep, piercing blue eyes! I must confess to being scared and keeping a safe distance from this Scottish speaker with the crisp, clear accent. Years later in Bentong, you became a regular feature and I enjoyed the times shared over a cup of tea in between the Lord's Supper and the evening gospel meeting. You used to bristle in indignation over those drivers who acted like kings of the modern road. I remember you arrived a bit late one Sunday morning because you had stopped to send an accident victim to the hospital. You grew even taller in my eyes that weekend than your already tall frame. Soon after, you officiated our wedding. That was almost 33 years ago! Thank you for not allowing me to attempt to memorise and say my own vows! Philip still reminds me that I did not utter the "I do"! A couple of years later, we took a drive to Kuantan to seek your counsel about our stepping out into full time ministry. The warmth with which Mrs Kirton and you received us and the hospitality extended to us touched me deeply. Thank you for all that you have been, dear Mr Kirton. I have always enjoyed the banter exchanged at camps where we met or at the chance meetings in Evangel. You will always hold a very special place in our hearts. Kok Poh Kim Dear Mr Curtain, Did know many of us young people at Jalan Imbi Chapel thot that was how your name was spelt!!! That was so very long ago. We had this awesome respect for this Scottish missionary who had a local Malaysian wife, bred Labradors, had vast knowledge on all kinds of subjects, e.g. butterflies, etc, and didn't quite fit the typical missionary 'type'. Later on when I returned to KL as a newly-married, I met you at Bangsar Gospel Centre. I remember you were in great pain after a hernia op at Pantai Hospital and almost bullied you to take painkillers! Sometime after that, somehow I found out you were so very teasable and I did so enjoy teasing you ... till as a submissive wife, I took Hong Jin seriously when he said that I'd perhaps gone overboard. Can I apologise for that? I've fond memories of you, mainly preaching and discussing regarding many issues about life, etc. Sometimes I remember you preaching in a bright green tie! You always sought to bring us the Word of the Lord and to encourage us to walk intimately with Him. You've spoken at so many churches, so you may not remember, but I remember the camp at Bagan Lalang in 2002. You shared honestly many of your own life's experiences – a good captivating story teller [I remember about Diotrephes!] with your own brand of Scottish humour. I want to say thank you, Mr Kirton, and to take this opportunity to affirm you that you are highly favoured of the Lord. Lee Yoke Kuan Dear Uncle (this is what I started calling you in 1961 when as a 12 year old I first attended Sunday School in the Gospel Hall in Gaol Road and that is what you will always be to me): You and Aunty have always occupied a central part of my memory as the both of you had a very profound effect on my life. I have passed the official Malaysian retirement age and I look back on my relatively blessed life and the fondest memories that I have are of my teens which I spent in Kuantan. My life then to a great extent revolved around initially Gospel Hall and subsequently Kuantan Chapel. You and Aunty played a significant role in providing a solid spiritual foundation and in shaping my values, most of which I have retained to this day. Your home which was open to all the youths was a welcome haven for all of us. There was plenty of singing and playing of games (and the odd courtships), many happy hours were spent there and I thank you for your generosity to us. We were young and impressionable and we could not have asked for better mentors to prepare us for the future. I look back at the happy times when we piled into your Ford Falcon station-wagon, making those trips to Sungai Lembing and Pekan. I remember visiting you in the 70's in Anniesland in Glasgow. I remember you sending me off to study in the UK in 1970 with a reading of Psalm 121 which has remained my favourite passage of Scripture. Fond memory after fond memory comes flooding back. I owe much to you, as do many others, as I know that you have touched many, many lives. You have the assurance that yours has been a useful life. Wilson Johnson You have been an inspiration to me in your life and service, your down-to-earth manner of expressing your devotion to Christ, your fortitude at Cheng Kim’s departure into His presence, your willingness to do humble service – no task is too small for you – and your life application of God's Word. These have made a deep impression on me. Ooi Chin Aik You (and your entire family) have been the light that pointed me to the Lord. My heartfelt thanks to you for being such a great and faithful servant. Tan Man Wah As I thought of my time in Kuantan, about 40 years ago, my heart is filled with gratitude for all that you have done in my life – the messages you preached (especially the ones on salvation and discipleship – which I heard when I was a non-Christian); the fellowship we had in your home – I still have fond memories of the many afternoon teas (especially the pancakes baked by Mrs Kirton) we had. Like the Apostle Paul, you poured out your life for the Lord and for us Kuantan folks – I am sure great rewards await you in Heaven. Katherine and I would like to thank you for marrying us at Jalan Gasing Gospel Hall in 1976. I think we did not adequately repay you for all the effort and time you expended on our behalf. Philip Cheong We always cherish the fellowship, grateful for the early years in Kuantan Chapel. By God's grace, you have brought us growth and deeper relationship with God. Today, we are still believing and serving. Thank you. Praise the Lord. Lee Koon Yew and family I shared many special occasions with Mr Kirton as I grew up in Kuantan during the early days. He was a great man of faith who made a significant impact on my life. He was both a spiritual father to me as well as a father figure as my own dad was always away and a bit distant. He has fought the fight, kept the faith and finished the race. I praise God for his life. Ramachenderan "Uncle Kirton" touched the hearts of many people and we are one of them. His kind and loving heart made him a warm and grace-filled friend. He was a great inspiration to us. We came to know the Lord through him and “Auntie Kirton” in Gospel Hall, Jalan Penjara in Kuantan. We want to rejoice and thank God for him and celebrate his 74 years on this earth. Tam Mun Fook & Swee Teng Uncle Kirton was our spiritual father. He was also our faithful "transport manager", fetching us to and from Kuantan Chapel in his station wagon in our younger days. It was a very pleasant surprise when we heard from him words of blessing on our wedding anniversary last September via video recording. That flashed to our minds our walk down the aisle when he married us 27 years ago in Temerloh Gospel Chapel. We thank Uncle and Auntie Kirton for all that they have done for us. Low Seang Gip and Pauline (Wai Yee) My wife and I are privileged to know Eric and Cheng Kim in our young days. We had opportunity to be in camps together and to serve the Lord together. Now that Eric has gone home ahead of us, we would like to salute and pay tribute to Seven Attributes that we associate him with in his relationship with the Lord and in his friendship with us. For us, To Eric Kirton, my wife and I salute you as a fellow-soldier of the cross as you go to your rest; as a fellow-servant of the Lord as you go to meet your Master and hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"; and as a fellow-saint in the church of God as you go to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Until we meet again, I thank Eric for all the encouragement and help he gave when I was in Kuantan. I learnt a lot from him how to live as a Christian and serve our heavenly Father. Tan Jin Pian I personally benefited from Mr Kirton's ministry when he came to Penang for meetings and camps. He was a very gifted and challenging preacher. He will be sorely missed by us and all Evangel customers. Alan, Laura & Josiah Low I knew Mr Kirton since Kuantan days where I met him and looked upon him as my elder though we were not in the same church. His departure from the Evangel ministry is a gap difficult to adequately fill by others. N Sinnappan Even as I travel overseas tomorrow, I expect many thoughts of the great stories about Mr Eric Kirton's good example of faithfulness and serving with humility will flood my mind. All of us from the Mission Committee who have been remembering and praying for him, will miss him. Though we mourn the loss physically, we rejoice that he is safe in the arms of Jesus in the Land of Life. There, we will meet again. He is surely welcomed in Heaven with praises of “thou good and faithful servant”. I thank God for Eric Kirton for he has shown much for us to emulate. Kenneth Oh I remember when I went to visit him in Evangel Book Centre one day about the possibility of getting his permission and help to introduce books from Evangel. He invited me to his office and made me feel so important. In his humble spirit, he was supportive and encouraging and gave me some good pointers for what to do. He didn't know me well, but he kind of knew where I was coming from and his courage and kind smile inspired me to be a better person. Samantha Perng Mr Kirton gave his life to the Great Commission. We thank the Lord for providing him to Kuantan and to Malaysia. Yip Kok Leong A Life Well Lived in and for the Lord I met Eric between 1979-81 and again in 1984, when he was the pastor of the Kuantan Chapel. The circumstances that led to this meeting were, to say the least, bizarre. Two elders of the Kota Baru chapel were charged in court on a report by another elder over the custody of church funds. The charges were misguided and baseless. Both Eric and another pastor from Kuala Lumpur, were in Kota Baru each day of the trial as well as during the prosecution’s appeal to the High Court. He was most considerate, and despite the allegations made by the complainants, Eric was very kind and uttered not a single word of anger or distrust. He would simply say that the truth would prevail and it did. For me, it was an eye-opener. Being a Catholic, I had to grapple with the doctrine and powers of eldership. Eric was very kind in explaining this and even counselled me to be polite when cross-examining the complainants. After the appeal, heard in 1983, I lost touch with him. All I can say is that Eric was a kind and most understanding soul, hard to come by. At this moment words are inadequate to express my feelings. His loss is a cause of sadness for all who knew him and more so for the family. May the Good Lord receive his faithful and loyal servant in his House and give us all the courage and fortitude to recall and remember the good he had done. May his deeds be a testament of his life on this earth. Very sincerely, We both remember him from the many times that he has spoken at Port Klang Gospel Hall. Mostly, we remember his witty humour and kind smile. He was a good man, serving God first in everything he did. He truly was a servant of God and he bore his witness wherever he went and touched everyone he met. Koh Yew Tong & Jin Hui I am glad that I got to see Mr Kirton when I recently visited KL and got to tell him how much he meant to me, especially bringing me to Christ. I expressed my thankfulness to him for his willingness to start the ministry at Kuantan Chapel and through his pastoral care, helped me and so many others in our spiritual life. I was trying so hard to be strong and to find words to encourage him about his illness but in turn he said something that I will always remember. He said that we can pray to God for healing but if God calls him home, he is willing to go because he will be in a better place. Many of us as Christians forget that death is not the end and that we have a far better place to be with God in Paradise. Being human, we will definitely miss the people we love, but we should also rejoice in their life. To me, Mr Kirton was a faithful pastor, leading us in our spiritual walk with God. He meant a lot to many members of Kuantan Chapel and the fruits of his ministry can be seen spreading all over the world because of his spiritual guidance and prayers, that helped us in our walk with God. Han Keng Chan (Jackie Tjhatra) and family His life was a shining example of God's grace plus the faithfulness of a man who dared to believe this God. Though he is dead, yet he speaks. What a wonderful testimony. His life has encouraged us much. Elaine Liew Though I did not know Mr Eric Kirton personally, I attended his memorial service last night as did several younger adults from The Life Chapel as we sincerely felt he lived a life worthy of emulating and that his passing was a great loss to the Christian community. Without doubt, his memorial service was a most touching occasion. Furthermore, it was an honouring service to the Lord, a true testimony to Mr Kirton's life and an edifying occasion for me and many others. This service would, I'm sure, have been something Mr Kirton would very proud of. Martin Liew Indeed we are among the many "spiritual sons and daughters" of Uncle Kirton. Ever since I heard about his illness, I have been thinking quite a bit about my growing up in Kuantan. It was such a blessing to live across the road from the church and to toddle off to Sunday School every Sunday. I remember as children we eagerly awaited Christmas every year as the Kirtons (Uncle and Aunty to us) made it very special for us all. Most of all, the Christmas cantatas we used to put up. It used to be of world class standard too!! And we would do a "tour" to Temerloh. Uncle Kirton would patiently try to correct our pronunciation, especially our "th" sounds – or the lack of it! Those were very memorable choir practices. We have been very blessed to have been taught and guided by Uncle Kirton. What a privilege. We will be eternally grateful for all his faithful work. We praise and thank God for calling Uncle Kirton to serve in Malaysia. Now that we are older and have kids of our own, we can only pray and hope that we can be an example to them as Uncle Kirton was to us. I will miss getting him his digestive biscuits and Scottish shortbread from Australia whenever I go back to Malaysia now. (Phua) Lee Choo & Eric Loo, Kevin and Sara My wife and I had but one encounter with Eric and it left a lasting impression upon us. I was to share the pulpit with Eric (both of us cancer survivors) and another lady (who lost her husband to cancer) to address the issue, ‘Where is God when it hurts?’, organised by The Life Chapel last year. I spoke first about my journey with nose cancer which began in April 2000 and how God healed me. And how over the years, my whole life changed as I interacted with cancer patients and caregivers and encountered so many experiences. Physical healing was not always guaranteed but I believe that God's spiritual healing is assured and complete no matter what the outcome is. Eric's message was the main one for that night and we both felt so touched as he spoke about how God had worked in his life, and more importantly, how great and gracious our God is, no matter what our circumstances may be. I felt very privileged to share the pulpit with him and re-energised by the message that he shared with us. Later, he jokingly told me that he did not read The Star and was a diehard NST man! (At that time, I was the Sunday Star editor.) Eric has indeed been a good and faithful servant who is now able to share in his Master's happiness. I am sure you will learn how many more lives he has touched during his earthly presence. Soo Ewe Jin & Angeline We will miss Mr Kirton's wonderful ministry of God's Word, his wit and quick humour as well. Jesamine and I in particular have always enjoyed, learnt from and benefited much from his ministry of the Word right until the last time we heard him at Elim's watchnight service on the last day of December 2005 and during the KCC thanksgiving service the day after. I remember we were already based in Penang then but made a special effort to travel to Ipoh to hear him minister. Matthew 25:21 has been very appropriately chosen as an apt tribute and best describes his brief sojourn with all of us. He has indeed been, in the very words of our Lord, a "good and faithful servant". Lee Kim Seong & Jesamine, Samuel & Stephanie I will very much miss Mr Eric Kirton. I never had the privilege of hanging out with him often but on the occasions that I did, it was always a great experience. As someone who comes from the line of Christians that Mr Eric Kirton preached and ministered to during his time at Kuantan Chapel, I am very thankful for his ministry. Eugene Phua We all know that the Lord greatly used Mr Kirton to profoundly impact the lives of many, many people during his 50 years in Malaysia. Foong Au, my wife, was one of the many lives touched through his ministry in Kuantan Chapel. And it's only been recently that I discovered that he also played a key role in my journey to faith in Christ some 30 years ago. During a recent gathering, I met several of my ex-classmates from Bukit Bintang Boys School. My friend, Tak Ming, mentioned that he was converted at an evangelistic meeting conducted by Mr Kirton in the mid 1970s. Tak Ming and I ended up in the same class in 1976 and he was instrumental in my conversion through his Christian witness and testimony. I thank the Lord for revealing that I can be counted as one of the fruits arising from Mr Kirton's ministry. If it wasn't for his advice and God’s grace, I doubt if I would have ended up some 9 years later in Kuantan Chapel where I met my wife and was blessed by the church! We were honoured to have him speak at our wedding in 1988. His legacy lives on through the bountiful fruits of his labour – the many of us whose lives have been touched by his life and ministry. We will miss him and will always remember him fondly. Lee Min Keong & Foong Au We would like to express our joy and pride for the work and legacy of Mr Eric Kirton. We are also thankful for the legacy that is found in all of his children! GOD BE PRAISED! Choo Joon Lang & Moy Lee, Abigail, Audreyana & Zachary I'm sure Uncle Eric will be greatly blessed and welcomed at the right hand of God for the things he has done and influenced/affected during his time here on earth as God's wonderful and faithful servant. If there was something I would have said to Uncle Eric before he passed away, it would be “THANK YOU!” He was an amazing man! Adrian Tan Mr Eric Kirton was our camp speaker a few years back for our church in Nilai. He shared an exemplary life for the purpose of encouraging and edifying others. Andrew & Patricia Peng, on behalf of members of Nilai Gospel Chapel I will always remember Mr Kirton from my first posting in the RMAF to Kuantan in 1970; and the many happy occasions spent in his home over meals cooked by the late Mrs Kirton; and the times with the young people in Kuantan Chapel then. What impressed me about Mr Kirton was that he was an “ang moh” (white foreigner) missionary from Scotland, who was without any airs. He taught a small group of us how to prepare sermons; and to this day I still remember to have a passage of Scripture first and then to weave the sermon from it. It can then be pronounced, "Thus saith the Lord." He said that we were not to prepare a message and then find a passage of Scripture to fit it, as this would be akin to putting words in God's mouth.We rejoice that he is right now celebrating with our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jimmy Choo I remember Mr Eric Kirton in his many teaching and preaching ministries at BRGH and as Bible teacher at CCC Bible Camps in Penang. I loved to hear him preaching. In spite of his accent, he was very clear and simple to understand. He is very much loved and will be greatly missed by many of us. Ang Boon Seng & Su Fun I will always remember the time I spent with Mr & Mrs Kirton and their family many years back. My sister Mei Wan and I, along with three missionary ladies (Miss Gibson, Miss Hulbert and Miss Wilson), went on a mission trip to the east coast and stayed with the Kirtons for about a week. The Kirton family's hospitality will always be remembered and treasured. We never kept in contact after that trip but I have off and on when on holiday in KL heard Mr Kirton speak at the morning ministry at the KL Gospel Hall. His messages and life have impacted many, many of us. Thank you for the memories. Wendy Lee We appreciate Mr Kirton’s sacrifices, servant leadership and influence that have impacted our lives. John Yip & Wan Yi Mr Kirton was instrumental in my giving my life to Christ in Kuantan Chapel many years ago. I remember him preaching fiery sermons and his deep blue piercing eyes which held me in awe ... like Coleridge's ancient mariner! My sister Poh Lee and I attended Kuantan Chapel for a year or two before we moved to KL. Those were memorable times in Kuantan. Yeow Poh Wha I personally remember Mr Eric Kirton best for so many reasons. The most striking to me were: 1. His grace and sense of humour. When I first met and spoke to him (at Evangel Book Centre) many years ago, I must admit I was rather in awe and a bit afraid of him. He looked so fierce especially since I did the near "blasphemous" thing of asking him whether I could get a discount for a book I was eyeing. He ‘glared’ at me and told me in a mock ‘icy’ tone: "Discount? You want a discount? The books at Evangel Book Centre are already the cheapest around and you want a discount? We do not give discounts here!" He told me many years later his impressions of me during our first meeting, that he thought I was a pretty brash young man to dare ask for a discount. He in fact apologised if he might have seemed to come across a little harsh as that night he was extremely tired and not feeling well so he was feeling a “wee bit grumpy”. The apology was of course unnecessary as I instinctively knew he was not really not angry at me, as in the course of our conversation, his eyes gave him away – that glint and smile, that laugh that shone through. Believe it or not, he has since given me a few legitimate discounts! Yes, I know that no discounts is the ‘law’ at Evangel, but Mr Kirton was a man of grace, not law! I loved his humour whenever he spoke, whether it was one on one, in a group or when he preached. His was the kind of humour that I had to listen carefully to catch by not only listening carefully to his words but watching the glint in his eyes. After years of watching and listening to him, I concluded that his grace and humour stemmed from his joy in the Lord. It was a great mix. 2. His wisdom and integrity. This I first discovered via his ability to sell books. This may seem silly to some but I have always been in awe at how he could get up on stage and promote expensive books and people would just flock to buy them after the service. I later realised that he was able to sell the books because he believed in his product and people trusted his judgment. I know this as there were times when all I had to do was say (truthfully of course!) something like "I discussed this with Mr Eric Kirton and he recommended this ...", and the matter would be settled. Every now and then I would call him at Evangel and ask for advice on some book or resource and he would be more than willing to help. And when he did not know, he would say frankly that he did not know, ask me about it and tell me that he would get back to me – and he would! I remember that last year he went the extra mile for me while on his annual holiday to the USA. He spent time researching various Christian magazines in order to advise me on what would be suitable for our church library needs and was also willing to bring in individual magazines specially for me through Evangel if the publishers would not deal with individuals. (There it is again – his graciousness!) And of course, last but not least: 3. His Bible teaching. He was from a different generation but he could connect across the generations and make the Word of God make sense and come alive. When I was a full-time worker in Christian Education at my former church in Malaysia, he was always the first speaker that I called to ensure we would be able to book him (and I would often have to book him at least one year in advance). Not having Mr Eric Kirton speak at least twice a year was almost unthinkable. And of all the speakers, he was normally the only one willing to tackle tough passages and topics. Whenever he seemed to hesitate even for a moment and ask me why I was giving him a tough passage or miniseries, I would remind him that I needed someone who had the ability to tackle tough topics or passages and do a good job because most others would just skim the surface. That usually did the trick as he knew that I was telling the truth and not trying to flatter him! He loved the Word of God and was a gifted expositor and he was willing to use his gift to bless the church. Enough rambling. My prayer and wish is that the impact of Mr Eric Kirton's ministry will live on and multiply in the lives of the many he blessed in the Name of the Jesus, the Saviour he loved and served faithfully till his last breath Paul Long Uncle Kirton was our respected spiritual leader and example. As I remember him, sweet memories of my time in Kuantan Chapel really warm and touch my heart. We will always give thanks to the Lord for using him to be the example and inspiration for our Christian maturity and ministry. Lee Mee Onn & family I salute Mr Kirton as a man who made an eternal difference in the lives of many, myself included. Truly, he "fought the good fight, finished the race and kept his faith" (2 Tim 4:7). May he be blessed with the crown of righteousness which he so richly deserves. Lim Tou Boon & Hwee Kheng & Aliana The memorial tributes from Ah Eng, Kok Keong and Colin sum up what I feel and want to say. We celebrate the life and legacy of a true servant of our Lord. I look to him as a true spiritual father who was there for me during my formative spiritual years, and he will continue to be my inspiration in my ministry, looking to raise up true disciples for God. I thank and praise the Lord for using him to touch a simple life such as mine and the lives of many others as well. Uncle Eric, thank you for instilling in me the importance of studying and obeying the Word of God. And thank you for putting up with me in my rebellious years. :) Lim Tee Yoon I spent a year working at Evangel at a transitional time in my life where my career path was not clear to me. During this time, I was a fiery, over-zealous holier-than-thou Pentecostal and Mr Kirton really had to adapt to be able to relate to me. I remember him very patiently, trying to reason with me about missing one Sunday service to attend the Evangel annual retreat (in my legalistic church, missing a Sunday service was literally putting something else before God!) – and when I finally gave in to his voice of reason, I would later thank God I went for that retreat. I was with Mr Kirton and the Evangel family up in Fraser’s Hill and we were singing hymns and expounding Scriptures – and my perception of worship was transformed from that day and eventually led me to become a moderate-thinking Presbyterian instead! During my time in Evangel, I was greatly impressed and influenced by the example and integrity of my supervisor, Jacob. When I one day told Jacob how much working with him has changed my life, he told me that Mr Kirton did the same for him, and the years he has spent working under Mr Kirton had left a great impression on him as well. Jacob recounted to me examples and anecdotes like watching Mr Kirton get on his knees and use his bare hands to clear a clogged drain outside the dusty old store in KL, and other great examples of servanthood. Looking back on those times, it was a golden moment of discipleship and labourers in God’s working to supply good books to the local church. I thank God for the godly people I have met along the way like Mr Kirton. Leon Keith Jackson Eric was a wonderful brother and friend, always cheerful and never showed anger nor annoyance. As a youngster he was full of life and had many adventures you would have loved. Once, at school, when we had all been misbehaving and were lined up to be punished he slipped out of the middle of the row , hoping the last person would be strapped less hard. On arriving at Eric, the teacher said, "I have not lost my strength, but to make sure, I'll give you an extra stroke of the belt." How we all laughed! All his teachers loved him, being won over by his laughing eyes and infectious smile. He could have charmed the birds out of the trees! Eric and I were evacuated to Luss Glen on Loch Lomond during World War 2 and it was there we both developed our great love of the countryside and animals. His visits back to Scotland were a cause for celebration because the house always echoed with humour and laughter. It was as though he had never been away. The stories about him are legend and always happy. Ian & Moira Kirton It was with great regret that I read about Mr Kirton’s passing. He was a good man who faced his certain demise with fortitude and dignity. I only wish I could have done more for him. Dr Somasundaram, Subang Jaya Medical Centre It was with great sadness that I learned of Uncle Eric's illness and passing. I remember the few times that we did get to meet up in Scotland, including the time we all went to visit Luss and the place where your dad spent his time during the war years, a beautiful place on the banks of Loch Lomond. Then there was my mum and dad's silver wedding anniversary and how it was such a surprise for them and it was great that you were all over to celebrate with them. Reading about your dad and his life was lovely and has given me some more of our family history to pass on to my children. I have often mentioned to them that we have relatives across the world and they were quite interested to see the pictures of you all. Your dad obviously had the same sense of humour that I can remember of my dad and shared by the other Kirtons. They also had a strong family resemblance too. Wonderful Aunt Mary keeps me all up to date with all the news of us cousins. Uncle Eric was a wonderful person and I just wanted to let you know that my thoughts are with you all. Sheena Kirton Whenever I hear the song "You Raise Me Up", I will think of Mr Kirton, reminiscing the unforgettable memorial service as we said goodbye to a godly gentleman. I first met Mr Kirton in 1998 at a Klang Valley Bible Conference (KVBC) camp in Port Dickson. He was one of our speakers on the topic "The Mark of a Christian". Naturally, we were on our best behaviour and treaded carefully lest we incur the piercing stare from those blue eyes with the bushy eyebrows. Mr Kirton appeared to me then as a stern, no-nonsense type of person. Woe to those poor unfortunate souls who fell under his sharp reprimand! However, through the years of getting to know him during the KVBC committee meetings on "Tuesdays with Mr Kirton", I found him to be gracious, warm and kind-hearted, with a lively sense of humour. He often had us rolling with laughter as he shared with us anecdotes of his life experiences. He taught me a quiet and confident trust in God. When I sometimes fretted about the KVBC finances, he would calmly shake his head and gently remind me: "Now, now, where is your faith?" And surely, God did provide graciously for all our needs. Whenever we reached a crossroad in decision making, we usually deferred to his sensible advice and sound wisdom. I look up to Mr Kirton as a godly spiritual example in grace, trust and faithful service to God. We will dearly miss our beloved Chairman on the pulpit at this year's KVBC Conference. It will not be the same without his presence to grace the stage and his clever interviews with our guest speakers. We will always be thankful that Mr Kirton braved the cultural divide almost 50 years ago, to settle so far away in a foreign land, because he wanted to share God’s love with us. Thank you, Mr Kirton. Chiew Chui Fun Mr Eric Kirton, our beloved chairman of the Klang Valley Bible Conference (KVBC) was called home to glory on 24 March 2007. Born and bred in Scotland, he heeded God's call to missions work in Malaysia since 1958, leaving a lasting legacy spanning the length and breadth of Peninsular Malaysia. Indeed, he was that rare combination of abilities and practicality – a faithful preacher, a gifted Bible teacher and a passionate bookman who served on the management board of Evangel Book Centre. Our first encounter with this humble servant of God was way back in 1998 when the Kuala Lumpur Christian Conference (KLCC) Committee organized a weekend conference and invited Mr Kirton to be one of the speakers. We remembered being much encouraged by this godly man who faithfully shared God's word with us. Thus when KLCC started the annual city conference, known as the Klang Valley Bible Conference (KVBC), we made no hesitation in inviting Evangel to be the co-organiser of the conference. Initially both parties were rather anxious as to the outcome of this informal alliance but we hit it off very well with Mr Kirton, the representative of Evangel, right from the start and like they say, the rest was history. Through the years we got to know him quite well as we worked together on the committee. We were young and inexperienced, yet he treated us as his equals. He became more than a mentor, he became our friend and father figure. In so many ways he was truly a man of God to emulate. He was a treasure trove of godly wisdom, providing encouragement and advice, always available but yet never intruding. He was a man of conviction, faithful to Scriptures and passionate for the Gospel. In conversations, he was a great delight. He regaled us with stories of his earlier days in Malaysia and we learnt from his countless experiences told with ready wit and humour. His unique Scottish sense of humour was a force to reckon with! He inspired us in so many different ways. And we do feel much the poorer without him. It has been our privilege and honour to have had worked with him on the committee and we will always cherish memories of our time together. Just as Mr Kirton has faithfully followed Christ Jesus, we can only continue that heritage by following in his footsteps in obedience to God's calling for each of us. We thank God for sending him to minister to us in Malaysia and set us a great example of a life to follow. Mr Kirton kept the faith and finished the race well. May God grant us the grace to do likewise. The Klang Valley Bible Conference Committee I was indeed very touched after reading all about Mr Kirton and what he's done. He has indeed left a lasting legacy and a big shoe for the Brethren to fill. It was not too long ago Temerloh Gospel Chapel (TGC) folks had the opportunity to listen to his exposition on Philippians during our church camp in 2005. It was indeed such an encouragement as he gave many practical insights into God's Word. I remember Mr Kirton coming to TGC on certain Sundays when I was still a new believer. Of the many sermons I listened to, one that sticks clearly in my mind till this day is his sermon on Psalm 23. It brought so much assurance and peace to my heart after hearing it – the assurance of God's presence in my life, whatever phase I may be going through. He brought in his experiences as a young boy in the rugged Scottish hills which helped to draw a vivid picture of a good shepherd guiding his sheep through the valleys. Yes, Mr Kirton expounded on it so well and so clearly that he made it possible for a young believer like me then to comprehend it easily. Soh Kim Lee I am one of many who has been encouraged by Mr Kirton’s life and service for the Lord. I have been inspired to be like him in regards to raising his children to love and serve the Lord. Huey Shi (Chew) Bonebrake Mr Kirton was an immeasurable example to me, even though I did not know him personally, through his willingness and determination to live his life as Jesus lived His life – it is a great encouragement to me Edwin Khoo I am Eric's cousin – our mothers were sisters. From 1953-1965, my husband David Rew and I and our three children lived in Kuala Lumpur and during that time, Eric and Cheng Kim were an integral and valued part of our lives. Eric came to Singapore later in 1953 and for the next two years he spent his leaves with us in KL (on Federal Hill as it was known in those days), during which time he met Cheng Kim, who was already one of our friends. Eric returned to Scotland at the end of his time in the Air Force, his goal being to return to KL. Two and a half years later he did, and he lived with us on Guillemard Hill for a year while he studied the Hokkien language. I have such a vivid memory of the day he left for Kuantan. Then of course, he returned to KL for his wedding to Cheng Kim. We took the place of Eric's parents during the tea ceremony! A few years ago, Eric came and spent a week with us in Winnipeg, during one of his visits to Carol Kim and family. This was lovely for us all for most of this branch of the family now live here. Eric mentioned his illness in his last Christmas Newsletter. The shocking part was when we got the news that the cancer had returned and was spreading. Something very precious and dear to us went out of our lives when Eric died, but can't you just see that wonderful smile of his when he got together with Cheng Kim again! They were a very special pair. May & David Rew
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