撰文／GA Sabab 沙巴总会｜圣灵月刊329期-2005.02｜主题／基督徒的工作观
历史背景
1926年初，新加坡教会温约翰执事，将一本中国真耶稣教会南京总会出版的《圣灵报》，寄给沙巴亚庇的朋友曾恩福先生。曾先生当时是个侨领，因业务繁忙，无暇阅读而转寄给山打根的朋友李锡龄先生，并随笔注曰：“有真教会兴起”，真道从此在沙巴萌芽。
李锡龄先生是基督复临安息日会的信徒，详细阅读《圣灵报》之后，深受感动。由于求真心切，于1927年农历新年初一乘船前往新加坡寻找真耶稣教会，一路询问教会的所在，竟遇见温约翰执事。经过一段时间的查考后，终于在1927年1月11日接受真耶稣教会的合法大水洗，三天之后领受了圣灵。
同时征得陈见信长老及温约翰执事等人同意后前往山打根传扬福音。1927年沙巴第一间真耶稣教会在山打根成立。陈、温二人受迫离开山打根之前，按立了陈马可、何腓利门和江腓比三位执事，李锡龄弟兄则被委任为文书，共同负责教会事务。当时是以南京总会为主，本身被称为“南洋北婆支会”，以山打根教会为中心，于1932年首次派田腓力执事为代表出席总会假上海举开之第八届全体代表大会。
真道传入土着区
1936年斗亚兰教会献堂后，第一位土着鲁姆比罕姊妹信主，将福音传入山区的湾谷，创建了第一间杜顺族教会，按立一位土着弟兄为雅各执事牧养教会，并于附近成立数处聚会所，之后陆续建盖会堂。
1958年初，双涯亚卑的一位毛律族人沙河病危，适逢田腓力执事往内陆传道，向他传福音，按手祷告后不再吐血，数天后痊愈。此后在沙河弟兄家设立祈祷所，灵恩普及全村，神迹奇事显明，信徒骤增，由双涯坝教会的邹多马执事带领十多位同灵在双涯亚卑建盖会堂，于1961年4月17日献堂，成立了首间毛律族教会，真道逐渐传开至各部落，因而创建了多处毛律族会堂及祈祷所。
2002年教会教势
教会数：76间 祈祷所：30间 家庭聚会所：10间 信徒：12,091人 传道：22人 长执：99人 教员：577人 班级：215班 学生：1,964人
Historical back ground
The truth was preached to Sabah then North Borneo through a copy of the "Holy Spirit Times" published by the General Assembly of the True Jesus Church in Nanking, China sent by Dn. John Voon of the Singapore Church to his friend, Mr. Tsen En Fook of Jesselton in early 1926. Mr. Tsen, a Chinese community leader then was preoccupied with his business and did not have time to study it and instead, he sent it to a friend in Sandakan called Lee Siak Lin, a member of the Seventh Day Adventists Church with a note written "A True Church has arisen". After reading the "Holy Spirit Times" and found Biblical truth in it, Lee Siak Lin was deeply touched and the desire to seek the truth was burning in his heart. He boarded a ship to Singapore on the first day of the Chinese New Year in 1927 to look for the True Jesus Church there.
While he was looking for the True Jesus Church he came upon a man and asked him the location of the True Jesus Church and that man was Dn. John Voon who later took him to the TJC. After studyin g the Truth for some times, he received water baptism on 11 January 1927.
Three days later, he received the Holy Spirit. With their consent, Eld. Tan Chien Sing, Dn. John Voon and a few others travelled with him to Sandakan to propagate the truth there. Thus, the True Jesus Church was first established in Sandakan in the year 1927. Before Eld. Tan and Dn. Voon were forced to leave Sandakan, they ordained 2 brothers and 1 sister as deacons and deaconess viz. Dn. Mark Chin, Dn. Philemon Ho and Dns. Phoebe Kong and Bro. Lee Siak Lin was appointed as Secretary to jointly administer the churchs affairs.
At that time, the headquarters was at Nanking and the church here called itself "The Branch Board of North Borneo" with the Sandakan Church as the coordination centre. Dn. Philip Tyan was sent for the first time as delegate to attend the 8th Delegates Conference of the General Assembly held at Shanghai in the year 1932.
Propagation of the truth to the indigenous hill tribes
After the dedication of the Tuaran Church in 1936, the truth was spread to the hill tribe in Wangkod through the first seed of the indigenous believer, Sis. Lumbihan Gimpit and thus the first church for the Dusun community was established. An indigenous brother was later ordained as Dn. James to pastor the church and at the same time established several places of worship followed by the construction of churches.
In early 1958, a Murut by the name of Sahoh was gravely ill and incidentally, Dn. Philip Tyan was at that time spreading the words in the interior. He preached to him the gospel and after praying and laying hands on him, he stopped vomiting blood and was completely cured after a few days. Thus, a prayer-house was set up at his house and the grace of God came upon the whole village with miracles and signs.
The number of believers increased gradually. With the help from some ten brethren led by Dn. Thomas Chew of the Sungei Paal Church, the church at Sungei Apih was completed and dedicated to the Lord on 17 April 1961 and thus the first Murut church was established. Thereafter, the propagation of the truth continued to flourish and many churches and prayer-houses of the Murut community were thus established.
Church Situation at 2002
Churches: 76 Prayer-houses: 30 Family Service: 10 Membership: 12,091 Preachers: 22 Deacons/Deaconess: 99 R.E. Teachers: 577 Class: 215 Students: 1,964