History of Faithpartners

Faith Partners is a social enterprise, seeking to reach out to serve the poor by helping them to set up self-sustaining livelihood projects.

In 2004 following the Boxing Day Tsunami, Joseph Tan, a pastor in Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC), journeyed to the Indonesian province of Aceh. Then, a pastor at FCBC, he visited the worst hit areas to see where the church could help.

Over the next three years Joseph began to help proactively in organising and managing community services, relief work, rehabilitation work and reconstruction of communities through funding and sending teams of volunteers and professionals from the church to Aceh.

In the years after the Tsunami, as emergency relief charities began to move out of the region, Joseph perceived the immediate needs for sustainable businesses to help alleviate the adversely affected poor in Aceh. In 2007, under the umbrella of FCBC, he partnered with a local team of Indonesians to establish and develop small businesses to help the local communities. As these small businesses were planted, employments opportunities were created too thereby helping the needy to get on with life.

From humanitarian aids to small business ventures, the vision was born. In order to sustain long term growth, the idea of using small local businesses as a vehicle was born. Because of his passion for the poor and needy, Joseph Tan decided to resign from FCBC so as to commit fully to his calling.

As a result, Joseph Tan, together with his wife Mary, founded Faith Partners in 2008. It is their desire, that as they demonstrate God’s love through the works of Faith Partners, many people will experience life in all its fullness.Joseph Tan and his wife Mary Ang, who is a fulltime housewife, have three lovely daughters- Pamela (17 yrs), Priscilla (15 yrs) and Patricia (11 yrs). During the past 15 years as a pastor, Joseph has conducted interpersonal communication training, leadership training, and church operation training, missions and management for overseas churches in Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, South Africa, and Central Asia.