SINGAPORE: A Singapore missionary who was on a teaching trip died on Wednesday (Nov 15) after a traffic accident in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Mr Joseph Chean, 56, was on his way to the airport when the taxi he was in collided with another car at about 10.20am on Wednesday, according to Turkish media reports.
Mr Chean died of his injuries en route to hospital, said Youth With A Mission (YWAM), a Christian organisation where Mr Chean had been a national director for about 12 years.
Police investigations in Türkiye are ongoing. The taxi driver suffered serious injuries, while the car driver was not in a life-threatening condition, said reports.
YWAM wrote on Facebook and Instagram: “We are in shock and grief at this moment, and together with his wife Kim, and two daughters Olivia and Ashley, we are mourning the loss of a very dear spiritual father, leader, mentor, brother and friend.
“We seek your prayers alongside us for the family, and your understanding as we handle condolences. To honour the family, we ask that you give them privacy to grieve and settle necessary matters.”
Mr Chean first joined YWAM in 1997. Prior to that, he was a youth pastor from 1989 to 1997 and then a chaplain’s assistant at St Andrew’s School, reported Christian publication Salt and Light.
In 2012, he became YWAM’s national director. He stepped down from that post earlier this year.
Mr Chean was also the strategic coordinator at Antioch 21, the global missions arm of LoveSingapore. LoveSingapore is a network of churches in the country.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Pastor Jeff Chong, chairman of LoveSingapore, said: “There are few people I know who lived a life with such love for Jesus. And even fewer who have given up so much to follow His call.
“I was privileged to serve alongside him and witness his infectious passion first hand.”
Founding chairman of LoveSingapore, Pastor Lawrence Khong, added: “It is hard to express the grief in my heart. He is a brother and comrade whose heart is filled with love for the lost.
“He is always thinking how we as a people of God can be more passionate and better mobilised for world evangelism.”
CNA has contacted Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information.