Bethel Presbyterian Church inherited a 8,355 sq meter plot of land at Poh Huat Road. The freehold land was allocated by the colonial government in 1885 to the Presbyterian Church of England for building a chapel in Hougang and for use as a burial site.

In 1965, at the early stage of our nation building, the government started to promote cremation and began to close down public burial grounds.

On September 10, 1969, the Land Authority issued a 2-week notice to take back this plot of land. This was vigorously resisted and finally the Land Authority gave permission for the building of a Memorial Chapel cum Columbarium on the site to commemorate our forbears.