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Shachah has ministered in countries around the world. Conducting seminars and conferences in places such as Japan, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji Island, Cayman Island, Jamaica, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Argentina, Mexico and the United States of America. Our main office is located in the USA with other office branches and affiliates located in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Japan. Our vision is to train and raise up an army of Holy Worshipers, John 4:23 and to redeem the Creative Arts back to the church where it rightfully belongs.


Michael and Magrate Yap
Pastor Michael, formerly an accomplished Biochemist in Malaysia, gave up everything when he heard the call of God upon his life. Together with his wife and three daughters, they went to the United States as a student at Christ for the Nations Institute (CFNI) Dallas, Texas in 1985. Michael was ordained in 1987. In 1988 after graduating from CFNI with an Associates of Practical Theology, he and his family returned to Malaysia and together they founded Churches and Shachah Ministries and the very first "Shachah Home", which took in widows, orphans, college students and whomever God brought across their paths. Pastor Michael also spent much of his time in remote villages ministering to many local tribes bringing the Word to the deepest parts of Malaysia. They now reside in the USA and travel as the Lord will send them.

Magrate was trained under the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus (London) in classical ballet for many years. She founded the Mei-grate Academy of Ballet in 1974 and continued instructing there for 10 years. In 1985 while attending CFNI with her husband, the Lord spoke clearly to both of them, that if they were willing and obedient HE would use them to bring dance back into His Kingdom. In 1985, Magrate wrote the first tambourine manual, "Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord", with the help of her husband while students at CFNI. Magrate then instructed a tambourine class at CFNI for one and a half years and developed a syllabus that was implemented as a course elective in 1986 at the request of Freda Lindsay, the co-founder of Christ for the Nations Institute. Magrate graduated from CFNI with a leadership certificate. Magrate earned the well-deserved title of Aunty as she took the role of mentor and mother to the occupants of "Shachah Home". Using her skills as a ballet and tambourine instructor, "Aunty" Magrate along with Pastor Michael founded Shachah Creative Music and Dance Center (SCMDC), later known as Shachah Ministries International and now has grown into Shachah LLC. Since then, many churches all over the world have grasped the vision of creative worship. Numerous ministries have sprouted and grown since, from this form of training that not only has its foundation in the Bible but also a structured form of discipline in its curriculum.

The Family


Mae & Guy WilkinsonMae, The first born took part in the early stages of Shachah's development, instructing the tambourine and dance at a young age. She traveled to the neighboring countries conducting seminars with her parents and over the years she took charge of the administration of the ministry. Mae graduated from Christ for the Nations Institute, Dallas Texas with a degree in Practical Theology in 1996 and earned a Bachelor degree from Dallas Baptist University with Honors, in Communications, Pre-Medical and Music in May 2001. Following the call of the Lord in her life, she continued her education at the University of Sydney, Australia in 2002 and has since graduated as a Medical Doctor in December 2005 and is now married to Guy Wilkinson who hails from England and is an accomplished journalist. Luke is their first born. Mae is an anesthesiologist, practicing in Australia.



Rob & Meli StewartMelissa, The second born, is an authorized instructor and assessor of Shachah. Along with her mother, Melissa co-wrote the flag manuals and syllabi. She also appears in various manuals and videos demonstrating the flags, tambourine and dance, Iliad Press has also honorably mentioned Melissa as a Registered Author of Poetry. She started pursuing her undergraduate study in Creative Writing (English) initially at the University of Southern California (USC),Los Angeles. Subsequently, she was invited by Columbia University in New York to continue her studies and graduated in Summer 2007. She is now an accomplished Script Supervisor in films and is married to Robert Stewart, a native New Yorker and an IT programmer.

Maxine, the last born lives with her children Lucas and Lara in TN. Having taught her first class when she was 6 years old, Maxine continue to support her parents as she pursues her MBA with a concentration in Human Resource Management.



As a Family, the Yap's continue to follow the leading of the Lord. Pastor Michael and Aunty Magrate continue to travel the world instructing all who are willing to learn in the area of worship and the use of the creative arts. Though they are not able to travel alongside their parents as much, Mae, Melissa and Maxine still continue to help out in any way they can thus fulfilling the scripture, "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15)