For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.Luke 2:14

GOD WITH US

Immanuel...and they will call Him

which means

Matthew 1:23

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Diocese of West Malaysia KDN : PP11463/05/2013 (032185)

M E S S E N G E RM E S S E N G E RDeceMBeR 2016

2

Editorial

Features76 9 17

The year of Enriching Partnership came to a close with a final seminar held in St Christopher’s Church, Johor Baru on the theme ‘Disciples making Disciples.’ Apart from the Archbishop The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing and Canon Emeritus Fred David, the rest of the speakers were senior leaders from SaRang Community Church, South Korea. This close partnership between the Diocese and the Church in terms of human resources, augurs well for the future of the Diocese now that plans have been put in motion for the creation of the three new dioceses. However, the success of this seminar together with the others held this year will still, to a large

extent, be dependent on clergy and senior laity exercising leadership by example. The enthusiasm and commitment generated by them can ignite congregations to catch the vision and move to achieving desired goals. So as we turn the page to the next chapter in the ten-year programme, let us believe that the coming years will see targets set and achieved and the Anglican Diocese move to the next level of spiritual growth and development.

The year-end also brings with it the greatly loved festival of Christmas with its celebration of the birth of the Christ Child, God’s precious gift to mankind. In recalling

past Christmases, three words come to mind: faith, hope and love: the faith that there is a God who watches over us, the hope of a better tomorrow and the love of family and friends. While Christmas is indeed a time for sharing in gift giving, the greatest gifts we can give to others are not those wrapped in glossy paper tied with coloured ribbons but those given with an open heart and in the ribbons of faith, hope, and love. May the gifts we give to others be tied in the lovely ribbons of faith, hope and love as we celebrate this Christmas and enter the New Year.

Adviser :

The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing

Members :

Esther Richards (Editor)

James Chee

Prakash Mukherjee

Benjamin Ong

Coming Events Editorial Board

The theme for 2017 is ‘Enriching Ownerships.’

The Editorial Board welcomes articles and photographs that focus on the theme. Please submit articles in Word document and not PDF and relevant photographs in JPEG format of about 1 MB by 15 February 2017 to:

The Editor, Anglican Messenger, e-mail to anglicandwm@gmail.com

‘Immanuel’ is a Hebrew word meaning ‘God with us’ and expresses the wonder of the Incarnation that God ‘became flesh and made His dwelling among us.’ (John 1: 14)

• The Launching of 2017 Diocesan Theme at St Mary’s Cathedral - 1 Jan 2017

• Anglican School of Disciples in Penang 1 Jan-11 Feb 2016

• Bishop’s Mini Open House (for invited guests) - 2 Jan 2017

• BM Board AGM & Iban Board AGM Provincial Standing Committee in

Singapore - 13-15 Feb 2017

• Central & Eastern Peninsula Clergy Retreat 20-22 Feb 2017

• Southern Peninsula Clergy Retreat 21-23 Feb 2017

• Northern Peninsula Clergy Retreat 23-25 Feb 2017

• Chinese Board Singles Boot Camp in Penang - 24-26 Feb 2017

• The Dedication of Wellspring in Rawang 1 April 2017

• Spiritual Formation 1 - 21-23 April 2017

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:14

GOD WITH US

Immanuel

...and they will call Him

which means

Matthew 1:23

Private Circulation Only

Diocese of West Malaysia KDN : PP11463/05/2013 (032185)

M E S S E N G E RM E S S E N G E RDeceMBeR 2016

The Editorial Board wishes the readers of the Anglican Messenger

A Blessed Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.

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Good tidings to you wherever you are! Good tidings of Christmas and a Happy New Year!

One of the good tidings of the Anglican Communion is that at the 16th Anglican Consultative Council in Lusaka, Zambia last April, the Anglican Communion adopted a nine-year theme on ‘A SEASON OF INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP’ beginning from 2016 to 2025. This came about through a series of prayer sessions, discussions, planning and Bible study sessions by the Core Group of Anglican Witness over a few years. This nine-year theme calls for a partnership in Intentional Discipleship and Disciple-Making throughout the Anglican Communion.

The theme of our Province in this season is ‘GO, Make Disciples of All Nations.’ We are stressing not only on its breadth but also on its depth. Its aim is to transform Nominal Christian Life into Victorious Christian Life. We believe that this is the best way forward in preparation for the anticipated tough and rough journey

Empowering Partnership In Disciple-Makingby The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing

Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asiaand

Bishop of the Diocese of West Malaysia

ahead, especially in this part of the world with so many forms of extremism.

Our Diocese has already been in partnership with SaRang Community Church, South Korea, for a couple of years in Discipleship Training. We have been sharing this and partnering with the Diocese of Singapore, Diocese of Kuching, Church of the Province of Myanmar, Diocese of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Diocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and some churches of other denominations in Malaysia such as the Wesley Methodist, Chinese Methodist and Presbyterian Churches. We strongly believe that good things must not be kept to oneself but should be shared with others.

Last September, the 5th Seminar for Disciple-Making was held in St Christopher’s Church Johor Baru. We aim to expose and excite all churches to participate in Discipleship Training. The final goal of Discipleship Training is to equip everyone to be a mature and strong disciple of Christ – one who is * able to articulate the Gospel in season

and out of season* able to feed oneself with the Word of

God* willing to give in time, talent and

money sacrificially and joyfully* willing to go on mission annually to a

less comfortable place and walk the second mile

* obedient to be a servant of Christ without seeking title, position, or monetary gain.

This is the best gift one can give his friends and relatives, especially this Christmas and beyond i.e. to lead him or her to Discipleship Training (DT). Properly equipped and trained disciples will lead to dynamic and strong leadership in the parishes and churches. Our Diocese needs more trained disciples and disciple-makers in preparation for the multiplication of dioceses. We cannot do it all alone, we need partners like you.

Wishing all, especially those who partner in DT, a very Blessed Christmas and a Meaningful New Year. AM

Archbishop Ng Moon Hing and Dss Siew Lan with their family

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The word ‘Disciples’ has been much discussed in churches around the world to encourage Christians to

move beyond the moment of conversion towards being and making disciples. We are not called to be ‘converts’ but disciples. As I reflected on these three days of gathering, listening and learning, I realised that I had come to a place of nurturing of discipleship passion and philosophy of ministries towards the inner growth of the person being a disciple.

It was a time set apart from the hustle and bustle of life’s distractions and to come back to the essence of being a disciple of Christ. Throughout the gathering we revisited our understanding of ecclesiology and philosophy of ministry derived from the Holy Scriptures. It helped to recalibrate us who had been ‘sucked’ into a system of using programmes, to go back to the centrality of the finished work of Jesus on the Cross bringing salvation to humanity.

The topics chosen for this seminar were aimed at inspiring the participants. It was obvious from the opening message ‘Disciple-making, the work of all believers’ and the closing ‘Restoring a Discipleship Culture’ by Archbishop Moon Hing that all the speakers were like-minded and focused primarily on the person of the disciple. Archbishop Ng used the ‘planting of the pomelo tree’ illustration, stressing that the soil condition was important to produce the desired fruit if it were to be transported from the place of origin to another climate. Resources were needed to make sure the soil was ready to produce fruit of the same quality. Once there is a linage of good fruits i.e. ‘disciples’ then the culture will be passed on to the next generation. It was the same with the ‘Banana theology’ mentioned by Archbishop Ng. Once a banana tree bore its fruits it died. Another shoot will grow by ‘natural pollination.’ The discipleship culture should be like this with ‘Disciples making Disciples’.

‘Disciples Making Disciples’ Seminar

Apart from the speakers from the Dioceses of West Malaysia and Singapore, there were three pastors from South Korea - Revd Park Ju Sung, Pastor Timothy Chang and Revd Isak You. They shared how Sarang Community Church grew over the past 38 years from a ‘reboot’ experience that brought the former Senior Revd John Oak to relook into what is Ecclesiology, the Lordship of Christ and the Philosophy of ministry that flowed into the operations of the journey of a disciple. Through the sharing and lectures from these three pastors, we were led to think through tough questions asked by individuals as well as the Church.

1. Do I have a ‘flag’ that I can wave throughout my life?

2. Do I have a calling that I can hold onto throughout my life?

3. Do I have a song that I can sing (to praise God) throughout my life?

Revd Fred David in his discourse was able to help us reflect on the importance of developing a philosophy of ministry that would be clear enough to lead the Church to prioritise what is needed to fulfill the mandate of the Church, the specific task the Lord has called a specific Church to do and to keep the ‘song’ singing with effectiveness and passion, and being intentional and sober to raise the kind of

‘flag’ we ought to for the Glory of God. One thing that caught my attention was when he mentioned that in the last lap of his ministry, he would want to produce disciples that make disciples. Every morning he would tell the Lord “just give me one more day.” This stirred in me the need to focus on what really mattered to the Kingdom. More than setting up programmes or institutions to feed the poor, heal the sick and set the captives free, what was more essential was the being and making of authentic disciples of Christ who bore fruit.

Finally Ven Stephen Soe in his message concretised this essential need of making more disciples in his lecture on ‘Ministry Strategy - Training the Laity’, by identifying areas of challenges disciples faced. He named them the ‘Seven Mountains’ which are the areas in Arts and Entertainment, Government and Politics, Religion, Business, Education, Media and Family. Disciples must be trained to be committed to bear the cross, stand firm to respond to the needs of society and turn from being inward oriented to outward oriented, serving and producing other disciples. AM

Revd William Tham is the Parish Priest & Director of the Youth Ministry, Diocese of Singapore.

by Revd William Tham

From L to R Revd George Tay, Pastor Timothy Cheung, Revd Isak You, Archbishop Ng Moon Hing, Revd Fred David and Revd Park Su Jung

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relationship problems. This is because of an incident that took place in my life. I did not realise this connection until MICPE helped me to see it. It helped me to build my emotional stability. It helped me to discover a new meaning of giving care to others. It helped me to build a good relationship with my patients. There is a lot more that MICPE has helped me to discover which I cannot share here but if you want to discover more for yourself about giving care and the role of caregivers, then MICPE would be a great journey to embark on.”

As the Archbishop shared in his message at the graduation, this course is one that breaks the ground and prepares the soil so that the seed that is sown will grow and will be fruitful. Most of the graduands were encouraged by this course and in turn encouraged members of the congregation present at the service to embark on this journey of wonderful learning and growing. AM

Revd Steven Raj is a newly ordained deacon and is attached to St Mary’s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur

The 9th graduation service of the Malaysian Indigenous Clinical Pastoral Education, in short

MICPE, took place at St. Paul’s Church Petaling Jaya on 17 September 2016. In all 14 graduands, four from English speaking congregations and 10 from Chinese speaking congregations were presented with certificates of completion by Archbishop Ng Moon Hing.

The Clinical Pastoral Education or CPE is a professional education for ministry which brings theological students, ordained clergy and qualified lay persons into supervised encounters with ‘living human documents’ in order to ‘develop their pastoral identity, interpersonal competence and spirituality as well as the skills of pastoral assessment, inter-professional collaboration, group leadership, pastoral care and counseling, and pastoral theological reflection.’

At the graduation service, all the graduands were invited to share on their six month journey and here I would like to share my testimony:

by Revd Steven Raj

MICP Education’s 9th Graduation Service

“If someone had asked me earlier why I had wanted to enroll for MICPE in January, I would have said it was because the Bishop had told me it was part of my requirement for ordination. However, if someone asks me now why I had enrolled I would say MICPE is one of the most useful courses that I have ever attended. It changed my whole perspective of caring and giving care to others.

What is care giving? What is the role of caregivers? I thought giving care was when someone had a problem and we go and talk to him or her and counsel him or her. In addition, the role of the caregiver was to give advice and to provide solutions if and when necessary. MICPE shattered this whole misconception that I had regarding giving care to others. It helped me to trace incidents in my life and in the life of my family and provide me with an understanding of the causes of behavioural patterns and helped me to be true and genuine in my care-giving to others. As an example, I can be emotionally moved when giving advice or counsel to someone who is going through

The MICPE Graduands for the year 2016 with the MICPE supervisors

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Harding were licensed as N.S.M. priests; and Dss Mary Yii was licensed as a full time deaconess.

Please keep them all in prayer.

A prayer: Most merciful Father, we ask You to send upon these Your servants Your heavenly blessing; that they may be clothed with righteousness, and that Your Word spoken by their mouths may have such success, that it may never be spoken in vain. Grant also, that we may have grace to hear and receive what they shall deliver out of Your most holy Word, or agreeable to the same, as the means of our salvation; that in all our words and deeds we may seek Your glory, and the increase of Your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. AM

The 31st of October saw a record-breaking Diocesan Service of Commissioning, Licensing,

Ordination, and Collation in the context of Holy Eucharist at St Mary’s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur. With no fewer than 24 candidates, it was a major undertaking and a cause for much joyous celebration.

It was with delight that we witnessed the licensing of two new suffragan bishops; the Rt Revd Dr Jason Selvaraj Thangasamy, to the Area Diocese of Southern Peninsula, and the Rt Revd Johnny Charles Kumar s/o Victor D Samuel to the Area Diocese of Northern Peninsula. The same service

A Memorable Ordination Service

saw the collation of Ven John Kennady as new Archdeacon for Lower North, and the licensing of Archdeacons Ven Eddie Ong and Ven Charles Fraser to the Upper Central and Lower Central archdeaconries. The Ven Edward Manuel s/o David John was extended in his term as archdeacon. Three new honorary canons were collated - the Revd Canon Dr Jacob Bau, the Revd Canon Jacob George John, and the Revd Canon Wity Kendu.

Seven candidates were ordained to the holy office of Priest - the Revd Anthony Jude, the Revd Eric Chan Ngai Hun, the Revd Chan Foo Wai, the Revd Daniel Loke Yuen Lup, the Revd Eddy Chin Nam Chieng, the Revd Dr James Low Seang Gip, and the Revd John Layang ak Obeng. The Revd Steven Raj was ordained to the holy order of a Deacon, and Dss Datin Ding Siew Lan (Bisfe) was commissioned deaconess.

At the same service, the Revd Canon David Devapitchai, the Revd Canon Fred David and Dss Canon Margaret Chen were licensed Canons Emeritus; the Revd Tim Philips and the Revd Dr James

Suffragan bishops (L) Rt Revd Johnny Charles Kumar s/o Victor D Samuel and Rt Revd

Dr Jason Selvaraj Thangasamy with Archbishop Ng Moon Hing

Dss Mary Yii and Dss Datin Ding Siew Lan (Bisfe)

by Pastor Vincent Murphy

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4. To seek to transform unjust structures of society.

5. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and serve the life of the earth.

With this being the central focus of the Forum, it was hoped that the youths would have a better understanding of what it means to be an Anglican and a church beyond borders. It is hoped that through this Forum the young people would be challenged to see how much each of them had carried out these ‘Five Marks of Mission’ and what more they could do to bring change to the world.

The inaugural CCEA Youth Forum was held from 27 July to 1 August 2016 at Hotel Transit, Kuala Lumpur

on the theme, ‘Rise for God and Service to Neighbours through Christ.’ It was organized by the Council of Churches of East Asia (CCEA) and hosted by the Diocese of West Malaysia. A total of 93 young people from the Anglican churches in Australia, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore and Malaysia attended the Forum.

The Youth Forum 2016 revolved around the ‘Five Marks of Mission’ of the Anglican Communion. They are:

1. To proclaim the good news of the Kingdom

2. To teach, baptise and nurture new believers.

3. To respond to human needs by loving service.

Participants were introduced to the Dioceses that were present at the opening of the Forum. During the opening service, Archbishop Ng Moon Hing, who is also the Chairman of CCEA, spoke about what it means to be a disciple – one who knows and is able to articulate the Gospel, one who is a good model of Jesus to others, and one who walks daily with Jesus in prayer and devotion.

The next day saw participants going on a trip to the Selangor State Assembly where they had an enlightening session with YB Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan, the current Speaker of the Selangor State Assembly and to Seminari Theoloji Malaysia (STM) where Canon D Steven Abbarow introduced STM and Revd Sivin Kit conducted a session on being a Christian in Malaysia and its various challenges.

On the third day the youths gave updates of what they were doing in their own nations, their challenges, their mission work and their needs. It was an avenue for us to encourage each other through sharing what was being done in our nations. In the evening, we had a cultural night with many coming in their national costumes and presenting a variety of performances. On the rest of the days there were group discussions and visits to local churches. Overall, the Youth Forum was a great blessing for all those who came, heard and experienced the presence of God working in their midst. AM

Council of Churches East Asia - Youth Forum 2016By Revd Anthony Jude Arullappan

Participants with the Archbishop

Participants at the Selangor State Assembly

Group discussion

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From 10-17 September 2016, a team of seven members from Bethel Centre, Puchong, embarked on an

adventurous and exciting mission trip to East Malaysia.

Sabah Mission

Our first place of ministry was at Gereja Anglikan Penharapan Baru, Kampung Menggerimot, Sook, Sabah, (a two-hour drive from Keningau). It was almost dark when we reached Kampong Menggerimot but Revd Lim Chin Liang and his church members were awaiting our arrival. A sumptuous meal had been prepared by the villagers to welcome us.

Immediately after dinner, we had our Saturday night service. Revd Lim,

together with his youth members and dancers led us in a wonderful time of praise and worship. After introducing the team members to the church, I shared the Word of God in Bahasa Malaysia. At the end of the service I gave an altar call. Many people came forward to be prayed for, especially for healing. Bethel Centre’s worship leader Jeremiah Abraham prayed for the youths who were preparing to sit for their SPM exams.

Early Sunday morning, we joined the church for its Sunday morning service. Yap Teck Onn a team member shared his testimony and then I shared the Word of God based on Luke 15:1-7 after which I assisted Revd Lim administer the Sacraments to the villagers present. After the Sunday service, we had a medical camp from 11am – 3pm. I had arranged for Gethsemane Medical Care (GMC) a Christian-based medical team that provides free medical treatment to the Orang Asli and to the poor, to fly in from KL to provide free medical treatment to the villagers. GMC had had a successful stint at the longhouses in Sibu, Sarawak

the previous year. (I still arrange for GMC to go to a number of Orang Asli villages in many parts of Peninsula Malaysia to provide free medical treatment). The team from Bethel helped GMC with the organisation and management of the medical mission.

On Sunday evening, we had a revival service. After Tracy Ten and Jeremiah Abraham shared their testimony, I spoke on the importance of putting on the armour of God based on Ephesians 6:10-18. At the end of the service, I felt a strong urge to pray for the youths of the church. All came up, including the little children, and we prayed for every single child and young adult.

Partnership in the GospelBy Revd Dr Peter Yee

With members of St Helen’s Church, Serian, before the journey to the longhouse.

Dancing to the lord in a time of praise and worship

Praying for the youths in Sook

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Revd Dr Yee and Revd Trevor Tinda praying for the children in Kampong Meboi

Revd Dr Peter Yee sharing the Word in the longhouse

Early Sunday morning we left Kampong Menggerimot to meet up with GMC in Keningau for breakfast. We were sad to leave Revd Lim and his family, and all the villagers who had been so hospitable to us during the two days we were there. I plan to bring GMC there again next year as we try to reach out to more villages in the surrounding areas.

Sarawak Mission

After a two-day rest in Sabah, three of us took a night flight to Kuching, Sarawak to meet up with Revd Trevor Tinda of St Helen’s Church, Serian.

On Wednesday night, the team ministered in St Mark’s Chapel, Kampung Sg Engkabang, an Iban church. I shared from 1 John 1:5-7 about walking in the light and not in darkness (bejalai dalam penampak, ukai dalam pemetang). After the sharing, we prayed for a number of sick people to be healed. The second last person we prayed for was an English secondary school teacher, Agatha. She told us that she had had a vision of us coming to Kuching in the morning, and that God would give her a message through me. After I prayed for her, I told her what the Lord told me to tell her. Since that night, she was our constant companion for the next two days. After the service, we left for St Helen’s Church.

My wife and I were staying in the room at the back of the church and a short while

after switching on the aircon, the switch caught fire. With God’s help we managed to put out the fire. I thank God the fire did not break out when we were sleeping. On Thursday night, we went to St Boniface’s Chapel in Kampung Meboi for ministry. I shared about our victory in Christ and how the light has overcome the darkness (Jesus udah menang laban penampak udah ngalahka pemetang). Again, we prayed for a number of sick people.

On Friday morning, we joined about 30 members of St Helen’s Church to go to the longhouse in Kampung Tuba, Simunjan. Our journey started from the Pantu police station. It took us almost two hours through rocky and bumpy jungle and mountainous roads before we reached our destination. I was told by Revd Trevor that the ministry in this longhouse had been abandoned by the Anglican Diocese of Kuching 10 years ago. This was the church’s first visit to the longhouse. We were welcomed to the longhouse with two traditional Iban dances performed by two teenage girls, followed by a simple lunch. Later in the day, Revd Trevor and his team baptised the villagers in the black river water. After dinner, we had our night service. It was the first time the team and I learnt so many new Iban songs. It was amazing how they worshipped the Lord. After

that, I was invited by Revd Trevor to give the Word of God to the people. I shared on the love of God (pengerindu Tuhan) based on Matthew 22:37, 1 John 2:15-17 and 2 Corinthians 6:14 and then led them in an Iban dedication song to the Lord. Again, at the end of the service, we prayed for a number of sick and elderly people.

The next morning, we joined in the dedication of St Barnabas’s Chapel perched on top of the hill overlooking the longhouse. We prayed and dedicated the children to the Lord. Another group of people came up to be prayed for healing.

After an exhausting two days in the longhouse, we left for Serian around 1.30pm, and on to Kuching International Airport to catch the flight home. The bonding we had with our brothers and sisters across the sea is something we will never forget. God willing, we plan to make another trip to Serian next year.

To God be the glory. AM

Revd Dr Peter Yee is an NSM priest in Bethel Centre, Puchong. He is in charge of the orang asli /asal ministry as well as the BM ministry in the church. Through his efforts, the church is partially supporting an orang asli education project under JUS Chapel Tribal Ministry in Melaka.

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1. Introduction

In partnership with USPG (United Society for Partnership in the Gospel), UK, the Asian Theological Academy

based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, of which I am Chairperson of the Governing Council, organised ‘A Workshop on the School of People’s Theology’ in Yangon, Myanmar from 1-5 August 2016. It was held at the Provincial Office of the Anglican Church of Myanmar. Following the concluding session of this workshop on Friday, 5 August 2016, I went on a two day, one night express visit to the Diocese of Hpa An, a companion diocese of the Lower Central Archdeaconry of our Diocese. This was pre-arranged through the good office of Ms Naw Sah Wah, the General Secretary of the Diocese of Hpa An.

It was a 6 ½ hour journey by road from Yangon to the city of Hpa An. There are no train or air services to the city of Hpa An. I was accompanied by Saw Fabian, a tour guide and the Director of the Travel Agency of the Anglican Province of Myanmar. The driver was Mickey, an astute but fast driver.

We arrived in the city of Hpa An at about 8 pm and there was an official welcoming ceremony by members of the Diocesan Standing Committee and the Diocesan Staff. Some of them had come from far away and remote areas of the Diocese and had been waiting for our arrival since lunch time! They sang

‘A Church of The Poor, by The Poor and Among The Poor’- A Trip To The Diocese Of Hpa An, Province Of The Anglican Church Of Myanmar

songs and presented a short powerpoint presentation of the ministry of the Diocese of Hpa An. There was an official welcome speech by the General Secretary. Their Diocesan Bishop, Bishop Stylo was away in the US, but the bishop’s wife was present. I was then invited to give a short exhortation of encouragement. Following that, on behalf of the Diocese, Canon Sunday gave a gift of a Karen tribe short sleeve shirt. On behalf of the Diocese of West Malaysia I presented souvenirs from Christ Church, Melaka to the wife of the Diocesan Bishop, who received it on behalf of the Bishop, as well as to the General Secretary. This was followed by a grand welcome dinner that showcased

the many different local dishes, all prepared by them. We put up for the night in a relatively new hotel called the Taw Win Vydanar Hotel, loosely translated as ‘Royal Jewels Hotel.’

On Saturday morning, we made a trip to St Andrew’s Church, located in a remote

village called Kwan Bi. It was a 90 minute journey through dirt roads filled with massive potholes. Kwan Bi, is about 8 hours away to the border of Thailand. We visited St Andrew’s Orphanage for children, pioneered and established by the Vicar of that remote and very rural parish. This orphanage is one of 12 orphanages established by the Diocese. It was started in 2002 and currently has 55 orphaned children. These orphans are victims of the war between the military regime and the minority tribal group. The orphans are known in Myanmar as ‘Inner Displaced Persons.’ This visit was a very moving experience, as this parish, in its own poverty serves the poorest of the poor. Canon Sunday, the Parish Priest, who is also the Head of the Evangelism Department of the Diocese, stays in the village and ministers to the poor farming community there. He has been ministering here for the last 19 years. He is supported by volunteers from the church itself who look after the orphans. Church members who have completed Standard Eleven (similar to SPM), serve as teachers. Some of the orphaned students, after completing their primary education, return to their own villages to teach the children there. Following this, the church hosted a ‘huge’ lunch for all of us. In addition to the orphanage, under Canon Sunday’s leadership, the church has pioneered a kindergarten/nursery for

by The Rt Revd Dr Jason Selvaraj

The Official Welcome song by the members of the Diocesan Standing Committee and Diocesan Staff

On the left is the scenic remote village of Kwan Bi and on the right is Canon Sunday with Bishop Dr Jason with the girls’ Dormitory in the background

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‘A Church of The Poor, by The Poor and Among The Poor’- A Trip To The Diocese Of Hpa An, Province Of The Anglican Church Of Myanmar

by The Rt Revd Dr Jason Selvaraj

church, St John’s. Fr Luke is the priest in charge. What is unique about this church is that the congregation is building a new church alongside the old one. In spite of their poverty, they have managed to raise US$70,000. They have 28 families of which only 14 stay in the city. The rest are in neighbouring villages. There is a strong lay leadership in this parish and

their ‘strongest’ ministry is their Prayer Cell groups. They also minister to patients and families who visit the nearby hospital by providing food and accommodation.

the poor children in the village. This is a non-profit making ministry. The secular nurseries charge about US$40 per month whereas this church only charges US$4.

St Andrew’s Church has a total of 34 families, totalling about 180 members. They also have plans to build a new church building as well as extend the

current hostels for the girls and boys in order to accommodate more orphans.From Kwan Bi, we returned to Hpa An city where we were taken to an urban

The final stop over was St Peter’s Cathedral where we were greeted by the Vicar, Fr Htoo Eh. It is amazing that the Diocese of Hpa An has 17 parishes of which only three are based in the cities. The remaining churches are located in remote areas and villages, some even bordering Thailand. Truly, this Diocese is a Church of the Poor, by the Poor and located among the Poor. AM

The Rt Revd Dr Jason Selvaraj was recently licenced as a Suffragan Bishop to the Area Diocese of Southern Peninsula.

On the left is the simpe boys hostel while the church building is on the right with its typical Myanmar architecture

The Old and New St John’s Church building standing side by side. Inside the church with Fr Luke standing on the left of Bishop Jason. Notice that there are no pews in the building.

and St Peter’s Cathedral in Hpa An

The Vicar, Fr Htoo Eh

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The first Regional Assembly of the Central and Eastern regions was held on 20 August 2016 at St Mary’s

Cathedral Kuala Lumpur. A total of 90 delegates attended this one-day meeting which was chaired by Archbishop Ng Moon Hing.

Archdeacon Eddie Ong led the opening devotion delivering, a simple but striking message based on Hebrews 12: 1-12. The theme was ‘running with perseverance the race marked out for us’. Archdeacon Eddie spoke on four key themes:

• Thefinishingline.• Whathindersusinourrace?• Doweknowwhatittakestocomplete

the run? • Whowill runwithus to thefinishing

line?

He closed by reminding us of the need for quiet time with the Word of God – not only to read and understand it but also undertake it in our lives, and thereby run with love for Jesus and with joy.

Archbishop Ng’s message was titled ‘Stepping Up’ which consisted of four key areas:

i. Creation of new Dioceses: a reminder of the decision made in the Diocesan Synod 2015 to create three dioceses – Northern Region (Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak); Central/Eastern Region (Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Kuala Lumpur); and Southern Region (Selangor, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor)

ii. A season of Intentional Discipleship: the Anglican Communion at the 16th Anglican Consultative Council meeting in April this year decided to adopt the theme ‘A season of intentional discipleship’ for the next nine years i.e. from 2016 to 2025. Archbishop Ng thanked God that our Diocese had already embarked on Discipleship training for the past five years. He recommended the book ‘Intentional Discipleship and Disciple-Making – an Anglican Guide for Christian life and formation’.

iii. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’. This is a prayer project - a time to pray and seek God’s kingdom coming to earth and to rely on God’s grace for

answers, strength and hope. This is a project of the whole Anglican Communion and lasts for 10 days – from Ascension Day to Pentecost.

iv. Biblical and Spiritual Formation: in 2017 the Diocese will formulate two courses – the Bishop’s Certificate of Ministry (BpCM) and the Bishop’s Diploma of Ministry (BpDM). The BpCM is for all, whilst the BpDM is geared towards those wishing to serve in the Local Ordained Ministry. From 2017 onwards the BpCM is needed for anyone wishing to be a Lay Pastor. However, a basic Bachelor of Theology or equivalent from a recognised seminary or college is still a prerequisite for those entering full-time ministry.

a. From 2017 onwards, all candidates seeking ordination or commission will need to attend the School of Spiritual Formation. These will be held quarterly, led by Revd David Cox, and training will include contemplation, solitude, fasting, meditation and reflection.

1st Regional Assemblies The Central and Eastern Regions

By Dr Chong Su Ling

Delegates at the conference

13

The Assembly then had a chance to discuss all these points in small groups and to then bring up key points and comments for the Archbishop to respond.

The afternoon session consisted of two major discussion topics:

1. The ordination of women into the Diaconate. Reference was made to the documents issued in the Diocesan Synod 2015 and pointers made by Canon Andrew Khoo and The Very Revd Andrew Cheah.

a. Andrew Khoo used a three-pronged framework with which to consider the topic: Scripture, Reason and Tradition.

b. Revd Andrew’s review was based on

the question ‘but what does the Bible say?’ References were from Gal 3:25-29, Eph 5:21-33 and 1 Tim 2:11-15. Revd Andrew also provided an extensive write-up on the topic, and a recommendation of Claire Smith’s book ‘God’s Good Design’ for greater depth.

Archbishop Ng reminded the Assembly that a vote would be taken on this topic at the Diocesan Synod in 2017.

2. Presentation of the Treasurer’s Report for the year ending 31 December 2015. Mr Kingsley Yuen highlighted that the finances were in a critical state, in that there have been two consecutive years of a deficit of income over expenditure.

This deficit has been primarily due to the increase in clergy salaries. In 2014 Bishop Ng had reduced the Contributions Budget from 40% to 31%, a move to enable Parishes and Missionary Districts to meet the budget based on their income. Despite this move, not all Parishes and Missionary Districts have sent in their contributions, and both Mr Yuen and Archbishop Ng exhorted the Assembly to help in whatever way they can to meet and even exceed their target/budgeted contributions.

The Assembly concluded with a vote of thanks and appreciation from Archdeacon Eddie Ong to the Assembly chair, and Revd Steven Chan closed with a word of prayer. AM

We praise God for this successful and fruitful event held on 13 August 2016 at the Tower

Regency Hotel and Suites. The event drew a very good response with 164

registered participants, comprising Diocesan Officers, Synod Members, PCC/MDC Representatives, Heads of the respective UNA & LNA ministries, and registered Observers.

The programme began with a crisp 1-hour Simplified Holy Communion Service. Our Archbishop, the Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing, preached and celebrated, assisted by our Asst Bishop – the Rt Revd Charles

by The St John’s Secretariat Team

The Northern Region

God’s Army In The Northern Region

The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing The Very Revd Dr Andrew Cheah Canon Andrew Khoo

14

The Registration Team The Secretariat Team The Music Ministry Team

Our Archbishop Preaching…

Yuen, that the contributions of Churches and Missionary Districts to the Diocese for the Year 2015 amounted to RM2,924,110.00. This again fell short of the Budgeted Figure of RM3,487,135.00. Hence, the Interest Income from Diocesan Fixed Deposits and the Rental Income from the St Mary Residence, Jalan Tengah (KL), had to be used to make up for this deficit. This has put the brakes on the use of the balance funds from the sale of ‘Rumah Bishop’, allocated for distribution to Churches as Grants for Purchase of Land or Property, Soft Loans to Churches, Diocesan Property Investments and Diocesan Development Projects.

The 4th and Final item on the Agenda was the discussion on the ‘ORDINATION OF WOMEN TO THE DIACONATE’. Articulations for both sides of the debate were passionately presented and responded to. The sharpest difference of position centred around the interpretation and application of Scriptures, or in other words, between the emphasis on the interpretation of the text and the emphasis on the context. It was a lively and robust debate, with due respect and consideration given to both sides of the debate.

In all, it proved to be a fruitful and rewarding Assembly. AM

The Presidential Address… “All The President’s Men” Our Diocesan Treasurer & His Figures…

Samuel, the Upper Northern Archdeacon – the Ven Stephen Soe, the (then) Lower Northern Archdeacon-Designate – the Revd Canon John Kennedy, and the St John’s Vicar – the Revd Tom Cherian.

The 1st item on the Agenda was the Archbishop’s Address on ‘STEPPING UP.’ The Address touched on:- 1) Creation of three New Dioceses by

2020, 2) A Season of Intentional Discipleship, 3) ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ Prayer Initiative 4) Biblical and Spiritual Formation (For details see report on Regional

Assembly of the Central and Eastern Region)

The 2nd item on the Agenda was the presentation of the Parish & Missionary District Reports by the Upper Northern and Lower Northern Archdeacons

respectively. It was noted that the figures for Children’s Ministry, Youth Ministry and Marriages seemed to be on the low side. The response from the floor was firstly, that the Children’s Ministry figures would have been up significantly if the BM Children’s Ministry and the Orang Asli Children’s Ministry figures had been recorded. Secondly, it

was highlighted that most of our Churches have ageing congregations and lower numbers in the Youth, Young Adult and ‘Young Families’ segments. This needs to be addressed. It is hope with the development of Contemporary Services, the younger generation would return to church. Archbishop Ng cited the examples of the Contemporary Services at the newly-established Holy Trinity Church, Bukit Bintang, and St Mary’s Cathedral, KL, which drew very good responses and seen significant growth. Thirdly, the Clergy should take a more personal interest in the young people and run more relevant and effective programmes which would better address the needs and inclinations of the younger generation.

The 3rd item of the Agenda was the Treasurer’s Report. It was highlighted by the Diocesan Treasurer, Mr Kingsley

15

The first Regional assembly for the Southern Region was held in Melaka at Hotel Sri Malaysia on 25 August 2016. This event was hosted by Christ Church Melaka. The Southern Region, also known as Region 3 covers the State of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor.

The response was overwhelming with a total of 120 delegates representing 14 churches. Also present to grace the occasion was the Archbishop of South East Asia and Diocesan Bishop of West Malaysia The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing.

The day started with the Vicar of Christ Church Melaka (CCM) Rt Revd Dr Jason Selvaraj welcoming all the delegates. The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing in his message to the delegates, reminded all that this was not a Synod as no decisions will be made. He briefly outlined the timeline for the creation of three new Dioceses, the constitutional matters and constraints in relation to the formation of the new diocese.

In his keynote address titled ‘Stepping up’ he shared on the purpose and experience of the Discipleship Training which has been implemented by the diocese for the past 5 years. He believes

by Alice Doria Muti

The Southern Region

that intentional discipleship is the way to grow ministry, the answer to church growth, church planting, social agenda as well as the best way to prepare the members to withstand any extremism be it religious, secular, political or financial.

Discussion sessions along the 4 linguistic lines was held after the morning tea break to dwell on issues that were affecting the Diocese such as:1. How to grow our Diocese?2. What are the catchment areas and

what can we do about them?3. How to raise new workers?4. How can we improve the children and

youth ministries?5. How to prepare our people for the

days of challenges by extremists, etc.

This was a time where ‘SWOT’ analysis was applied and views were put forth that

hopefully could help the churches and the diocese to face their greatest challenges.

All the churches were given the opportunity to present their parish’ reports. During the session the delegates shared their burdens, struggles and gave voice to their concerns. Amidst all this adversity, many of the churches managed to grow both in terms of members as well as being financially sustainable.

The paper on the ordination of women to the diaconate was presented by the Diocesan Chancellor, Canon Andrew Khoo, who urged the delegates to think through the issues based on scripture, tradition and reason. Revd Dr. Andrew Cheah, on the other hand, presented the issue from the biblical point of view. The decision on this will subsequently be put to vote in the next synod meeting.

At this assembly, our Diocesan Bishop also gave a certificate of appreciation and a love gift from the Diocese to four clergy who had clocked ten year and more in the ministry. They are:

Overall it was a fruitful gathering for all. The next Regional assembly will be hosted by St Christopher’s Church JB, in 2018. AM

Selangor delegates

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The 26th Diocesan Golden Circle Conference 2016 was organised by the Upper Central Archdeaconry

Golden Circle from 22-24 July, 2016 at Bay View Hotel Melaka. The theme for the Conference was ‘Enriching Partnership.’ A total of 362 Golden Circle members from 30 churches in the Diocese participated.

The Opening Service was officiated by the Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing and assisted by Asst Bishop Jason Selvaraj, Archdeacon Eddie Ong, Revd Peter Chiang, Revd Eisu Dass, Revd Robin and Revd Tan.

The Business meeting took place after dinner. The Archbishop’s message on the theme ‘Enriching Partnership’ emphasised ‘Intentional Discipleship.’ He identified the key marks of a disciple. He also spoke of the three dioceses and the process that will take place.

The next morning, after breakfast, we adjourned to the various rooms for the respective language groups for the theme talks. Everyone got back together for the meals which were held at two levels due to the big turnout.

The theme speaker for the English session was The Rt Revd Dr Jason Selvaraj from

Christ Church, Melaka. He spoke on the role of Mary in the life of Jesus and on Mother Theresa and how she served the community.

The theme speaker for the Tamil session was Revd Dr Lakshman from Bethel Centre, Puchong. He spoke on the varieties of

by Veni Selvam

26th Diocesan Golden Circle AGM/Conference 2016

Partnership in Business, Family, Friends, Church and Community. He spoke of perilous times and of people without character and conviction.

Revd Dr Jacob Bau from Our Saviour’s Church, Salak South spoke to the Chinese speaking participants on the topic ‘Discretely upholding the Gospel - One Heart in Partnership’,

After lunch most participants went on the river cruise. The evening started with an Oldies Sing-Along presented by Mr Charles, Mr Devan Batumalai, Roshan and Sonia. After this we had presentations from 20 churches.

The closing service was conducted by Revd Dr Lakshman and assisted by Revd Robin and Revd Eisu Das.

We give God all Glory, Honour & Praise. AM

Veni Selvam is the honorary treasurer of theDiocesan Golden Circle Organising Committee. She is also the chairperson of the Diocesan Women’s Conference.

Participants at the Conference

17

given under their special fund for mission schools. The year also saw the Chairman of Lee Rubber Foundation, Mr Lee Seng Chuan present the school with a donation for RM100,000 and the St Mary Alumni for RM80, 000. The construction of the bakery was completed in December but it was only in March 2016 that the project took off. Through the influence of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah of Sunway Group responded to the School’s appeal for funds with state of the art Italian made equipment and machines amounting to RM500,000. The first 32-hour bakery certificate course was then offered by the YTL International College in January 2016 to students waiting for their SPM results. The School has applied for permission to teach the vocational subject which is related to culinary within the curriculum and expects to get approval next year. The kitchen, cafeteria and suite remain on the drawing board but the bakery has been put to good use since February. It has attracted the interest of HELP and KDU Hospitality Colleges that hope to partner the school in developing courses. Currently the School is working with Sunway University on a

20 module culinary and catering course for its students. The International Centre for Cake Artistry, the sole agent for the internationally recognised Wilton courses on cake decoration based in Canada and with a branch in Petaling Jaya, owned by Rosalind Chan, an ex-St Marian, will introduce its courses to the students early next year. AM

Esther Richards was the principal of SMK St Mary from 1980-2001.

St Mary’s Secondary School, a premier girls school of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia in Kuala

Lumpur became the first government aided school in Malaysia to be equipped with a state-of-the-art hospitality and culinary arts centre. The school now has a hot kitchen, patisserie, hospitality suite, indoor dining hall and an al fresco dining space. Named the Saleha Hospitality and Culinary Arts Centre after Tan Sri Dr Siti Saleha Mohd Ali, an ex-student of St Mary’s, and the elder sister of Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, the wife of Malaysia’s fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the centre was officially declared open to the glory of God, on 8 September 2016.

The idea for such a centre was first mooted by the then Principal of the school Ms Goh Hai Bee when she saw that the neighbourhood surrounding the school was primarily occupied by lower middle class families, the working class poor and the hard core poor. Most of the students coming from these areas had little or no academic interests and the current education system did not adequately provide for their needs. In line with the vision and mission of St Mary’s School to provide a safe and nurturing environment to support the social, physical and health

St Mary’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts Centre

needs of the neighbourhood teenage girls, the centre was set up. The justification for this was that there was a need to address systemic poverty of this socio –economic group as well as to provide them with opportunities to earn a living. The mushrooming of private colleges and the rising cost of higher education was an additional factor in the setting

up of the Centre as the School felt duty bound to prepare its students with cutting edge skills to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive global village.

Together with Irene Cheow, Chairman of the St Mary’s Alumni, Mr. Gabriel Daniel, Chairman of the Parent Teacher Association and the Board of Governors under Dato Stanley Isaacs, a working paper was presented to prospective donors, and construction on the bakery began in October 2015 with the RM 333,000 from the Ministry of Education

From left – Puan Sri Susan Cheah, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Mrs Chee Poh Kiem, Principal of SMK St Mary and Mr Lee Seng Chuan. Looking on is Dato Stanley Isaacs with Mr Gabriel Daniel

by Esther Richards

18

The fund raising event is a major initiative of the Upper Central Archdeaconry Women’s

Committee and is held once every two years. The purpose is to raise funds for the organizing of programmes and activities for the ladies in the Upper Central Archdeaconry and also to donate a substantial amount to a worthy cause.

The UCAWC Fund Raising Dinner was held on Saturday 23 April 2016 at the Oversea Restaurant, Subang Parade, Subang Jaya and was attended by about 300 ladies from the UCA together with their spouses, family members and well wishers.

The Guests-of-Honour for the evening were Archdeacon Eddie Ong, his

UCAWC Fund Raising Dinner

wife Dss Ruth Ong and the Diocesan Secretary Mr David Joseph and his wife Rachael Joseph. The occasion was make merrier with the presence of Mrs Veni, the DWC Chairperson, Mrs Jasmine Khoo, and Mrs Nesamani Alexandor, the past presidents of UCAWC.

Ms Joyce Simson of St Mary’s Cathedral did an excellent job as emcee for the day keeping the evening enjoyable and entertaining with her light repartee and excellent handling of the dinner programme and the draws. Entertainment was provided by the talented duo “Mark Renesh & Susan”, who provided a nostalgic feel to the whole function by entertaining the crowd with songs ranging from the 60’s

to the 90’s and encouraging them to sing along.

All in, it was a very enjoyable and rewarding evening. From the proceeds raised we were able to hand a cheque of RM10,000 to the Diocesan Secretary for the Diocesan Medical Fund.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the UCAWC committee members, churches, well-wishers, generous donors

and friends for supporting this dinner event by purchasing tables and donating generously. AM

Eliza Soo is the Chairperson of the Upper Central Archdeaconry Women’s Committee.

by Eliza Soo

Guests of Honour Archdeacon Eddie Ong with his wife Deaconess Ruth Ong

Diocesan Secretary, Mr David Joseph receiving the cheque from Eliza Soo.

Ms Joyce SimsonGuests at the main table

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remained as Bishop of Singapore from 1970 to 1982 after the independent Diocese of West Malaysia was created in 1970. The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing, Asst Bishops, Clergy, Deaconesses and the various congregations of the Diocese of West Malaysia extend their heartfelt condolences to Bishop Chiu’s family. His services to the people of Malaysia is deeply appreciated and will not be forgotten.

A Thanksgiving service for the life of the late Bishop Chiu will be organised by the Diocese of West Malaysia, to be held at St Mary’s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur on a date and time to be announced in the near future. AM

It is with a deep sense of loss that the Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church in South East Asia and Bishop of the Diocese of West

Malaysia, The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing, announces the passing away of The Rt Revd Joshua Chiu Ban, Bishop of The Diocese of Singapore and Malaya from 1966 – 1970 on 9th November 2016 in England. The funeral service was held on 2nd December 2016 at All Saints Church, Essex, England. Bishop Chu leaves behind his beloved wife Mrs Bek Neo Chiu, children and a host of relatives and friends to mourn his loss.

Bishop Chiu was Bishop of the Diocese of Singapore and Malaya from 1966 – 1970 and

Bishop of Singapore and Malaya 1966 - 1970Bishop of Singapore 1970 - 1982

In MemoriamThe Right Reverend Joshua Chiu Ban It

16th July 1918 – 9th November 2016

For unto us a Child is born,Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be calledWonderful, Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6

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