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• Cont’d on page 3

COMMAND TO SERVE 1

It is a joy to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Diocese. Some people ask “Why is the Anglican

Church in West Malaysia only celebrating the 40th Anniversary while the Church has a much longer history?” It is true that the Anglican Church in West Malaysia does have a much longer history than 40 years.

Actually the Anglican Church is 205 years old since her inception in 1805 in Penang through the East India Company. The fi rst church was St George’s Church and was built in 1819. Prior to St George’s Church, the Anglican ministry was in Fort Cornwallis. At that time we were considered a part of the Diocese of London – when every Anglican Church east of London belonged to the Diocese of London. In 1814, jurisdiction was passed from the Diocese of London to the newly created Diocese of Calcutta in India. This was till 1869. That year saw the birth of the Diocese of Labuan and Sarawak, Malaya and the South East Asia. Burma and the Philippines came under its jurisdiction. In 1881, the Diocese was renamed the Diocese of Singapore, Labuan and Sarawak. In 1909, two dioceses were created from the Diocese of Singapore, Labuan and Sarawak, namely the Diocese of Borneo and the Diocese of Singapore. In 1959, the Diocese of Singapore was renamed the Diocese of Singapore and Malaya, after the Independence of Malaya.

In 1970, the Diocese of West Malaysia was born.

Thanksgiving and Give BackWe have to give thanks to God Almighty for the 205 years of blessing and the 40 years of Independence as a diocese. As an act of gratitude in thanksgiving, we have planned to raise RM500,000 to GIVE BACK to the community locally and abroad. We believe in the Command to Love, Share, Serve, Praise and Worship.

First of all, we have encouraged three Mission Teams to go to Tiruchy (India), Taiwan and Bangladesh respectively. We wish to connect with the needy and to also allow greater exposure to our members in missions abroad.

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Secondly, we have selected 40 Children’s Homes and wish to bless them. There were four Children’s Carnivals in the month of May in Ipoh (8th), Klang (16th), Johor Bahru (22nd) and Penang (29th). This was an opportunity for our children to mix with underprivileged children from the homes. RM5,000 was donated to each home, amounting to RM200,000.

Thirdly, we have planned to operate 40 centres throughout the diocese during the month of Ramadan for blood donation and health screening. These will be open to the community around the centres.

Fourthly, we have also planned to raise RM100,000 for the REACH fund i.e. Relief Emergency and Crisis Help. We hope

In 1970 the Diocese of West Malaysia was Secondly we have selected 40 Children’s

WHAT’S INSIDE

Editorial

We all make choices daily. From the time we wake up till we fall asleep, our choices are made with the intention of making it a better day or in order to lead to a better life.Having reminded Israel of all that God had done for them individually and as a nation, Joshua ended his time on earth as a leader by calling on Israel to make a choice as to whom they would serve. He urged them “to fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness” (vs 14) wanting them to receive the blessings that would follow if they serve the Lord.

He then goes on to state “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” vs l3. b

What do we see here? Not just leadership by example but the emphasis on what is good and endures.... serving the Lord. He was making a choice for his family to be happy. Although the people replied “We will serve the

Lord” (vs21,) Joshua urged them further to “Yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel” vs23.

The command to serve must begin with the yielding of our hearts to God. Then the desire to serve will follow and the ability to serve will have no problems. We will be blest and we will bring blessing to those whom we serve as God will be in control.

There are many who serve in the church by doing, but more people in our churches need to yield their hearts to the Lord by studying God’s Word and praying for direction in their lives.

Jesus came to “serve and give His life as a ransom for many” ( Mathew 20: 28). He says to each one of us “Whoever serves me must follow me” ...John l2: 26.

Let us resolve to take His command to heart.

Editorial Board.

The theme for the next issue is ‘Taking to Heart the Command of God to Worship’. The Editorial Board welcomes articles and photographs that focus on this theme for the coming issue. Please submit your articles (with soft copies and relevant photographs) to the Editor, Anglican Messenger, Diocesan Offi ce or e-mail to anglican@streamyx.com by

30 October 2010.

The Synod of the Diocese of West Malaysia (Anglican Church)No. 16 Jalan Pudu Lama, 50200 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel : 03-20312728 / 03-20313213

Editorial Board

Adviser :

The Rt Rev Ng Moon

Hing

Members :

Gloriosa Rajendran (Editor)

Rev Dr Andrew Cheah

James Chee

Prakash Mukherjee

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” Joshua 24:15.

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CALLING ALL MEN FOR DIOCESAN MEN’S CONFERENCE

The Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia will be holding its annual Diocesan Men’s Conference at St Mary’s Cathedral

Kuala Lumpur on Saturday 16 October, 2010. The theme for the 2010 Conference is “Challenges Facing Christian Leadership in Malaysia Today”. It will be explored from the following perspectives in seminar style presentations by specifi c Christian leaders recommended by the Diocesan Men’s Council: Leadership in the Church - Bishop Ng Moon Hing

Leadership in Business - Datuk E.P.D. Samuel

Leadership in Environmental Issues - Dr Mark Lovatt

Leadership in Politics - Dato’ Ngeh Koo Ham

Leadership in the Home - Rev. Lai Moo Him

We welcome all men to attend this event. Please book your date now. More details will come later.

A POEM IN DEDICATION TO RT. REV. NG MOON HING,

DIOCESAN BISHOP,IN CONJUCTION WITH

THE DIOCESAN 40TH ANNIVERSAY CELEBRATION, SOUTHERN

ARCHDEACONRYON 31ST JULY 2010

He is down to earth and always readily smiling,With simplicity and humility he goes about serving.In every situation he adapts well as he freely flows,With which his walk and talk so serenely glows.He is full of jest and in ministry works fast,His eyes upon the needy he lovingly does cast.To God only he looks for the divine vision,To shepherd his people is his heartfelt mission.4 dioceses and 1 Province is his ultimate fulfillmentSeeing this in reality will give him everlasting contentment.O Lord bless all of Bishop’s plans for our Diocese,Your special, abundant anointing upon him never cease.

Dr. Rose Jacob St. Christopher’s Church Johor Bahru

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to raise the fund before any disaster strikes so that we can act immediately. Since 2008, we have raised more than R M 4 0 0 ,0 0 0 for the REACH

Fund for the Myanmar Cyclone Nargis, humanitarian aid in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Orissa, Sichuan and Palestine, Padang and Haiti earthquakes, the Taiwan typhoon & mudslide and the Philippines fl oods. The funds raised have been despatched in stages to the relevant agencies or through the Council of Churches. At our September Mission Conference, we will have someone to train our people in Crisis Relief. Please look out for it.

Fifthly, we are continuing with the ministry to the villages and kampungs, particularly the Orang Asli. We have carried out many projects in farming such as with fi sh, goats, chickens, ducks, vegetables, padi, fruit trees etc. Also in education, such as tuition and kindergartens; we will continue with biblical training and the Bible school, worship services, music training, ministry to youth, children, adults and cell groups. These will be held in church buildings and community halls.

Sixthly, we will be sending mission workers to help the missions abroad in countries such as Medan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia.

COMMAND TO SERVE 2

Why are we doing good?We have been receiving a lot from God the Father. He loves us and has given us health, family, life, friends, church, fellowship etc. Often, we believe that the blessings and curses that come to us depend chiefl y upon our behavior and merits. We think – if I do well and be a good person and not commit sin privately as well as publicly, the Lord God will surely bless me; on the contrary, if I don’t do well and keep sinning or living a life away from God, He will surely not bless me and perhaps allow curses to come upon me. We have heard such preaching and teaching over and over again. Is this the right teaching and belief?

When we read Scripture carefully, we discover that God’s Will and Plan does not depend on our behavior or goodness. In Psalm 53: 1-3, it is recorded that God looks down from heaven and sees no one is good. Certainly our merits cannot be

taken as a guide or condition for measuring the invocation of God’s blessing. If our contribution and sacrifi ce is not considered worthy of God’s blessings, then what will? Then why should we do good?

I would like to remind ourselves that our goodness does not qualify us to receive God’s blessing but our sinfulness will certainly invite God’s punishment. We are reminded to take to heart the Commands of God. All these Commandments are given not to burden us but rather to remind us that this is the way – the way of Holiness. What God would like it to be. The Command to Love is because God is love. The Command to Serve is because Jesus the Son of God came to serve and not to be served. The Command to Share is because God has created the world not for any one particular part of creation to be monopolised but rather for all to share including the insects, animals, trees and humans. The Command to Praise and Worship is because He is worthy of all our praise and worship, and we human beings are called to worship Him alone and no one else.

For the Sake of God’s Holy NameIn the book of Ezekiel chapter 36 and verse 22, we are reminded that God sent blessings and punishments to the nation of Israel not for Israel’s sake but rather for the sake of His Holy Name. God had removed his own chosen people from Jerusalem and Judah to the land of Babylon but He too had also promised (vv 24-38) to restore Israel to her original status and make it even better. In fact we read that the people of Israel did not at anytime behave well enough to warrant God’s blessing. God without fail tried earnestly to restore Israel through the words and encouragement of the prophets Daniel, Ezekiel, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. He even promised a new Jerusalem and a new Temple without demanding any level of obedience from Israel. All these were done because of God’s own Glory and Holy Name. He has requested us many times “to be holy because He himself is holy”. (Lev 11:44; 19:2; 1Peter 1:16) Holiness belongs to God and is His very nature. He will only exist and appear in holiness and nothing less than that.

So whenever we mess up His creation, including our own lives, He will put it right again. But if He fi nds that we are the culprits of destruction to His creation, He will not hesitate to remove or chastise us. His nature is good and holy and He cannot stand unholiness and sin. That is the very reason why God had to send His Son Jesus Christ to settle the problem of Sin in the world. He did not do this to please us human beings. This is just His very

nature. To do good and bring blessings to His creation. Therefore, He did not render blessings to us because we are good or obedient. We have seen God’s punishment upon His own people and others, including Gentiles, when they go against God’s Holy order and plans. God does not sin and sin has no part in God’s business at all. So whoever sins breaks the law or commandment, and those who continue to sin do not know His Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 3: 4-6) But if “we confess our sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all impurity”. (1 John 1: 9)

Celebration of TransformationLet us be reminded that we should not allow any celebration to focus upon our achievements. The focus should be on God and His Holiness. All our celebrations should be celebrations of restoration or celebrations of transformation. The transformation of each individual, family, church and community is to bring about and return to the intended plan or image of God. We are His creation and are made in His image. (Gen 1:26-27) Paul in his letter to the Ephesians also emphasized that we are to imitate him as he imitates Christ. (Eph 5:1) The numerous phraseology such as ‘Walking in His steps’, ‘Imitate Christ’, ‘Being fi lled with the Spirit’, ‘Live according to the Spirit’, ‘To be like Christ’ etc. is a reminder to us that it is God’s Will and intention for us to press on towards the upward call of God to perfection. It is perfection which is the fi nal destination of our pursuit. As long as we are moving in that direction towards God, He will be pleased and comforted. The problem is when we begin to move in the opposite direction.

To do good, share with others, save the environment, help the poor and needy and recycle. These are some of the many ways and means to stay in focus of the vision of God.

All of us together are important members of our churches. However, it is not suffi cient to remain in the status quo. I wish to challenge you to rise to the occasion. To be in the cutting edge of society. The vehicles of transformation, of nation building and mission partnership. Can you be bold and courageous to ‘Dare to make a Difference in the transformation of your life, family life, church life and community life’ and ‘Dare to take the Command to Serve and live by it’?

LET US IMITATE CHRIST AND LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF HIM

Bishop Moon Hing

• Cont’d from page 1 Bishop’s Message

FOURTH TRUMPET FROM THE FOURTH ANGLICAN GLOBAL SOUTH TO SOUTH ENCOUNTER

St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore, 19th – 23rd April 2010

1. The Fourth Anglican South to South Encounter took place in Singapore from April 19th through April 23rd, 2010. The theme for this encounter was: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ - Covenant for the People; Light for the Nations.” We marveled at the power of this Gospel as we met together from all corners of the globe united in our commitment to Jesus the Christ and the proclamation of His message of eternal assurance and transformation open to all people. We were renewed in our determination to assist each other in fulfi lling the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations and to do all that Christ has commanded.

2. Grateful for the gracious guidance of the Holy Spirit a total of 130 delegates from 20 provinces in the Global South (Comprising Africa, West Indies, Asia and South America) gathered together. We represented the vast majority of the active membership of the Anglican Communion. We were also joined by a number of our partners in the Gospel from Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. The entire delegation from the Province of West Africa and invited participants from the UK and Ireland were unable to be present because of travel diffi culties.

3. We were immensely grateful for the wonderful hospitality provided for us by Archbishop John Chew and the people of the Diocese of Singapore and, in fact, the entire Province of South East Asia. The ministry among us by the former Primate of South East Asia, the Most Rev’d Datuk Yong Ping Chung as Encounter Chaplain was also a source of great blessing. The warmth of their welcome and hospitality provided a context in which we were able to pray, study, worship and take counsel together so that we might more clearly discover a united and prophetic voice about matters that affect our beloved Anglican Communion and our world.

4. We gave thanks to God for the visionary leadership of the Most Rev’d Peter J. Akinola, recently retired Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) as Chair of the Global South Primates Steering Committee for the past ten years. We welcomed the election of the Most Rev’d John Chew as the new Chairman, the Most Rev’d Henry Orombi as Vice-Chairman, The Most Rev’d Mouneer Anis as Secretary, the Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh as Treasurer, and The Right Rev’d Albert Chama and the Most Rev’d Stephen Than as members.

5. We were encouraged by the warm welcome given to the Primates at the Istana (Presidential Palace), by the President of the Republic of Singapore, His Excellency Mr. S.R. Nathan. Singapore is a rich multi-cultural tapestry that provided great encouragement for us to have eyes to see clearly the various people groups in our own nation’s context of ministry.

6. We were appreciative of the greeting given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, by means of a brief video that was shared at the beginning of our time together. We rejoiced in the welcome given to us by Elder Fu Xianwei, Chairman of the National Committee of the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) of the China Christian Church and the presence and warm greeting offered by His Grace Bishop Suriel representing His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

7. We met under the shadow of a serious global ecological crisis as a volcanic ash plume from Iceland resulted in a massive disruption of international air travel. We were reminded yet again of the fragility of our earthly existence

and our utter dependence upon the grace of God for life itself.

8. We were mindful of the many diffi culties confronted by the nations that we represent. These include natural disasters that have led to enormous devastation, deprivation and the loss of life, political instability that has too often resulted in corruption and violence and the ever-present challenge of living in a world of multiple religions and competing truth claims. We are grateful for those many places where it is possible to live out and promote our Christian convictions without threat but we know that this is not the experience of all our members and we honour those whose Christian faith has led to their marginalization, persecution and sometimes their violent deaths. We uphold all of them in our prayers.

9. We received presentations on the Gospel of Christ, mission and ministry from the Nigerian, West Malaysian and Ugandan settings. Huge political, social and economic changes are taking place as we begin the 21st Century. The global shift in Christian demography brings with it new opportunities for evangelistic outreach. However, we also need to understand afresh the challenges that are confronting the Church and the wider society. We encourage Provinces to develop intentional plans and structures for Church growth in the post-Christendom context of today’s world. Above all, we call for a new quest for personal and corporate holiness in the Communion.

10. We responded positively to the call to declare the next ten years a Decade of Mission and Networking and urge our respective Provinces to take up the matter, especially in expanding mission sending capacity to enhance networking among Global South Provinces. We call upon our Churches to pay greater attention to the role of Christian professionals in the mission, ministry and witness of the Christian community. We also need to pay particular attention to the pastoral needs of the laity, especially women and young people, who are witnessing to their faith at the cutting edges of mission.

11. We rejoiced to receive the report from the Global South Anglican Economic Empowerment Track that was established in the Third Encounter. We affi rm the actions already taken in the past four years that focus on:• Developing in each Province an Economic

Empowerment Fund;• Developing sustainable Empowerment strategy;• Promoting biblically-based teaching on stewardship;• Promoting regional partnerships;• Networking and increasing active engagement of

both public and private sectors in improving the economic livelihood of local communities.

12. The youth leaders from the Provinces of Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Southeast Asia met together to celebrate their Anglican heritage. We agreed that the future of the Communion lies in winning the next generation for Christ. We urge each region to adopt initiatives to better understand the needs and characteristics of this new generation so that we might better communicate the Gospel and Christian values to them. It is essential that the ethos and traditions of the Church be imparted to the youth in creative and dynamic ways so that they will be equipped to live for Christ for their generation and beyond.

13. During our plenary sessions, bible studies and small group discussions we were called back to a fresh vision of God,

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of the Church and of Christian leadership. We saw God in His stunning holiness and absolute sovereignty through Isaiah’s vision (Is 6: 1-13), and correspondingly saw our own ingrained sinfulness and utter foolishness in trusting man rather than God alone. We caught a “ big” vision of the Church from her role as ‘servant of the Lord’ (Is 42: 1-9) to bring God’s justice or ‘right order of living’ to the nations of the world. This established the absolute necessity and priority for the Church to disciple her members under the authority of the inspired Scriptures so that they may transform their societies and reach the nations with the Gospel. The fresh call upon the Church’s leadership, from the Servant of the Lord’s costly obedience (Is 50: 4-9), is to be courageous and fully confi dent of the Lord’s sustaining grace and fi nal vindication.

14. Upon this biblical foundation, we looked afresh at the theological underpinnings of the Encounter’s theme, found renewed strength to pursue its practical outworking and renewed our commitment to network with one another for mission, prayer and economic empowerment strategies so that we might enlarge the capacity of our provinces and dioceses to fulfi ll the Great Commission.

15. As a sign of our fellowship and an encouragement to our purpose, at the beginning of our assembly God sent into our midst two Nepalese Anglicans, members of the new Anglican Church in this principally Hindu and Buddhist nation. They shared with us about new Anglican initiatives that are bringing the gospel to their people and the way in which the Word of God has brought life and hope and peace, along with suffering. We rejoice with them in their newfound faith and their determination to be obedient to the Word of God in a setting where such obedience is very costly.

16. In contrast, we continue to grieve over the life of The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) and the Anglican Church of Canada and all those churches that have rejected the Way of the Lord as expressed in Holy Scripture. The recent action of TEC in the election and intended consecration of Mary Glasspool, a partnered lesbian, as a bishop in Los Angeles, has demonstrated, yet again, a total disregard for the mind of the Communion. These churches continue in their defi ance as they set themselves on a course that contradicts the plain teaching of the Holy Scriptures on matters so fundamental that they affect the very salvation of those involved. Such actions violate the integrity of the Gospel, the Communion and our Christian witness to the rest of the world. In the face of this we dare not remain silent and must respond with appropriate action.

17. We uphold the courageous actions taken by Archbishops Mouneer Anis (Jerusalem and the Middle East), Henry Orombi (Uganda) and Ian Ernest (Indian Ocean) and are encouraged by their decision not to participate in meetings of the various Instruments of Communion at which representatives of The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada are present. We understand their actions to be in protest of the failure to correct the ongoing crisis situation.

18. Some of our Provinces are already in a state of broken and impaired Communion with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. Their continued refusal to honour the many requests1 made of them by the various

meetings of the Primates throughout the Windsor Process have brought discredit to our witness and we urge the Archbishop of Canterbury to implement the recommended actions. In light of the above, this Fourth South-to-South Encounter encourages our various Provinces to reconsider their communion relationships with The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada until it becomes clear that there is genuine repentance.

19. We were pleased to welcome two Communion Partner bishops from The Episcopal Church USA (TEC) and acknowledge that with them there are many within TEC who do not accept their church’s innovations. We assure them of our loving and prayerful support. We are grateful that the recently formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a faithful expression of Anglicanism. We welcomed them as partners in the Gospel and our hope is that all provinces will be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA and the Communion Partners.

20. For many generations Anglicans have lived together with a shared understanding of our common faith; indeed among our great gifts has been the Book of Common Prayer that has provided a foundation for our common life. In recent years the peace of our Communion has been deeply wounded by those who continue to claim the name Anglican but who pursue an agenda of their own desire in opposition to historic norms of faith, teaching and practice. This has led to a number of developments including the GAFCON meeting that took place in Jerusalem in June 2008. 2

21. Global South leaders have been in the forefront of the development of the ‘Anglican Covenant’ that seeks to articulate the essential elements of our faith together with means by which we might exercise meaningful and loving discipline for those who depart from the ‘faith once for all delivered to the saints.’ We are currently reviewing the proposed Covenant to fi nd ways to strengthen it in order for it to fulfi ll its purpose. For example, we believe that all those who adopt the Covenant must be in compliance with Lambeth 1.10. Meanwhile we recognize that the Primates Meeting, being responsible for Faith and Order, should be the body to oversee the Covenant in its implementation, not the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion.

22. Over the last 20 years we have been distracted by confl icts and controversies that have kept us from effectively fulfi lling the Great Commission. While we have been so distracted, Christian heritage, identity and infl uence has continued to decline in the West. We believe that there is a need to review the entire Anglican Communion structure; especially the Instruments of Communion and the Anglican Communion offi ce; in order to achieve an authentic expression of the current reality of our Anglican Communion.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fi x our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1,2)

Notes1. Specifi c recommendations are listed in the Windsor Report 2004, Primates’ Meeting Communiqué at Dromantine 2005, Primates

Meeting Communiqué at Dar es Salaam 20072. “We, together with many other faithful Anglicans throughout the world, believe the doctrinal foundation of Anglicanism, which

defi nes our core identity as Anglicans is expressed in these words: The doctrine of the Church is grounded in the Holy Scriptures and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular, such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal. We intend to remain faithful to this standard, and we call on others in the Communion to reaffi rm and return to it.” Jerusalem Declaration, June 2008

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TAKING TO HEART THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD TO SERVE

Why do we serve God?

In Deuteronomy 10 vs 12 the Israelites were commanded to fear the Lord, walk in all His

ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Serving God is certainly not an option and defi nitely not something we do only when we have the spare time.

However, serving God is never our natural inclination for various reasons. For some of us, we may have been misguided by a warped theology that ‘God exists to serve my needs’. So, we look for a church which will bless us and serve our own selfi sh needs. These are self-serve Christians. The truth is that in all of scriptures, the whole of life is about God and not about us. God has in the fi rst place created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do ( Eph 2 : 10b – TEV ).

Not only has God commanded us and created us to serve Him, He has also called us to do so. God has saved us and called us to be His own people. ( 2 Tim 1 : 9 – TEV ) We now belong to Him so that we might be useful in the service of God. ( Rom 7 : 4 – TEV )

As Rick Warren wrote in “40 Days of Purpose”, ‘a non-serving Christian’ is a contradiction in terms. We may have thought that being called to serve by God was something only for pastors, fulltime church workers or missionaries, but the Bible says every Christian is called to serve.

There is a crying need for members of the body of Christ in our own Diocese to come forward to serve. Bishop laments that there are more that 30 vacancies for fulltime workers in the Diocese. Many local churches are in the same dilemma with a shortage of people to serve. We need to pray fervently as Jesus told His seventy-two appointed disciples that “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field”. ( Luke 10 : 2 )

If we are answering this call to serve, how are we to serve?

How do we serve God?Jesus is our best example of serving.

The Gospel of Mark in particular portrays Him as a servant beyond comparison. Jesus was “a servant to the crowds ( Mark 1 – 7 ), then as a servant to the disciples ( Mark 8 – 10 ) and fi nally as a servant to all humanity by giving His life as a ransom. ( Mark 11 – 16, esp. 10 : 45 ) In the fi nal analysis, however, Jesus was a servant to His heavenly Father, sent forth to do His will” ( Bruce Wilkinson, Closer Walk )

Paul in Phil. 2 : 5 – 11, calls us to follow Jesus’ example of servanthood which was depicted by humility, suffering and obedience, even unto death. We are to serve with humility. We cannot be servants of Jesus if we are not humble people. It is important to realize that we cannot produce humility by our own effort. We can choose the way of humility but ultimately, humility is produced when we yield daily to the Spirit’s control and thereby, bear this fruit of the Spirit of humility. It is an attitude of the heart which brings oneself bowing low before God, being extremely dependent on Him and magnifying Christ and not self.

Speaking about practicing and growing in humility, Siang-Yang Tan, in “Full Service”, mentions one particularly crucial aspect of humility which is having the faith to face failures. Failure experiences, especially in our service can be humiliating but also humbling and learning from that failure is a crucial way of growing in humility.

When we serve God, we may often be called to the fellowship of sharing in His suffering (Phil. 3 : 10 ). As real servants of Christ, we will embrace suffering and sacrifi ce when and where necessary. True service offered to God may not be easy always but we have the most comforting and life-transforming truth in that the Lord is always with us in our sufferings. God allows suffering for various reasons best known to Him. He uses suffering often to refi ne, perfect and strengthen us and to make us more dependant on Him as we serve Him.

All these and other qualities needed for true service fl ows from an intimate relationship with our Father God. Intimacy with our Lord founded on prayer, bible reading and meditation, worship, solitude, silence and other spiritual disciplines is the foundation of true servanthood. Kenneth Boa in, “Conformed to His Image”, said this creatively and insightfully. “We have to love God completely, love ourselves correctly so that we may love others

compassionately. Genuine service will be the natural outcome of such love.”

True servanthood must be distinguished from doormat servitude or slavery to other people’s demands and wants. Siang-Yang Tan in the same book wrote “Servanthood is not being a doormat for everyone to walk over and abuse or manipulate with inability to say no to unreasonable requests, or worse still, vicious demands”. In true servanthood, out of a deep friendship and communion with the Lord, we give control to the Lord our master and not to people. He will guide us as to when to serve sacrifi cially and when to say no without feeling guilty.

In Christian service, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of self-righteous service. Richard Foster, in “Celebration of Discipline”, described the differences between true service that fl ows out of a servant’s heart and that of self-righteous service that is more ego-centred and ultimately centres in self glorifi cation. This kind of service comes through human effort and is highly concerned with rewards and results as opposed to true service which is God dependant, Christ centred and is a life style.

Many people fi ght shy of serving for the main reason of not having the confi dence or the necessary talents to do so.

Rick Warren in “The Purpose Driven Life” created a simple acrostic ‘SHAPE’ to help us fi nd the area of service best suited for us. This is further developed by Erik Rees in his book ‘S.H.A.P.E.’. God has a unique purpose for our life based on the way God has shaped us. Whenever God assigns a job for us, He always equip us with what we need to accomplish it. This combination of capabilities is called our SHAPE

Spiritual giftsHeartAbilitiesPersonalityExperiences

God has given to each of his children spiritual gifts. We are to discover what they are and use them to serve Him.

Each of us has a unique heart beat whereby we instinctively care about something and not about others. These are clues to where we should be serving. Knowing this will help us serve passionately, enthusiastically and effectively.

TT

by Rev. Dato’ Dr Yeoh Beng San

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We all have natural abilities or talents which we are born with. We are all a bundle of incredible abilities and we should indentify and release these abilities for serving God.

People are made up of all types of personalities. God made introverts and extroverts. He made some work best on their own while others excel in a team. God uses all types of personalities. Knowing your personality will help you know where and how to fi t into a ministry.

We all go through many and varied experiences in every area of our life. God intentionally and purposefully allows these experiences so that we can use what we have learned from these experiences. We will then be able to serve better, with more understanding, empathy and compassion.

In which areas are we to serve?God has called us to be not only servants of Christ ( 1 Cor. 4 : 1 ) but also servants of those we are ministering to in the church. ( 2 Cor. 4 : 5 )

The apostle Paul asserts that we are God’s fellow workers and the ‘The Lord has given us spiritual gifts to use in apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral and teaching ministries in the church in order to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ’. ( Eph 4 : 12 – 13 ) As servants of Jesus in the church, we are involved in disciple-making and serving in various ministries to present everyone mature in Christ.

John H Oak in “Called to Awaken the Laity” emphasized the joint role of the clergy and the lay people in ministry in the church and enthusiastically calls for an implementation of a systematic training for discipleship so that the whole church can be thoroughly equipped and mobilised to serve God both in the church and in the world at large.

In the “Purpose Driven Church”, Rick Warren asserts that healthy and growing churches must have fi ve balanced purposes: “Every church needs to grow warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry and

larger through evangelism”. When everyone serves in the church, we will be able to keep these fi ve New Testament purposes in view and in balance.

Another important fundamental and basic area where we must express servanthood is the home. To love our neighbours as ourselves ( Mark 12 : 31 ) would include our spouse, our children, our parents and our siblings, all of whom are our closest neighbours.

Serving each other as each other’s best friend in the marital relationship, is what makes marriage survive and thrive.

Another signifi cant area of serving in the home is that of parenting. This often involves sacrifi ce in areas such as time, sleep, fi nances and personal hobbies, even a career especially for mothers who become home-makers. Our priority must be to raise up godly and healthy children rather than pressuring them to succeed in the world. Honouring our parents is one of the ten commandments and we serve them by caring for them, especially in their latter years. The ability to love them when they can no longer serve us is the real test of our honouring.

Lastly, our service for God must extend into our workplace and community where most of us will spend most of our time. God has placed us in our workplace and in the community for a purpose. Paul advised us that in whatever we do, we work with all our heart as working for the Lord. ( Col. 3 : 23 )

Thus, servanthood in the marketplace means that both Christian employees as well as employers need to do their best in the power of the Holy Spirit, as serving the Lord himself – he is the real Boss. ( Eph. 6 : 5 – 9 ) In this vast marketplace, we will be able to bear a good testimony and be an infl uence, to be the salt and the light, as we do our work with a servant’s heart.

Ed Silvoso who authored both “Anointed for Business and Transformation”, wrote about Christians being anointed by God in the power of the Holy spirit so that we can use our job as a ministry vehicle both to transform the marketplace and to share the gospel. He added that in order to have favour with people, we need to do favours for people. This comes about

by genuine service of caring for the needs of people.

Serving the needy in the community I believe is an obligation and not an option for every believer. Jesus showed us in His life and ministry on earth how He had great compassion for the poor, the sick, the marginalized and the ostracized and met their needs wherever he went. Following his footsteps would require us to do likewise, as did the early church which put great importance in ‘taking care of the poor’ (Gal. 2 vs 10) and this was central to the mission of the gospel.

The ChallengeThe biggest challenge for this new decade for our Diocese will be for every member in the body of Christ to rise up and take to heart the commandment of God to serve. We will all need as an individual and as a church, to reschedule our priorities, rechannel our resources and realign our purposes in life to the purposes and will of God.

We all can do something even if it is something small. Mother Theresa often emphasized that we can do no great thing, only small things with great love.

May we all obey God’s command to serve and be like Joshua who after challenging the Israelites to serve God with faithfulness, announced that he and his household would serve the Lord (Joshua 24 vs. 17). When we do so, we will fi nd our deepest joy, fulfi llment and satisfaction in Him. It is our greatest privilege and highest honour to serve the true and living God.

‘Only one life that will soon be past, only what is done for Jesus that will last’.

May this be said of us when we meet our Saviour, Jesus one day : ‘Well done good and faithful servant’

Bibliography1) Tan, Siang-Yang, Full Service, Grand Rapids,

Michigan, Baker Books, 20062) Warren Rick, The Purpose Driven Life, Grand

Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan, 20023) Warren Rick, The Purpose Driven Church,

Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan, 19954) Foster, Richard, Celebration of Discipline,

London, Hodder & Stoughton, 19805) Oak, John H, Called to Awaken the Laity,

Sparkford, J. H. Haynes & Co., 2003

REV. DATO’ DR. YEOH BENG SANRev Dato’ Dr Yeoh, 63, is married to Dss. Mary and they have three grown up children and 1 grand daughter. He is a consultant paediatrician in private practice and has undergone theological studies at STM, Seremban where he obtained a Masters in Christian studies.

Rev Dr Yeoh was ordained as priest in 1993 and served as a NSM in St. Peter’s Church from 1993 to 2007. Since 2007, he has become Priest-in-charge ( NSM ) of Gereja Hallelujah and The Cornerstone Sanctuary. He is a long time member of the Diocesan Standing Committee and is also actively involved in social work. He has been President of the Perak Association for Intellectually Disabled for past 12 years and also Treasurer of the Perak Welfare Council.

The fi rst Diocesan Clergy Family Retreat was held at Bayu Beach Resort, Port Dickson. 120 people gathered to share and learn from one another. The

speakers from FOCUS IN THE FAMILY led the clergy and spouses and deaconesses in separate sessions. The highlight was on the survey analysis of the ‘Husband and wife’. Everybody was asked to do the online family survey. It was fun and exciting. For many of the children of clergy, it was the fi rst time they were meeting one another. They too had a wonderful time together. Ms. Sheerah Lee led the children’s group. It was a rewarding time together.

DIOCESAN CLERGY RETREAT IN PD

WOMEN MEET AT DIOCESAN CONFERENCE IN MELAKA

The 40th conference of women from the Anglican Diosease of West Malaysia was held from

7-9 June 2010 in Melaka, our historical state, representing history, culture and continuity in partnership with our Lord Jesus.

How do we as Anglican women “Take to Heart the Commands of God” in these last days with Jesus as our personal Saviour in this life on earth? That was the exact question that fi lled our mind...

June 7th marked an auspicious day of celebration for all Anglican sisters. The celebration began with the welcoming of all delegates from across Malaysia. Visitors from Sarawak, Singapore, Myanmar and as far as Lichfi eld totalling 363 were present at Emperor Hotel, Melaka.

The life of every Christian celebration is the inspiration of the living word of God. Through our faithful theme speakers and teachers Tracy Yu, Elaine Goh and Anita Victor, the sessions revealed the purpose, function and direction of women, in moving forward with Christ. They, as individuals, carried diverse roles as family members and members of the church. Prayer ministries after the theme talks allowed the sisters to openly deal with hurts and bondages that prevent progress in our.

From ‘living water’ to the open waters of Melaka River, a small cruise perked the spirits of every woman whose worldly pleasure of shopping was also met.

The fi nal countdown on day three wrapped up all theme talks and gave an opportunity for fi nal farewells. The speakers truly made an impact and left

8

us with a sense of gratitude for the gift of taking the teachings home to share with others and to build on existing and new friendships.

The entire conference from conception to execution was led by a group of servant hearted stewards headed by Bishop Batumalai, assisted by Rev. Matthew Chay, Rev. David Rajiah, Rev. Marshall and Rev. Dr Albert Walters. The Christ Church Melaka team consisting of PCC members and lay people extended their gifting and worked tirelessly in support of their partnership with Christ for the success of this conference.

Thank you is just not suffi cient to describe the effort of the organisers, speakers and all delegates because this was not a one off event but an ongoing labour of love.

Mangales Balasingam LCA Representative

This was my fi rst ever camp. It started off with us arriving at

the campsite in Rawang at 9:00am. At about 12:00 noon, we were shown our dorms and later went to the hall for an introductory session where we all got to know each other through our shoes. We played a game where we took out one of our shoes and put them in a pile in the middle of the circle. Then, all of us had to run to the pile and grab any ‘smelly’ shoe and fi nd the owner of the shoe and introduce ourselves. It was a fun game. We then got to know all about the mission that was to come and we were all given an introduction within our groups. After that we had dinner and a concert. Then Pastor Elisha spoke to us and we had an altar call. I think many will agree with me that his sermon on “TRANSFORMATION” was really heart warming. Many of us experienced the presence of God during the altar call. The next day began with morning exercises and devotion in the groups assigned to us. Then Pastor Elisha preached a follow up sermon on “Transformation”. We gained more knowledge on true Christianity. Pastor Elisha is a really great Preacher, who helped change our lives and views of the community. After lunch, we had a session with Preacher Jason Fong. Each group was given an item and we were told to describe what we thought the purpose of it was and what we could do with the item. I must say some of us were quite creative! He summed up the session with a sermon. He is a really good inspirational teacher.

Then it was Battlefi eld time!! We all had to get into our groups and do a set of challenges/courses/ games set before us and the team with the most points won. It was physically challenging but nevertheless fun. Then it was free time. Most of us made use of the swimming pool that was just outside our dorm. After that it was a briefi ng and sharing to prepare us for the mission the next day. Mission Day. It was the 3rd day at camp. We woke up, did our exercises and devotion and got ready for ‘MISSION’. It was a trip to a charity home nearby. Each group went to a different home. We spent most of the day with the orphans and the disabled. Even though they seemed to be less fortunate, they looked so happy without a care for all the riches and unhappiness of the world. We had one of the best times of our lives looking after and playing with the children. It was an experience we are never likely to forget. After the mission trip which I think went successfully, we had a game called the Refugee Race at night. It was a simulation game of what refugees

feel. All the unhappiness, exploitation and discomfort they experience. We could either support our families, by choosing to go the legal way, which took hours of waiting and possible rejection. Or we could go the illegal way, the quick way round and almost defi nite earnings. The only problem was the police offi cers. Bishop Moon Hing was among the police offi cers, running around with a water pistol and trying to catch the ‘criminals’. If they caught you, it was no mercy -

straight to jail! You got released after a while. The family that gained the most money legally won. None of us won because in each family, at least 1 member went into illegal activities. After this, Bishop Moon Hing shared with us some of his experiences and prayed for us. Pack up! It was time to go home… That was the 4th day of camp. We had a short time of refl ection and prayer to put all we had been taught to use in our lives. One of the activities was for us to write a “Letter to God”. We had to write down what we had experienced and how we wanted God to help us make a transformation. Then came the sad part. We slowly trickled out of the gate, all reluctant to go but at the same time excited to go home. I made many friends and, this being my fi rst camp, found it thoroughly enjoyable. I had also learnt a lot of new and exciting things. After all that fun, the 2009 Diocesan Anglican youth camp was over and I will defi nitely look forward to attending camp this year!

Nicholas Doughty, 13St. Mary’s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur

YOUTH CAMP AN EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER 30 NOV-3 DEC 2009, RAWANG

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Book Review

“IMPROVING YOUR SERVE” by Charles Swindoll

The phrase ‘improving your serve’ would normally be associated with a game of badminton or

tennis. Swindoll, senior pastor of the First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, California since 1971 uses it to entitle his book on what he calls ‘the gentle art of unselfi sh living’.

In a society where the ‘me fi rst` attitude is constantly promoted and advertised, Swindoll presents a personal and simple exposition on the many facets of Christian service. Beginning with humility, he portrays a servant as a giver, a forgiver and a forgetter.

“In God’s family there is to be one great body of people; servants.”

He goes on to show that proof of servanthood is anonymity, citing the Macedonian church in II Cor. 8 as an example. He maintains that giving has to be a daily matter and we need to stick with the commitment.

Quoting the Beatitudes in Mathew 5, Swindoll says “Servanthood starts in the

mind. In the life of an authentic servant is a deep abiding depending on the living Lord”.

“True servants are merciful. They care. They get involved. They get dirty if necessary. They offer more than pious words. “

Speaking about the infl uences of a servant. Swindoll says “the uniquely Christian mind is a rare fi nd because humanism, secularism, intellectualism and materialism have invaded our thinking to such an extent that our `salt’ has become diluted.

Being a servant says Swindoll is unannounced. It includes giving and receiving graciously, with grace. He also says True servants do more than talk. Real servants stay conscious of the blindness pride can cause.

Aware of the pressures and consequences that serving can bring Swindoll advises that as Christians, suffering for doing what is right has the reward of eternity and concludes that the “role of serving

may seem insignifi cant but it is in reality dynamite.”

Be encouraged and inspired by this easy to read book which is fi lled with wonderful true stories to help us improve our serve.

Gloriosa Rajendran

9

40TH ANNIVERSARY THANKSGIVING DINNER OF THE DIOCESE

It was an atmosphere of celebration on 10 April 2010 as the Diocese gathered at the Holiday Villa Subang to celebrate 40 years of

God’s blessings to this Diocese. A distinguished gathering of over 600 people of bishops, clergy, and heads of churches, friends and members from the various parishes in the Diocese were present. We were honoured to have with us the Archbishop of the Province, The Most Rev Dr. John Chew, the Provincial Bishops and the former Archbishops, Bishop Dr. Moses Tay and Bishop Datuk Yong Ping Chung. In welcoming the guests, the Rev Fred David, Chairman of the Year of Celebration and the Thanksgiving Dinner gave thanks to God for His goodness and said that this was one of the many events that was planned to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Diocese of West Malaysia. The hope of the Diocese is that this will inspire us to move into the next season of 40 years bringing growth and maturity to the Diocese.

The event then continued with a Thanksgiving liturgy lead by the Archdeacon of Upper Central Archdeaconry, Canon Eddie Ong, which was followed by a time of High Praise led in four languages by worship leaders from four churches backed by a 40 voice group of singers from churches in the Klang Valley, dressed in black with colourful scarves. It was indeed a great time of worship in the languages used in the Diocese. The music was provided by musicians from one of our new church plants, Peace Community Church, Bukit Jalil.

The Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Ng Moon Hing in his message thanked our local and overseas visitors, Churches and those from the community for taking time to be present. He highlighted that the Diocese had moved from its humble beginnings of a few congregations to more that 200 hundred today and observed that it was still growing. He challenged the Diocese to move with the times and be relevant to the nation. Thus new ventures have been initiated in the fi elds of social concern, crisis relief, early intervention programmes, orphanages and senior citizen homes.

During the dinner, we were entertained by various cultural programmes prepared by the Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil Ministry Boards of the Diocese. It was a spectacular

sight to see the diversity of our Diocese and each language group taking its rightful place in the life of the Diocese. We praise God for this.

As the event drew to a close we witnessed the history of the Diocese in a video and power point presentation. A bonus for the night was a video clip of the fi rst Bishop of Singapore and Malaya, the Rt. Rev Chiu Ban It. Sending his greetings for the occasion and recollecting a little of the

inauguration of the Diocese of West Malaysia, he wished the Diocese God’s Blessing in all our undertakings At that juncture Datin Julia Yong was escorted up on stage to read a message of greetings and best wishes, from Puan Sri Roland Koh, wife of the fi rst Bishop of the Diocese of West Malaysia. Julia is also the daughter of Tan Sri Roland Koh and the wife of Bishop Datuk Yong Ping Chung.

Archbishop John Chew brought us greetings from the Province of South East Asia and gave us the Benediction. All Glory must go to the Lord for his goodness and faithfulness to our Diocese. But our thanks go to all who contributed to the success of the night. Special mention must go to the following:

• The media production team headed by Isabelle Ng.• The worship and music team lead by Mabel Cheah and Prakash N • The Thanksgiving Dinner Sub Committee• The Diocesan Offi ce Staff and • The Masters of Ceremony.

By Rev Fred David

10

Isa 43:2 – ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fi re, you will not be burned; the fl ames will not set you ablaze.

ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH ‘BAPTISM OF FIRE’ ON 10 JAN, 2010 Interestingly (prophetically?) the reading from Isaiah 43:1-7 was the fi rst appointed reading for 10th January being the 1st Sunday in Epiphany and commemorating the baptism of Christ. January also became a month of ‘baptism of fi re’ for a number of churches. Who could have expected the peaceful town of Taiping to be caught in the second wave of attempted arson? Yet it did, and that fi ery trail reached All Saints’ Church on the early morning of 10th January.

When Dss.(Hon) Rani went to open the church for our combined service at 7.15 am, she discovered shards of broken glass strewn all over the

entrance, in particular the stairway. The concrete stair was thickly coated black with burn marks, and the lower section of the church porch and the wooden panel facing the road was partially burnt.

We were momentarily stunned with disbelief and stood wondering what to do next. “Should we just do the obvious thing of cleaning up the mess and get ready for worship in half an hour’s time?” A decision was made to inform the police fi rst and to transfer the worship service to the youth centre at the back of the church. Strings and tapes were quickly extended around the porch to prevent any movement

• Cont’d on page 3

A SPECIAL GRADUATION TO REMEMBER

Eduan Bah Chimpok and Lizune Bah Chong, two members of the Orang Asli Community, graduated with BTh at the MBTS (Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary) on 13 November

2009. This is the fi rst time two Orang Asli men obtained the BTh after Deaconess Julih. Even in the Methodist OA, no one else has the BTh since Bah Rahu many years ago. We want to thank St Mary’s Cathedral for sponsoring Eduan’s fees during the last four years. We have four new students who have the Certifi cate in Theology from SAM who plan to go to Penang MBTS from January 2010.

11

ANGLICAN CARE GIVERS UNDERGO TRAINING

The Anglican Care Givers Training Programme was held from 13-15 May 2010. The theme for the training was “Love, Grief and Family”. This was girded by the

v”At Death’s Door”. The focus was John 11: 1- 44. Workshops on how to cope with grief not only helped to reinforce learnt skills but helped some participants receive personal healing. The talk on ‘Listening Skills’, ‘Self Awareness’ and ‘Self Regulation of Emotions’ heightened the care givers knowledge and widened our understanding. Experiences shared by the caregivers also enlightened, encouraged and reinforced the fact that none were alone in this ministry.

As I am new to the Anglican Diocese, there was a deep desire within me to know the heart concerns of Anglicans. What an amazing grace of GOD, to be invited to attend this three day conference.

My fear of the unknown disappeared as the members overtly (in love) helped me to settle down. Their friendly and caring attitude tugged me to stay on for the long hours of the conference. Questions were answered, verbalised

and otherwise. The coping mechanism of the carer in all situations was expounded scripturally by the teachers and internalised by the participants through the vigorous discussions at meal times. Coping methods were grasped through the videos and emphasised the fact that all human beings, irrespective of colour and creed experience pain when losing a loved one, a relationship, or our rightful position in society through various aspects of life.

The message by the Bishop helped to reinforce the reason why the carers were attending the Conference, who they were serving and the purpose of caring within the parameters of Christianity, not forgetting that which is outside too.

Finally, the message during the Holy Communion reassured us of our calling and reminded us of the importance of simply caring for that is what Christ our Lord and Saviour commanded us to do. It did not matter who we were and where we are in our life. We are to simply care.

Thank you every one for simply caring.Saroja Millott

St. Paul’s Church, Petaling Jaya

around that area. Uneventfully but with an impending sense of being hit and rolled over by a mini news worthy tsunami, the worship service carried on though with a lot of makeshift liturgical adaptation. We had really no time to think whether to face east or west. When the service ended at 9.30 am, the whole church compound was ironically bursting with ‘festivity’ swarming with reporters, police offi cers, curious onlookers and not a few seriously concerned parishioners whom I had not seen for quite some time! Something good did come out

after all.

I take this opportunity to again thank the United Paso Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) Youth Wing in Sabah through the good offi ce of Christian Federation of Malaysia and Bishop Ng Moon Hing for the speedy goodwill donation of RM18,000. In particular, we appreciate the personal presence of the Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Dr. Zambry and Dato’ Dr. Mah Hang Soon, the MCA EXCO for non-Islamic Affairs Department in Perak for their concern and allocation

of RM30,000 for repairs. It is also heartening to note the solidarity shown from politicians from the various parties in condemning this dangerous act. A special of word of thanks to our much maligned police force for their quick response and professionalism.

To all of you who have prayed for us and visited us, we thank you.

May the light of God shine its transforming fi re through the Diocese to bless our nation Malaysia.

Rev. Joshua Ong

• Cont’d from page 10 All Saints Church “Baptism of Fire”

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12

RESTORATION OF ST GEORGE’S CHURCH PENANG IN FULL GEAR

Restoration work at St George’s Church is very much in high gear right now. Built in 1817, St George’s Church is one of the prominent

landmarks in Penang. It is the oldest Anglican church in South-East Asia and was declared one of country’s 50 National Heritage treasures in Malaysia. Initially named St George the Martyr, was one of the earliest monumental buildings to be built in Penang by Captain Robert Smith (age 29) of Bengal Engineers. The fi rst service was held on Christmas day 1818 and the church was consecrated a year later by the Bishop of Calcutta.

On 31st January 2008, the then Deputy Minister of Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage came to present Bishop Ng Moon Hing with a Heritage Grant for the church restoration and a national plaque bearing the words “Warisan Kebangsaan” that will be embossed at the front wall of the church to greet visitors to the church.

Restoration work commenced in April this year under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. The full beauty of this church will be revealed once the restoration project is completed by November 2010. The last major renovation of the church was done in 1948 after it suffered great damage when six Japanese bombs were dropped during a raid. The use of the church continued until 8th March 2009, when Bishop Ng Moon Hing conducted the last service to de-commission the church.

The restoration includes:1) Rehabilitation & Restoration Works to existing St George’s Church.This phase includes removing all existing modern cement, repair of all timber trusses, cleaning and restoring the roof’s Marseilles tiles, ceiling repairs, external and internal wall fi nishes that include using the ‘cocoon’ method for salt desalination, lime plastering on all walls, repairing all wooden doors and windows, repair

of the timber staircase and balustrades, fl oor fi nishes and repainting the church.

2) Rehabilitation & Restoration Works to existing Francis Light Memorial.This phase includes repair and painting works to the ceilings as well as existing wall fi nishes including lime plastering, painting works, salt desalination and all fl ooring works.

3) Mechanical & Electrical Works The church will continue to enjoy modern facilities like air conditioning, ambience lighting, hidden motorized projectors and screens, as well as a clock at the church steeple.

Weekly Sunday services are currently held at the Parish Hall which has been renovated and is situated behind the present church building.