NOVEMBER IS THE Annual Conference month, and last November, the three Annual Conferences held their respective 34th Sessions in different churches.
The Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) held its Session at Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church from Nov 9 to 12, 2009. It was chaired, for the first time, by the Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung, who had been elected the CAC President at the 33rd Session in November 2008. It was his first year in office.
Bishop Dr Robert Solomon was the guest preacher at its Closing-cum-Ordination Service on Nov 12. He ordained two Elders, the Rev Paul Thian Moon Hee and the Rev Jasper Sim Shenq Chyi.
At the service, three people were recognised for their faithful service. Two Elders – the Rev Chng Siew Sin and the Rev Dr Francis Ngoi – retired from active service. The Principal of the Methodist School of Music, Ms Mary Gan, also retired after 13 years of service.
Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference (ETAC) held its Session at Sembawang Tamil Methodist Church on Nov 6 and 7. Bishop Dr Solomon was the guest preacher at its Opening Service. His sermon was entitled “First Things First” and it was based on the text from Mt. 6:31-34.
In his annual Review, ETAC President Rev James Nagulan noted that although ETAC was relatively small in size, a number of Conference programmes had been successfully conducted. He said that ETAC was looking at new opportunities in keeping with the theme for 2010: “Established in Holy Faith” (Eph.3: 16-17).
Bedok Methodist Church was the venue for the Session for Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC), which was held from Nov 23 to 26.
Its Closing Service saw the ordination of a “bumper crop” of six Elders and two Deacons. The six new Elders are the Rev Bernard Chao Wee Chun, the Rev Khoo Kay Huat, the Rev Edmund Koh Leong Swee, the Rev Leslie Lim Kok Seng, the Rev Fred Tan Hee Kok and the Rev Aaron Tay Tian Yeow. The Deacons are the Rev Loretta Lim Swee Gek and the Rev Reuben Ng Lee Keong.
At the service, Ms Lee Shuit Kuin was ordained as a Diaconal Minister and later commissioned as a Missionary of the Methodist Missions Society to East Asia. The Rev Tan Cheok Kian was recognised as Missionary Pastor to East Asia.
In his sermon at the service, TRAC President Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup preached on the tropic “Deep and Wide”, based on the text from Ezekiel 47: 1-12. He said that when the people of God were transformed and redeemed, the world would benefit from the life of God’s people.
