the Rev Dr Lim and Bishop Dr Robert Solomon. — Methodist Message picture by CHEN YI RENG.
26th SESSION OF TRINITY ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Nov 19-22, 2001
“SEEKING the Presence of God to build Transforming, Renewing and Anointed Congregations.” This was the vision adopted by Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) for the quadrennium (2001-2004).
The TRAC President, the Rev Dr Isaac Lim, encouraged every church to claim ownership of the vision and to see it realised.
“I believe that this vision can be a reality if we take ownership. It is no use having a vision when we are not ready to run with it,” he said in his Presidential Address at Faith Methodist Church.
“The vision must be cascaded so that every member of the church can catch the vision and run with it. Was it not the Lord who said to the Prophet Habakkuk, ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it (Hab 2:2)’,” he said.
Touching on the importance of leadership, he said that leadership development, which would be
the focus for TRAC for the next three years, “aims to train leaders at all levels of involvement in the life of the church”.
“The accomplishment of the vision is always linked to the leadership,” he pointed out. “A leader without a vision or a dream will lead his people on an aimless road heading nowhere.”
Seeing leadership as a partnership between the laity and the clergy, he identified the need to utilise every means to raise up leaders who were willing to serve.
On the shortage of pastors, he said: “I am of the opinion that we need to give special attention to the youth and young adults of our church and to challenge them for full-time ministry.”
Although there is a major concern for raising leaders, he continued to encourage the churches to build up prayers, and at the same time be actively involved in evangelism, mission work and making disciples.
“While shepherding the sheep is an important arena in pastoral care, evangelism is an important task if winning souls is for us an important priority,” he stressed.
Chen Yi Reng is a part-time correspondent for Methodist Message.
