MELBOURNE – The 5th Session of the Chinese Methodist Church in Australia Annual Conference (CMCA), held here recently, has elected the Rev Albert Chiew as the new bishop, and Mr Joseph Ting as the Lay Leader.
During the conference, the long-expected Annual Conference Building was officially declared opened by Bishop Dr Hwa Yung of The Methodist Church in Malaysia, the Rev Dr Su Chii Ann of the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC), the new Bishop Albert Chiew and the outgoing bishop, the Rev Dr James Ha.
On Dec 3, 2006, CMCA celebrated its 20th anniversary of the beginning of the mission work of the Chinese Methodists in Australia. In June 1986, a small flock of about 20 people gathered in the Kew suburb of Melbourne. This humble gathering marked the beginning of a great harvest.
Two years later, in November 1988, SCAC commissioned the Rev James Ha as the missionary to Australia.
Through years of hard work with other co-workers, the Mission Conference of the Chinese Methodist Church was established in 1994. In 2002, it was officially upgraded to the Annual Conference of the Chinese Methodist Church in Australia. Its first bishop was the Rev Dr James Ha.
CMCA currently has nine churches, six preaching centres and two preaching points with a total membership of about 1,500. They are served by 14 Elders, six Deacons and numerous local preachers.
The motto of the conference is: “To spare no effort in expanding the ministry of the Mission Conference to establish churches and preaching points in all cities and towns where the Gospel can be preached to the Chinese immigrants or other English-speaking peoples of Asian ethnic origins.”
CMCA continues to strive to reach out to all people across Australia.
Its urgent need is to have a full-time missionary or pastor to serve in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. – Connection, The Chinese Methodist Message.