31ST SESSION OF CHINESE ANNUAL CONFERENCE: NOV 13-16, 2006
CHINESE Annual Conference (CAC) members have been urged to help raise more faithful workers, including effective pastors.
Making the call on the second day of the 31st Session of the CAC at TA2 in Telok Blangah Road, the Rev Khoo Cheng Hoot, the CAC President, noted that Singapore is going through another round of changes with the building of Integrated Resorts and the introduction of e-learning in schools. This means new challenges for the CAC in addition to the current set of problems brought about by changes in language study, the family, and the influence of the Internet.
He said, in his Presidential Address: “All these are influencing our lifestyle, shaking up family units and challenging Christian values. We experience the love of God and carry hope in the resurrection of Jesus. Either we make a joyful proclamation to the people of today – the many sheep without a shepherd – or we will be letting our children and children’s children live at the mercy of the new changes.
“Let me urge all in the ministry of the Gospel, whether ordained or lay, to raise faithful workers and effective pastors to make things happen.”
He urged conference members to flee from the wrath of God and work towards perfection, announce the Good News with joy, put on the full armour of God, and stand united in supporting church projects such as the Sengkang Methodist Church project.
He also brought up the problem of the lack of English-speaking pastors to meet the increasing needs of the English-speaking congregations in CAC churches.
The lack of unity was another problem, he said. For example, not all the local churches abided by conference decisions and participated in dialect evangelism programmes even though these issues had been fully discussed and agreed upon.
Retiring Elder Rev Victor Goh Chong Cheng recognised for his service
“As Jesus prayed for the disciples that they may be one in spirit, so we too share in this same need to ask for this unity of spirit from the Father,” he said.
Other points raised were:
■ The importance of disciple-making and leadership development;
■ The challenge to retain 50 per cent of infant baptisms in CAC churches;
■ The need to provide a support scheme for pastors as the pastoral ministry is a lifelong ministry;
■ The need to hasten work on dialect evangelism;
■ The need to immerse pastors in continuing education;
■ To challenge more members to tithe; and
■ CAC’s growing mission ministry, with more members now going into the mission fields.
At the Ordination-cum-Closing Service on Nov 16, Bishop Dr Robert Solomon delivered the sermon entitled “Watch Your Life and Doctrine” (see Page 1), and ordained three Deacons and four Elders.
The three Deacons are Pastor Helen Ho Chiew Ngin, Pastor Lisa Yu Li Hsin and Pastor Wilfred Leow Hui Ann, and the Elders are the Rev Teoh Kean Onn, the Rev Chew Eng Pin, the Rev Chin Yan Chong and the Rev Louis Chai Shung Chee.
The Bishop also commissioned the Rev Philip Lim Kian Leong as the Missionary Pastor to Cambodia. The Rev Lim was Pastor-in-Charge of Hinghwa Methodist Church and had previously served in Cambodia.
At hand to witness the commissioning and support the Rev Lim was the Rev Dr Norman Wong, Executive Director of the Methodist Missions Society.
Prior to the ordinations, the Rev Victor Goh Chong Cheng, a retiring Elder, was recognised. The Rev Khoo, on behalf of the CAC, thanked him for his faithful years of service and presented him with a love gift.