9TH SESSION OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE METHODIST CHURCH IN SINGAPORE:
SEPT 8-13, 2008
AMEMORIAL Service was held at Barker Road Methodist Church on Sept 12 to memorialise eight of our missionaries and church workers who had passed on to Glory in this quadrennium. The eight were: Mrs Charlotte Hipkins, who passed away on Dec 10, 2004, Mrs Lorinne Reinoehl (Dec 31, 2004), Ms Miriam J. Gruber (July 23, 2005), The Rev Andrew Jack Williamson (Oct 4, 2005), The Rev Prabhu Das Roberts (Nov 10, 2005), Ms Janet Tang (Aug 21, 2006), Mrs Louise Leonard McGraw (Nov 22, 2006), and Mrs Gong Hock Ming (Aug 6, 2008).
In his sermon entitled “For Their Labours Follow …”, Bishop Roy Sano from The United Methodist Church reminded the congregation of the good work of Sophia Blackmore, who, he noted, reached out to neglected girls, practised street preaching, visited homes, and helped start churches, schools and boarding houses. He urged God’s people to “continue doing ministry as Christ lives in us”.
He then quoted Scripture from Rev 14:13: “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them.”
He was impressed and pleased with the multi-lingual Church in Singapore. Besides English, there are churches with services in many other languages, such as Mandarin, Peranakan Malay and Tamil.
“Continue in ministry,” he urged, “and believe in the Good News and turn your eyes upon Jesus.”
He also exhorted the congregation to lay aside good for the better. “Good is the worst enemy of what is better,” he said and added that we should give of our best in our labours for the Lord.
After the service, the congregation adjourned to a dinner at Oldham Hall.