SIBU – The first General Conference Executive Council (GCEC) meeting of The Methodist Church in Malaysia (MCM) for the new quadrennium (2009-2012) was held from Feb 12 to 14 in Sibu under the leadership of Bishop Dr Hwa Yung.
Among some of the matters discussed and decisions made were the following:
The MCM will develop four areas of ministry for the future – Evangelism and Church Planting, Discipleship and Pastoral Work, Church and Society, and Missions.
The second meeting on the long-term goals will be held from June 29 to July 1 in Sabah.
Two other events were also listed on the calendar: The Methodist Pastors’ Retreat will be held in Sibu from April 24 to 30, 2010, and the Methodist Prayer Convention will be held from April 30 to May 1, 2011, also in Sibu.
The GCEC also discussed the possibility of combining efforts between Methodist Pilley Institute (MPI) and Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) to work towards a Methodist University College.
The Book of Discipline will be translated into Chinese with the Rev Yau Kah Fatt as Editor-in-Chief assisted by the Rev Ling Tung Kiing and the Rev Shia Siek Hing. It is expected to be published in 2010.
The General Conference will also publish booklets on the Methodist Small Group Ministry, Methodist Doctrines, and Methodist Worship.
Close to 25 members attended the GCEC meeting including all the Presidents from the six Annual Conferences. – Connection, the English publication of The Chinese Methodist Message (Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference).
Church-planting a priority of Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand
AUCKLAND – New Zealand is the missionary environment for the growing Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand (WMCNZ). Internationally known for its spectacular beauty and material wealth, New Zealand is a spiritually poor country, with one 2006 study suggesting it is the most secular English-speaking country in the world.
The WMCNZ was established in 2000 as an evangelical network of churches in the Methodist tradition and part of the international Wesleyan Church. It is a multi-racial church with Anglo, Maori, Tongan, Fijian, Chinese and Rotoman members and today has grown to 21 churches with 46 licensed pastors and ordained ministers.
It is the newest member of the World Methodist Council (2007).
New Zealand Wesleyan Methodists have a youthful profile. Worship at the recent National Church Conference was led by a worship team from East City Wesleyan Church with an average age of 15 years. A one-week “Inside Out” film workshop for young people was held last September with participants learning new resiliency skills with the prayerful support of mentors.
National Superintendent Rev Richard Waugh has just launched his five-part seminar called Discover Your Wesleyan DNA which was developed from his Doctor of Ministry studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in the United States. The seminar explores key characteristics of the Wesleyan theological tradition including mission, salvation, transformation/holiness, Means of Grace and ministry with the poor.
Through the seminar lay leaders, and especially the younger people, are appreciating the benefits of accessing the riches of the John Wesley tradition.
Looking ahead, church-planting continues as a priority, as well as resourcing and equipping churches for effective children and youth work.
The WMCNZ continues to carry out its mission with a variety of ecumenical links as an important expression of living out the catholic spirit of Wesley.
In April, the Wesleyan Methodists, Methodists and Nazarenes in New Zealand supported the work of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute Seminar in Auckland with much prayerful preparation.
A key new development in August 2009 will be the first annual WMCNZ theological symposium. Dr Joel Green from Fuller Seminary in the US and Dr Glen O’Brien from Kingsley/Tabor College in Australia will be the special guests. New Zealand leaders will also be presenting papers at the symposium.
It is hoped that this “Wesleyans Thinking Together” forum will be an annual occasion to foster the blessings of the Wesleyan theological world view. – World Methodist Council.