By LEONG WENG KAM
Congregation of 50 worship at Hakka MC
5 FOREIGN LANGUAGES
The new service brings the total of non-traditional or foreign languages being used in Methodist churches to five. The others are Korean, Indonesian, Tagalog and Telugu.
BETWEEN 30 and 50 Myanmar nationals working in Singapore now worship regularly at the Singapore Hakka Methodist Church every Sunday at 4 pm.
The Methodist Church in Singapore’s first-ever Myanmar-language service was launched there slightly more than a year ago.
The new service brings the total of non-traditional or foreign languages being used in Methodist churches to five. The others are Korean, Indonesian, Tagalog and Telugu.
They are in addition to English, the main language used in Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) churches; Mandarin and at least six other Chinese dialects used in the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) churches; and Tamil, the main language used in Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference (ETAC) churches.
Singapore Hakka MC’s pastors and its Myanmar congregation celebrated the first anniversary of the Myanmar service on July 6, 2003 during a special two-hour worship and praise service which attracted more than 100 people.
Led by Myanmar missionary Esther Shwe Yi, who is doing her post-graduate studies at the Theological Centre for Asia here, the service was also attended by members of the Singapore Hakka MC and its Pastor, the Rev Philip Lim.
The congregation, comprising mostly young Myanmar nationals working here, celebrated its anniversary with songs of praise in their national language during the congregation singing as well as in special items presented by various groups.
Singapore Hakka MC’s Local Church Executive Committee Chairman, Dr Seah Kar Heng, shared the word with them in English with excellent simultaneous interpretation by Ms Esther Shwe Yi, the service’s regular preacher.
Dr Seah spoke on the importance of studying history, especially the Old Testament times, to understand better God’s words and His commandments.
One of the service’s worship leaders, Ms Deborah Rolly, also a Myanmar theological student at the Theological Centre for Asia who is supported by Singapore Hakka MC, said the anniversary service attracted the biggest crowd ever.
Methodist churches adding more foreign languages to their worship services
Most congregation members are health-care workers from the Bethany Methodist Nursing Home and St Luke’s Hospital, said Ms Rolly, the younger sister of Ms Esther Shwe Yi.
“We have been able to attract only between 30 and 50 people each week because worshippers who are health-care workers have to work on Sundays when rostered to do so,” she added.
Other worshippers include shipyard and construction workers.
But besides the Sunday service, some of them also go to the church for the Alpha course, prayer meetings and worship practice sessions on the other days of the week, usually in the evenings.
Ms Chua Lian Hui, Chairman of the Singapore Hakka MC’s Myanmar Working Committee, said the idea of a Myanmar-language service started two years ago after the church’s former pastor, the Rev Goh Aik Hiang, brought a group of Myanmar health-care workers from the Bethany Methodist Nursing Home for a Christmas service in the church.
Prior to that, she said, the church had also initiated cell groups among Myanmar health-workers at St Luke’s Hospital.
The Hakka MC has also been active in missionary work in Myanmar, partnering churches there to do God’s work.
A year ago, the Myanmar service was added to the church’s regular Sunday services with 12 pioneering members.
One of the 12 members, Mr Khai Za Thang, 46, a surveyor working on Jurong Island, who attends the service every Sunday with his wife, said: “We are grateful that the church offers us this place for our Sunday worship. It is a good opportunity for Myanmar nationals working here to fellowship too.”
The Rev Philip Lim said he was happy to see the growth of the Myanmar congregation and the church could consider offering membership to the worshippers.
Besides Singapore Hakka MC, other Methodist churches from TRAC, CAC and ETAC are also adding more foreign languages to their church services.
Wesley MC’s Filipino service in Tagalog, for example, celebrated its 20th anniversary in July. In addition, the church also has a Korean and Mandarin service every Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Living Hope MC launched its Mandarin and Hokkien services recently at its Changi Chapel on Sunday mornings, in addition to its English service.
While they are not foreign languages, Living Hope MC saw a great need for churches here to use Chinese dialects to reach out to the heartlanders.
Bishop Dr Robert Solomon said he was heartened to see Methodist churches using non-traditional languages to reach out to the growing number of foreigners working and living in Singapore.
“Churches here are very blessed with so many foreigners coming this way and they will not only help to provide the diversity, but also fulfil in God’s people the desire to reach out to people of all nations,” he added.
Leong Weng Kam, a member of the Methodist Message Editorial Board, is a member of Wesley Methodist Church.
DIVERSITY
‘Churches here are very blessed with so many foreigners coming this way and they will not only help to provide the diversity, but also fulfil in God’s people the desire to reach out to people of all nations.’
— Bishop Dr Robert Solomon.