THE three divisions run by the Methodist Co-operative Society Limited (MCSL) have been blessed with success, and the co-operative looks forward to their further expansion.
They are the bereavement services, catering and property management, and medical services.
In order to allow for more autonomy for each of the operations, the MCSL is seeking approval from the Registrar of Co-operatives to form a new subsidiary company for the three services. It hopes to call the new subsidiary company “Cross Connections”.
These points were disclosed at the MCSL’s 7th annual general meeting at the premises of the former Methodist Home for the Aged Sick at St George’s Lane on Oct 27, 2001.
After a thanksgiving lunch, Mr John Cheong, Chairman of the MCSL, announced that its first commercial venture, the Hosanna Bereavement Services (HBS), has been a success. He thanked God for the services of Mr Ricky Guok, a Methodist, who has been working tirelessly to build up HBS.
During the past few months, the MCSL also had the services of another Methodist, Mr Lawrence Ang, who helped to develop the catering and property management division.
The third division that was formed was the medical services, which provided medical care (with its own panel of Methodist doctors) to the staff and pastors of Trinity Annual Conference. Since then, Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church and Trinity Methodist Church have joined the scheme. The MCSL was also successful in the tender to provide medical care to the Bethany Methodist Nursing Home.
The Thrift and Loan Scheme is also beginning to bear fruit after its official launch in October last year.
As Singapore faces another economic recession, it is the MCSL’s hope that the spirit of the co-operative, based on Acts 4:32 to pool and share resources, will prevail. This was what the early disciples did as recorded in Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-36. It is through such a spirit of caring and sharing that there were no needy persons among them.
The MCSL seeks continuous support from all Methodists in fulfilling its mission to build a caring and sharing society in Singapore.
Dr Patrick Kee, TRAC Associate Lay Leader, is Secretary of the Methodist Co-operative Society Ltd.