Ministers, lay delegates and Christian ministry staff of Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) enjoyed the warm and generous hospitality of Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church over four days in November, as updates and reports were received from different agencies and councils.
Just as much as the Annual Conference was held to discuss “business”, time was put aside to catch up and fellowship with our pastors and other church members. At the Opening Service, Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup used a dental analogy to encourage us to “implant the Word” into our lives, so that the Word becomes an indistinguishable part of us, very much like a tooth implant. The Conference then ended on a high note with the newly-formed Methodist Festival Choir performing at the Closing Service.
Ordinations and Retirements
Eight pastors were ordained as Deacons or Elders at the Closing Service, during which TRAC President Rev Dr Gordon Wong preached an inspiring message (refer to Cover and Page 5 for a summary of this sermon). Bishop Dr Wee presided over these ordinations. In addition, the Conference took time to recognise two of our retiring pastors – the Rev Tan Cheok Kian who has served for 32 years, and the Rev David Wee Boon Hock, who has served for 26.
President’s Address
In his President’s Address, the Rev Dr Wong urged the Conference to come together, “on TRAC” in Word, Worship, Welcome, Witness and Wonder, citing Hebrews 10:24 – that we “stimulate one another towards love and good deeds” (NASB).
Social holiness was one area which the President addressed. John Wesley said that “solitary religion is not to be found there … the Gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness”.
In response to this, a Silver Surge Task Force was recommended by TRAC’s Executive Board to extend care and support to the elderly and their families, and to engage them to use their energy, expertise and experience to serve God, church and society. It was recommended that the Rev Dr Daniel Koh chairs this Task Force.
The Conference accepted these recommendations, and directed the Task Force to report at the Special Session in July 2014.
TRAC’s Executive Board also recommended the designation of a Conference Sunday, to promote TRAC unity. Scripture text and sermon theme will be decided by the Executive Board, with the sermon preached by a pastor from a sister church at each of the local churches. The TRAC vision will also be highlighted, and a specific song or hymn will be sung on that Sunday.
These recommendations were accepted by the Conference, which adopted November 9, 2014 as our Conference Sunday.
Bedok Methodist Church welcomed other churches to co-host and co-promote a three-week TRAC Teaching Tuesday series, tentatively in August 2014. Six “Word” songs were put forth, with other “Word” avenues like Disciple Agency and Bible Study Fellowship to be explored.
In the area of Witness, the President stressed that the world outside TRAC is also our parish, and we are engaged in this area through our schools, missions and welfare agencies. An area of greater concern is that of the shortage of pastors.
Questions raised by the Rev Dr Wong included what ratio of pastors to church members would be “enough”; whether there were potential benefits for local churches to designate some of their Lay Ministry Staff as “Lay Pastors”; how we could be better at discovering and inspiring more persons with the gifts and conviction to serve as pastors; and the possibility of re-hiring retired pastors or having “circuit preachers and pastors” who would then cover three or four local churches in a cluster.
Pastors who will reach retirement age (65 years) within the next three quadrennia (i.e. 2016 to 2028) will number 30, with 17 alone in the 2025 to 2028 quadrennium. The President asked whether Pastors-in-Charge and Pastor-Parish Committees would consider pilot initiatives like shared pastoral ministry under the supervision of a district superintendent.
Pictures courtesy of Trinity Annual Conference
Han (Methodist Church of the Incarnation), Pastor Raymond Fong (Wesley Methodist Church) and Pastor Shaun Chong Jiawei (Christalite Methodist Church).
Ordinations
Congratulations to our new Deacons and Elders, who were ordained by Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup at the Conference’s Closing Service.
Increase within the life of these servants the gift of the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ your Son, for the ministry of a Deacon in your Church. Give them grace to be faithful to their promise, constant in their discipleship, and always ready for the works of loving service. Make them modest and humble, gentle and strong, that, having the assurance of faith and rejoicing in hope, they may be rooted and grounded in love.
Enable them to serve without reproach, to proclaim the gospel of salvation, to administer the sacraments of the new covenant, to order the life of the Church, and to offer with all your people spiritual sacrifices acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Christina Stanley is the Editor of Methodist Message and a TRAC Lay Delegate from Wesley Methodist Church.