37TH SESSIONS OF EMMANUEL TAMIL ANNUAL CONFERENCE
AND THE CHINESE ANNUAL CONFERENCE: NOVEMBER 2012
Five CAC Elders ordained
EMMANUEL TAMIL ANNUAL CONFERENCE (ETAC) has a new President, while the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) has re-elected its incumbent President for the next quadrennium at their respective 37th Sessions.
ETAC’s new President is the Rev R. Prabhu, Pastor-in-Charge of Ang Mo Kio Tamil Methodist Church and Seletar Tamil Methodist Church, who was elected on the third ballot. He was the District Superintendent.
Responding to his election, the Rev Prabhu expressed that this position was unexpected for him, and that “positions come and go, but I will continue to serve the Lord”. He requested prayers for himself and his wife as they adjust to this new role.
Mr Richard Jeremiah was elected the Vice-President.
Also elected were these officers: Mr R. Selvathurai as the Conference Lay Leader, Mr Solomon Joseph as the Associate Lay Leader, Mr Noel Josephraj as the Conference Secretary, Mr Melvin Dineshraj as the Conference Treasurer, Mr K. Premkumar as Chairman of the Board of Finance, and Mr R. Selvathurai as Chairman of the Board of Laity.
The Rev Philip Abraham was appointed as the District Superintendent.
The CAC re-elected the Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung as President on the fourth ballot. is will be his second term. He thanked the conference and asked them to partner him in considering how the CAC can be a relevant church to the society they would like to see in 20 years’ time.
For the first time in its 37-year history, the CAC created the position of Vice-President to assist the President in his duties. Mr Han Hai Kwang, previously the Conference Lay Leader, was elected as the first-ever Vice-President of the CAC. Mr Chan Fook Kay was elected as the new Conference Lay Leader in his place. e Associate Lay Leaders are: Ms Kwok Wan Yee (East), Mr David Tay Boon Hua (West) and Prof James Goh (Central).
Among the other officers elected were: The Rev Helen Hoe Chiew Ngin as the Conference Secretary, Mr Chua Buan Her as the Conference Treasurer, the Rev Dr Niam Kai Huey as Chairman of the Board of Presidency, Mr Tang Kee Fei as Chairman of the Board of Finance, the Rev Goh Aik Hiang as Chairman of the Board of Ministry, and Mr Chan Fook Kay as Chairman of the Board of Laity.
The Rev Wilfred Leow Hui Ann was appointed as the District Superintendent (East), with the Rev See Ping Eik as District Superintendent (West), and the Rev Dr Gregory Goh Nai Lat as District Superintendent (Central),
On the second day of the conference, five deacons, recommended to be ordained as Elders, were examined by Bishop Dr Robert Solomon. They were ordained by the Bishop at the Closing Service of the conference on Nov 15. They are: the Rev Andy Goh Yik Wah, the Rev Boey Kok Yeow, the Rev Christopher Louis Kong Chung Dai, the Rev Peter Pan Seng Tai and the Rev Seet Keng Tat.
Five Members-on-Trial (MOTs) were introduced to the delegates on the third day of the conference. The MOTs are Ms Tack Ng Lai Chun, Mr Irman Halim, Mr Edmund Koh, Mr Patrick Chen and the Rev Ling Tieng Ngung.
The Rev Ho Yu Choy and the Rev Seow Choon Seng, who retired, were recognised at the Closing Service.
Trinity Annual Conference held its 37th Session at Paya Lebar Methodist Church from Nov 19 to 22. Among the items in its agenda was the election of a new President.
At press time, Methodist Message was unable to report on the proceedings of the 37th Session of TRAC.
Reports on the TRAC session and more reports on the other Annual Conference sessions will be published in the next issue of Methodist Message.