Wong at the opening service of the TRAC 45th session
âHow might we continue to promote the loving welcome of God in both the Church and the world?â Bishop-Elect Dr Gordon Wong asked the delegates of the 45th session of the Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) in his final address as President before his consecration as Bishop on 4 Dec 2020. The session was held at Toa Payoh Methodist Church (TPMC) and online from 23 to 26 Nov.
Bishop-Elect Dr Wong served as President of TRAC, comprising the 21 English-speaking Methodist churches in Singapore, from 2013Ââ2020. âOver the last eight years,â he explained, âwe [i.e. TRAC] have been using the simple logo of the five Wâs to form a coloured star to remind us that we wish to be a Conference of churches that make disciples who promote Godâs Word, Worship, Welcome, Witness and Wonder. This year, we have returned to the W for Welcome.â
How is the Church, socially distanced because of COVID-19, to be an inclusive place of welcome for its congregation as well as the community around it? Firstly, Bishop-Elect Dr Wong said, we should be thankful to one another who are serving in the Churchâthose who serve in ministry, in the local churches, the Annual Conference, the General Conference or as staff. Secondly, we should have ministries through which we can show love to our neighbours, regardless of their ârace, language or religionâ, such as through partnerships with the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS).
We should also show the welcoming love of God in a polarising world. âLove means learning how to disagree without being disagreeable,â said Bishop-Elect Dr Wong. Highlighting social media as a place that divides, he encouraged Methodists to extend the welcome of Godâs inclusive love for all. He ended his Address by thanking all with whom he had served alongside over the last eight years.
Leadership renewal
After his Address, the laity, through outgoing Lay Leader Kim Seah, thanked Bishop-Elect Dr Wong for his service as President. A photo and video montage, assembled by TRAC office staff, was shown before a farewell gift was presented to Bishop-Elect Dr Wong.
One of the main orders of business during every quadrennial Annual Conference session is to elect a new President and other leaders. The Rev Stanley Chua, Pastor-in-Charge of Wesley MC, was elected after five ballots as TRAC President from 2021â24. Dr Cheah Fung Fong from Fairfield MC was elected TRAC Vice-President, the first woman to fill this role. Henry Tan, formerly TRAC Vice-President, was elected as Lay Leader.
Over the next few days, elections were also held for TRACâs key appointments and board members. Outgoing Lay Leader Kim Seah urged TRAC delegates to encourage more, especially the younger ones, to step up and serve at the level of the Annual Conference and beyond.
Pastors and lay leaders also formed smaller groups to fellowship, discuss the issues their respective churches were facing, and pray for one anotherâs personal and church needs.
The power of welcome
The closing service of the TRAC 45th session was held at TPMC, which celebrated its golden jubilee in 2020. Â Owing to COVID-19 limits on the size of the congregation, the service was attended in person by those who were being installed, ordained or dedicated, along with their families. The rest of the TRAC delegates attended the service via livestreaming.
During the service, the new TRAC President, Vice-President and Lay Leader were installed while Conference officers were dedicated. Pastors Joey Chen, Alex Chew, Benjamin Lau and Allan Lee were ordained as Deacons, and the Rev Eddie Ho, the Rev Poh Zhi-Hui and the Rev Byron Teo were ordained as Elders. (Local preachers had been recognised at the Holy Communion service on 23 Nov, also at TPMC, to mark the start of the TRAC 45th session.)
The Rev Edmund de Souza of Wesley MC delivered a sermon that continued with the theme of welcome. He preached from Luke 19:1â10, which tells the well-known story of Jesusâ meeting with Zacchaeus. Jesus is a welcoming Saviour, he said, and reached out to connect with Zacchaeus, a dishonest tax collector who was a pariah among his own people. Similarly, we should look out for those who society has overlooked or ignored, and âsee [them], notice them and connect with them, and reach out a hand of welcome to help them encounter Jesus in their own livesâ.
A loving welcome, the Rev de Souza pointed out, can change lives. âI believe God will use us to bring salvation to those who are far from Him, to bring restoration to those who are broken, and to bring healing to those in need,â he said. âGod is calling us to be the Church that welcomes those who are far from God [âŠ]. We should be that kind of a welcoming community, so that the name of Jesus will be lifted up and many will be blessed.â
Sheri Goh is the Editor of Methodist Message. / Photos courtesy of Daniel Lie