Private Circulation Only MESSENGERMESSENGER DIOCESE OF WEST MALAYSIA KDN : PP11463/05/2013 (032185) AUGUST 2019 Diocesan Theme for 2019 Bringing In The Sheaves Features 5 8 14 18 Contents Coming Events Cover Design Private Circulation Only Contents ................................................2 • Special Provincial Synod in Kuching - 23-25 September 2019 MESSENGER DIOCESE OF WEST MALAYSIA KDN : PP11463/05/2013 (032185) AUGUST 2019 Archbishop’s Message ...........................3 • 60th Anniversary St Gabriel’s Church Bringing in the sheaves ........................4 KL - 29 September 2019 • CCEA Full Assembly in KK, Sabah Anglican Care Retreat/AGM ...................5 - 2-7 October 2019 Clergy/Deaconess Family Retreat .....6-7 • Diocesan Synod in Penang - 14-16 October 2019 Ecumenical Study Trip ....................... 8-9 • Diocesan Mission Sunday – Christ the St George Celebrates Bicentennial ....10 -11 King Sunday - 24 November 2019 Before the advent of the combines it was the responsibility of the harvesters to cut the wheat • Christmas - 25 December 2019 in the fields manually, gather them up, tie them ACC 17 – Youth Recognition Award ... 12-13 in bundles and carry them to the barns. These bundles were called sheaves. It was arduous work DCM – Reaching out to Gen Z ........ 14-15 but needed to be done. Makassar Mission Trip ................... 16-17 Editorial Board As part of the Anglican Diocese we need to bring Adviser : the harvest home. Looking at the barns in our Diocesan Women’s Conference ...... 18-19 The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing various communities we need to ask ourselves the questions, ‘Are our barns full of the sheaves of the Members : Lord’s wheat? Can we say we have done a good Esther Richards (Editor) job in bringing in the harvest so that our barns are James Chee overflowing or are we facing stagnant or worse still Prakash Mukherjee declining congregations because we are failing to Benjamin Ong make the effort to bring in the sheaves?’ We have all been given a commission by our Lord. Have we The Synod of The Diocese of West The Editorial Board welcomes articles and been busy fulfilling this Great Commission? Malaysia (Anglican Church) photographs that focus on the theme. Please 214, Jalan Pahang, submit articles in Word document and relevant The Lord does not expect us to do everything but 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. photographs in JPEG format of about 1 MB He wants us do something. The least we can do is Tel: 03-4024 3213 / 03-4025 3213 each by 30 October 2019 to: to disciple others to love God as we do. We need Email: [email protected] The Editor, to make every effort to fill God’s barns with His 2 KDN : PP11463/05/2013 (032185) Anglican Messenger, harvest. We must bring in the sheaves before it is e-mail to [email protected] too late. Bringing In The Sheaves (2) by The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia and Bishop of the Diocese of West Malaysia he Diocese of West the optimum opportunity and Malaysia is entering its kairos time to multiply. If we do T50th year since her birth in not multiply now, then when 1970. Next year, 2020 will be our will be the best time – given 50th Anniversary Thanksgiving the uncertain political climate, Celebration. economy, governance, maturity and health of our The Diocese was inaugurated nation and diocese? The on 8 April 1970 with the Rt Revd huge geographical size Tan Sri Roland Koh Peck Chiang of the diocese and the as her first Diocesan Bishop. He large number of churches was formerly the Assistant Bishop makes it impossible for one in the Diocese of Singapore in Diocesan Bishop to effectively 1959 and later when the name administer it. Malaya was added to the Diocese of Singapore to become the As we enter into the diamond Diocese of Singapore and Malaya, Archbishop Ng Moon Hing year of our existence, we Bishop Roland Koh was known are bringing our sacrifice of as the Bishop of Malaya. However, he He retired in 2007 and was succeeded praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. This was translated to Sabah to become the by me. includes the increase in membership, the Bishop of Sabah in 1966. In 1970, he was increase in churches, the stable financial translated back to become the first Bishop For the past 12 years, we have seen situation, the increase in church workers, of West Malaysia. Although he had a very the Lord’s hand helping the Diocese to the increased participation of the laity, brief tenure before the Lord called him grow from strength to strength in terms the improvement in holistic training, the home in 1972, he laid a very good and of membership, maturity, finance and vision and commitment in mission and strong foundation for the new diocese. churches. The training of the clergy, evangelism, the increased participation Bishop Koh was succeeded by The Rt deaconesses and lay workers has in social welfare ministries. the setting Revd Tan Sri J G Savarimuthu in 1973 as adopted a more holistic approach with the up of Anglican Care, the setting up the second Bishop of West Malaysia. He introduction of the Malaysian Indigenous of Relief, Emergency and Crisis Help was instrumental in bringing theological Clinical Pastoral Education (MICPE) and (REACH), the increased involvement and training into the Diocese, with the setting Spiritual Formation Platform (SFP). We participation of indigenous and Orang up of Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, together thank many retired bishops, clergy and Asli in ministry, intentional discipleship with the Methodist Church and the deaconesses who paved the way and training, the increased involvement in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malaysia held the fort while the new Diocese was prayer ministry, a stronger participation in 1979. He had the longest tenure of in her early stages of growth. I believe we in ecumenism and in advocacy, and a 22 years till the Lord called him home in have come to a comfortable stage where greater awareness to a Safe Church and 1994. The Rt Revd Tan Sri Dr Lim Cheng faith-based pro-active measures must be many more. Ean was consecrated in 1995 as the third built in to prevent complacency and at Bishop of West Malaysia. In his tenure, the same time to propel further growth. Glory to God in the Highest! he consolidated the Diocese’s financial Hence, this present set-up to establish AM stability and saw steady church growth. three dioceses is, I sincerely believe, 3 Bringing in the Sheaves by A Annamaney The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. Psalm 26:3-6 his is the ninth year the Diocese chooses to remember God’s goodness to Those who sow with tears will reap with of West Malaysia is embarking on the people in the past and rejoices: songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, TEvangelism, Mission, Discipleship carrying seed to sow, will return with songs and Training. The Diocesan theme for 2019 The Lord has done great things for us, and of joy, carrying sheaves with them. is ‘Bringing in the Sheaves.’ In 2011, when we are filled with joy. the Decade was initiated the theme was The psalmist remembers God’s acts in the Perhaps some of us feel that we are not ‘Sowing the Seed.’ Sowing is the beginning past. actively involved in evangelism. Perhaps of the process of bringing in the harvest. As we may never be directly involved in this. The Israelites have much to remember. we come towards the end of the decade, So, how do we bring in the sheaves? From the time of the Exodus, God protects harvesting becomes the focus in ‘Bringing them from the plagues, provides them We have to remember Galatians 6 : 9 in the Sheaves.’ with food and a way through the Red Sea. Let us not become weary in doing good, He also give them victory against foreign for at the proper time we will reap a harvest Bringing in the sheaves would imply that all enemies in the Promised Land. if we do not give up. believers are to be soul-winners, collecting a harvest of souls for Jesus and the hymn Instead of lamenting about how God allows There is always work to do – a soul to ‘Bringing in the Sheaves’ is often used as His people to be defeated and taken as nurture, to be a listener, to encourage an anthem for evangelism. Naturally, in the captives to Babylon, the Psalmist focuses another person, a smile to share, a prayer context of our Diocesan theme, the focus is on God’s fantastic dealings with His people. to offer, to provide a lift and the list can go to be on evangelism. on. It is only after praising God for His goodness A sheaf (pl sheaves) is a big bundle of that the Psalmist pleads for restoration: We don’t need to be seen to be working harvested grain stalk. People used to – we may be quietly preparing the soil – gather wheat by tying them into bundles Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in whatever we do, we are working for the (called sheaves). At harvest time before the the Negev. harvest. use of machines, farm workers (the reapers) He asks God to restore their fortunes like would go into the field, cut the crop and tie how streams restore the dry, parched land.