Diocesan Diocese of Singapore • www.anglican.org.sg MCI (P) 057/03/2019 Issue 272 | November 2019 DIGEST A RENEWED VOICE, A NEW SOUND UNITING ORTHODOX COMMISSIONING OF COMMUNITY SERVICES 05 ANGLICANS GLOBALLY: 34 ST ANDREW'S CATHEDRAL’S 31 Growth and new beginnings GSA Covenantal Structure ORGAN & BELLS Contents EDITORIAL TEAM 01 Editorial ADVISOR The Rt Revd 02 From The Bishop’s Heart Rennis S. Ponniah 05 Communion News : GSA Covenantal Structure EDITORS Revd Canon Terry Wong 08 Communion News : The 7th Trumpet Ms Lucilla Teoh Mrs Karen Wong Ms Sasha Michael 10 Provincial News: A New Archbishop for our Province of SEA DESIGNERS Ms Joyce Ho 11 Teaching Article: The One Thing That Is Necessary Mr Daniel Ng 14 Teaching Article: Faith, Tongues and email: Religious Education [email protected] 24 Church in Singapore: Celebration of Hope’s website: www.anglican.org.sg Outreach to Migrant Workers 2019 cover photo: 26 Teaching Article: The Church Calendar Mr Daniel Ng from our ministry fronts 19 Deaneries and Global Missions 28 Youth and Young Adults 30 Anglican Schools 31 Community Services 34 Singapore Highlights : Commissioning of the Cathedral’s Organ & Bells 36 Parish Spotlight: Church of the Good Shepherd Printer: 38 Parish Spotlight: Chapel of the Resurrection Hock Cheong Printing Pte Ltd 40 Parish Spotlight: Chapel of Christ the Redeemer Diocesan Digest © The Diocese of Singapore 42 Diocesan News All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or 45 Diocesan Listings transmitted, in any form or by an means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, and recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. EDITORIAL "Not Conformed... but Transformed" by Revd Canon Terry Wong was privileged to be part of the delegation that the faith of the Anglican Church. our Church life attended the Seventh Global South Conference together does Unity matters to us. We love the in Cairo, Egypt held on 8 to 11 October. Led by Communion and we treasure our faith heritage. If our provincial archbishop the Most Reverend aspects of our faith, morals or pastoral practices INg Moon Hing, and our diocesan bishop the need changing, then there should be a proper Right Reverend Rennis Ponniah, we were deeply process of listening, discussions, debate and so involved in the Anglican conference. There were on. But if these processes are ignored, then those delegates representing at least 18 provinces who do so have simply chosen to walk apart. who gathered to reflect on the theme “Not Conformed…but transformed” based on Romans The Global South seeks to bring "healing to the 12:1-2. fabric”, rebuild trust, and re-establish relational commitments that can ensure a future of mission There are processes in place to discuss or resolve focus without severe disruptions. The silver-lining issues when dioceses or provinces disagree behind this crisis can be seen in how it has helped on certain fundamentals of the faith or when bring many Anglican Provinces closer together. they explore fresh approaches. However, what Our communion life is richer than ever. processes are there to guide how Provinces relate to each other at the communion level? "Do not be conformed to this Before 2003, the Anglican Communion thought world, but be transformed by we had sufficient processes and mutual trust to manage disagreements. However, the unilateral the renewal of your mind…” decision to consecrate a bishop in a same- sex relationship went ahead in 2003, despite ROMANS 12:1-2 commitments made to a common discipline that were debated and voted on at Lambeth For those of you who are interested, the 1998. When the consecration was announced latest Covenant Structure that the Global beforehand, pleas from Anglican leaders all over South Conference adopted can be found at the world for restraint were ignored. www.globalsouthanglican.org. The Conference’s communique is reproduced on pages 8-10. On the surface, the issue may appear to be about homosexuality. At a deeper level, the problem The Biblical words of Romans 12:1-2 continue includes fundamental issues such as the authority to guide us as we seek to work out our faith in of Scripture, regard for tradition and what holds our modern contexts. And even as we pause our Church together. Also, western hegemony to think about our Anglican Communion, we may have shaped the attitudes of some western remind ourselves that the Christian life is lived Anglican leaders towards their "Third World" by each of us and all of us as a local diocesan counterparts. family. Continually shaped by St Paul’s appeal to "transform, not conform" — it is a communion that The issues are of course complex. But it is a fact we share between us and with other Anglicans that the vast majority of Anglicans - both in the across the world. West and round the world - believe in upholding 1 FROM THE BISHOP'S HEART A RENEWED VOICE, A NEW SOUND by Bishop Rennis Ponniah y beloved people, I am very grateful right with God” (Rom 4:24-25; 10:9). That is why for your prayers. At the installation everyone who turns to Jesus can have solid HOPE service of a diocesan bishop, it is not both in this life and the life beyond the grave. We uncommon for Psalm 20 to be read. In have found renewed confidence and courage to Mthis Psalm, the people pray, proclaim this message. At the Stadium rallies, our captured data shows May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! that 6,000 responded to the altar-call. Of these, May He send you help from the sanctuary 2,000 were first-time decisions for Christ with And give you support from Zion! another 1,000 indicating that they were touched PSALM 20:1B-2 and would like to find out more about Jesus. Many of us will The God of Jacob is the Old Testament way not forget the of referring to the covenant-keeping God. At the moving sight of same time, sanctuary and Zion refer to the earthly streams of people locus of God’s throne or dwelling place. Indeed, in descending the this past year I have experienced tremendous help venue steps in from the Lord. And I have no hesitation in looking response to the back and responding to the petition of the people message of God’s by saying, love in Christ Jesus. I believe Some trust in chariots and some in horses, that the ripples Celebration of Hope 2019: the But we trust in the name of the LORD our God. of COH, in terms national-level evangelistic rally They collapse and fall, of the number But we rise and stand upright. of people coming to a saving faith in Christ and PSALM 20:7-8 being discipled to follow Him, will be seen in the years to come. Indeed, 2019 has been a remarkable year for Already, we can be encouraged that the our diocese – all praise and thanks be to God! It Chinese-speaking churches in the land are has been a year where we have found a renewed preparing a series of dialect-speaking outreaches voice to proclaim the gospel and there is a new at year-end. Added to that, several churches are sound ringing forth from our Church. Let me give combining to take the message of God’s love in you an overview of 2019 so we can rejoice in the Christ to the dormitories of our numerous migrant Lord together. (guest) workers in Singapore. Our own Cathedral church is hosting and co-organising with others 1. Proclaiming the Gospel a follow-up event for Filipinos and Myanmarese The Celebration of Hope (COH) national- workers. At the local church level, there is a step- level evangelistic rally in May 2019 has helped up in vigour and urgency to personally lead others Christians in Singapore recover the urgency of to Christ through Alpha courses, evangelistic small personally sharing the good news of Jesus Christ groups, joint activities and the like. The gospel is with others. A humble boldness has been restored being personally shared with others on a regular in our voices as we tell the story of how “Jesus basis by God’s people – the movement has begun died for our sins and was raised to life to put us and must be sustained in the Spirit. 2 FROM THE BISHOP'S HEART we had a total of 14 persons ordained to the “The Government is deeply appreciative of diaconate, a record number out of which eight the Anglican community’s efforts to serve were from our deaneries. We have also appointed and care for the community.” Revd Rinzi Lama as the first Associate Dean of MR HENG SWEE KEAT, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Nepal and Revd Tit Hieng as the Vicar of the (STRAITS TIMES, 26 OCTOBER 2019) Rural Mission District in Cambodia. The increase in the number of indigenous leaders is due to A RENEWED Wonderfully, the gospel of God’s love is being greater attention to the discipleship process and shared with others against the backdrop of the the setting up of Anglican Training Centres in the practical love and good works done by God’s deanery fields for the ministerial formation and people in our nation. For Anglicans, we rejoice equipping of local leaders. VOICE, A NEW not only in parish-based community services but As we grow our churches in the various in the tremendous work of St Andrew’s Mission countries, we need to pay special attention to how Hospital and Singapore Anglican Community to reach and disciple the young people (children, Services at the national level in the care of the youth and young adults).