Private Circulation Only MESSENGERMESSENGER DIOCESE OF WEST MALAYSIA KDN : PP11463/05/2013 (032185) APRIL 2019 Diocesan Theme for 2019 Bringing In The Sheaves Features 4 6 13 18 Coming Events Contents Cover Design • Diocesan Clergy, Deaconesses and family Editorial ..................................................2 Private Circulation Only retreat at Gambang - 25-27 March 2019 Archbishop’s Message ...........................3 Launch of 2019 Diocesan Theme ...........4 • Anglican Care AGM - 5-7 April 2019 MESSENGER Collation and Installation Service ...........5 DIOCESE OF WEST MALAYSIA KDN : PP11463/05/2013 (032185) APRIL 2019 • Good Friday - 19 April 2019 SEA Provincial Gathering 2019 .......... 6-8 • Easter - 21 April 2019 Diocesan Youth Camp ...........................9 CE - Now in BM & Mandarin ........... 10 -11 • Cozy Home AGM - 27 April 2019 Diocesan Spiritual Formation ............... 12 • Chinese Board AGM - 1 May 2019 Agape Mission School .................... 13-15 Diocesan Prayer Gathering ..................16 • 200th Anniversary of St George’s Penang Penang AIM Seminar ........................... 17 - 11 May 2019 St Chad’s Volunteer ........................ 18-19 • Tamil Board AGM - 20 May 2019 • Thy Kingdom Come Ascension to Pentecost - 30 May-9 June 2019 Editorial Board • Pentecost - 9 June 2019 Adviser : The world is full of the sheaves of the Lord’s The Most Revd Datuk Ng Moon Hing wheat. How good a job have we done and are doing in fulfilling the Great Commission and • DWC AGM in Cameron Highlands - 21-23 Members : bringing in the harvest? How much of that June 2019 Esther Richards (Editor) harvest is still out there rotting in the streets? James Chee Prakash Mukherjee The church is in the business of saving souls. Benjamin Ong Are the Anglican churches doing enough to The Synod of The Diocese of West The Editorial Board welcomes articles and attract more souls to join it? Are individuals in Malaysia (Anglican Church) photographs that focus on the theme. Please their congregations challenged on a regular 214, Jalan Pahang, submit articles in Word document and relevant basis to declare the salvation of the Lord to all 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. photographs in JPEG format of about 1 MB in the world? Remember it was the lay people Tel: 03-4024 3213 / 03-4025 3213 each by 30 June 2019 to: preaching the Word wherever they went that Email: [email protected] brought about the rapid expansion of the The Editor, Christian faith and the transformation of the then Anglican Messenger, 2 KDN : PP11463/05/2013 (032185) known pagan world. e-mail to [email protected] Bringing In The Sheaves 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 his is the ninth year of our Board, which oversees all our Diocesan Theme for the mission schools, manages TDecade of Mission and a scholarship grant for Networking – Mission Challenge: Anglicans who wish to study in One In Christ (2011 – 2020). the field of Education or related The theme for this year 2019 is courses in tertiary colleges. Bringing In the Sheaves. It is time This is to encourage more for us to bring in the fruit and start Christian church members counting the blessings and giving to become teachers or enter thanks to God while not stopping the teaching profession in our in our daily work and ministry. nation. The Diocesan Boards We have been Sowing, Nurturing, and Committees are playing Planting, Guarding, Tending, their part in equipping and Extending, Harvesting and so ministering to the people. on over the last eight years. We For example, the Diocesan thank God for the blessings and Golden Circle reaches out to challenges in church planting, senior citizens, the Diocesan mission, evangelism, relief work, Women’s Committee to the training, teaching and equipping. women and so on. The Diocese has certainly seen much growth over the past 30 Many churches have been years, especially over the last 10 planted over the years. Some years. Archbishop Ng Moon Hing have become Missionary Districts while others have In 1985 the Diocese had about 45 The Lay Readers and Lay Pastors become Parishes. Many churches have churches and less than 30 Priests and Schools have certainly improved and started new language services. Since Parish Assistants. In 2015, we grew brought in a significant number from the 1995, when the BM and Iban services/ to 155 churches with 125 Priests and ‘frozen’ laity to serve in the church. The churches were officially recognised as a Deaconesses and 16 Evangelists. Anglican Institute of Ministry has further part of the Diocese, there are now many Within the 155 churches, there are 255 assisted many in the trail to ordained BM/Iban churches. We have a BM/Iban congregations of various languages. ministry as well as in the deepening of church in all the States of West Malaysia Much of the growth was experienced their knowledge and understanding of while we have yet to see English, Chinese between 1995 and 2015. While on the the Bible, God and theology. Anglican and Tamil speaking churches in all the one hand we are quite happy with the Care, the diocesan body for all social States. One of the aims of the division of increase, on the other hand, there is the and welfare ministries of the churches, dioceses into three is to decentralise for challenge to keep up the pace and make has encouraged many parishioners to Mission. It is our desire to spur growth so sure we harvest the fruits and not allow serve in the arena of caring ministries. that we can bring in more sheaves into them to fall off. There was a season in our Today, Anglican Care has a membership the Kingdom of God i.e. more ministries, history when we could identify with this of 18 Caring Ministries. The Relief workers, members and resources for the fact in our churches – “the people came Emergency And Crisis Help (R.E.A.C.H.) glory of God. in from the front door but left through has reached a stage where it can now the back door.” During those years we operate independently in relief and crisis Let us work together and bring in the prayed and worked very hard to retain work within Malaysia and beyond. The sheaves for His Glory and Honour. the people in the church. Every measure last three places of relief ministries were AM was employed. We praise God that we Kelantan in Malaysia, Palu in Sulawesi managed to retain some and brought in and Dhading in Nepal. The Diocese, others. through the Anglican Mission School 3 Launch of the 2019 Diocesan Theme by Chan Aik Lian of gratitude for His goodness The launch also included a short video and for answered prayers. clip in which the Archbishop briefly For us then, what can we offer shared some key pointers with us: God in 2019? The Archbishop pointed out that this must surely • Growing the People: Through church be OUR OWN HEARTS. The planting and evangelism. God who owns all of creation • Building the People: Through does not have our hearts until intentional discipleship. and unless we surrender them to Him. Colossians 3:12-17 calls us • Sending the People: Into mission, as God’s chosen people to have and into ‘care and concern’ hearts that are transformed and ministries. aligned to His Word, turning us from the ways of the world. The Archbishop reminded us that our churches are losing their young people to the world. We need to be dedicated like Hannah and Mary and bring our young children to God. he 2019 Diocesan Theme ‘Bringing In conclusion, the Archbishop stressed In The Sheaves’ was launched that in line with the 2019 Diocesan Theme Tby Archbishop Ng Moon Hing at ‘Bringing In The Sheaves’: Evensong on 30 December 2018 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur. It was • The most important thing we can attended by over 160 people. offer to God is our heart; • We are to give our best and our In his message, the Archbishop young to God; challenged the congregation with the Also as part of the launch, a big wooden examples of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:18-20 • We are to do it NOW lest the cross was set up in front of the church, to and 26, and Mary in Luke 2:41-52. Each pressures of the world deter us from which were attached the 2019 Diocesan gave her own precious child to God, out doing so. Theme bookmarks for the congregation to take for themselves. A fellowship dinner followed the launch. The 2019 Diocesan Theme may seem a formidable task in the light of our own human limitations and weaknesses. May this cause us to be constantly reminded of the need to draw strength and guidance from God Himself and of the need to work together in unity. May 2019 be a year of the Diocese bearing forth long-lasting fruits to the glory of God. AM Tan Aik Lian is an administrative staff in Kuala Lumpur and attends the evening service at St 4 Mary’s Cathedral. Video presentation on growth in the Diocese Collation and Installation Service by Andrew Woodliffe Revd Dato Dr Yeoh Beng, The Ven Stephen Chan Mung Koon and Revd Canon Jacob George John n Sunday 3rd March, St Mary’s godly and faithful leaders is essential Cathedral hosted a special for the growth and maturity of the Odiocesan service - the collation church. We pray for those licensed and installation of Revd Canon Jacob that they might exemplify holiness in George John as Archdeacon, the life and truth in teaching:- licensing of the Ven Stephen Chan Mung Koon as Archdeacon for the ‘Our loving Heavenly Father, who has Middle Central Archdeaconry and the given to the church the gift of ministers licensing of Revd Dato Dr Yeoh Beng through Your ascended Son, we pray San as Canon Emeritus.