KDN : PP11464/3/2006 Strictly for Private Circulation

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1 KDN : PP11464/3/2006 Strictly for Private Circulation OCT - DEC 2006 Transformation: The Church's Witness WHAT' S INSIDE Interview with Assistant Bishop Page 4 16th Diocesan Golden Circle Page 14 A Preview of St Mark's Cozy Home Page 15 The Church is an assembly of people who have been called out by God to be holy, as God is holy (1 Pet.1:15-16). Ideally, members of the Church are people who have a living encounter with God through Christ. Their lives are transformed by God who show forth Christ in them. Paul in his letters, refers to them as saints, sanctified and holy people, worthy to be witnesses for God. The Church, then, comprises people whose lives have been trans-formed by God to witness for Him in this world. How is this witness to be seen? The images used for the Church give us some clues. The parable of the salt and light (Mt. 5:13-16) illustrates the flavour of God s people whose lives are commendable to those around them and have an impact on them. Their good works also influence the community and pervade society. The Body of Christ with its different members and diversity of gifts (1 Cor.12) portrays the unity in diversity. Though we may differ greatly from one another and be gifted in certain ways, the Church's witness stands out when members are able to work together and use their gifts to complement one another for the good of the whole church. The Church's witness is marred when there is bickering, quarrelling and unwillingness to co-operate for the welfare of the Church God' s work. when doing The Church as God's Family (Eph.2:19-22) reminds us that we are drawn together through Christ. We learn to accept one anoth-er, however unworthy we may be, since God has accepted us for whom we are, as we acknowledge our sins before Him and receive His forgiveness. Within the family there is the care for one another. The early church was commended when they said see how the Christians love one another. That should be a true reflection of the Church for today. Another image I use is that the Church is in Mission for God (John 17:18). The Church exists for Mission. The Good News of God transforming lives is to be shared with others and demonstrated in our lives through caring for others who are in need, who are unjustly treated or neglected. Evangelism and social concern for those who need to be cared for are seen as the wholeness of Mission of the Church. There are other images of the Church that provide aspects of the Church's witness. However, these examples cited above give us a glimpse of the Church's witness. The Rt. Revd. Tan Sri Dr. Lim Cheng Ean Bishop of West Malaysia 1

2 a Editorial What better time of the year for us to think about the church's witness to the transformation wrought in us through the Holy Spirit. As we sing of peace and joy during the Christmas season, may we truly be initiators of the life in Christ which brings true peace and joy especially to those who are despairing, struggling, and depressed persons in our communities. Transformation must be seen in our lives to be believed. Jesus transformed the disciples into an invincible force for righteousness. He will do the same for us if we let Him. Each church in our Diocese and communities needs to be focused on drawing a seemingly disinterested world into the kingdom. We are deeply grateful to Rev. Dr. Viji Daniel and Rev Lee Kon Yim for their excellent expositions on the theme. Let us prepare ourselves for the renewed coming of the Lord into our lives as we celebrate Christmas and the New Year. The Editorial Team wishes you God's peace and joy this season and in the coming year. The Editorial Board Diocesan Children s Choir Competition The first major farewell programme for the Bishop of West Malaysia, Tan Sri Lim Cheng Ean, in the form of a peninsular-wide Choir Competition, was held at St. Peter s Church in Kuala Lumpur on November 4. The competition, the biggest of its kind in the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia, was attended by a large crowd, which included people from other states, who packed the church. The spectators were held spellbound during the three-hour programme and the people described it as wonderfully organised. The competition, under the Chairperson, Deaconess Ruth Ong of the Diocesan Christian Education Committee, was organized by the Children s Choir Competition 2006 under the Chairmanship of Datuk Arthur Edmonds, a retired senior police officer. The competition was for children of 5 15 years and groups of five to 20 took part. Bishop Lim, who retires early next year after holding the post for 12 years, in his message in the programme said that singing played an important part in the lives of children and teenagers. The Malaysian Idol competition and various singing competitions at the national level generated great interest among teenagers and even young adults, he added. The competition, he said, was timely to tap talent and to build the confidence of the children and young people in the churches. Deaconess Ong reminded the people to train up a child in the way he/she should go, and even when he/she is old, he/she will not depart from it. The Bishop s challenge trophy was won by St. Stephen s Church in Yong Peng. By Robert Sinniah Editorial Board Adviser : The Rt Rev Tan Sri Dr Lim Cheng Ean Members : Gloriosa Rajendran (Editor), Rev Dr Andrew Cheah, James Chee, Prakash Mukherjee The theme for the next issue (January April 2007) is Transformation of Families : Marriage The Editorial Board welcomes articles and photographs that focus on this theme for the coming issue. Please submit your articles to the Editor, Anglican Messenger, Diocesan Office or to anglican@streamyx.com by 1 March The Synod of the Diocese of West Malaysia (Anglican Church) No. 16 Jalan Pudu Lama, Kuala Lumpur. Tel : ,

3 Ordination Of Priests And Deacons At St. Mary'S Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur T Praise God for the following who were ordained priests and deacons on All Saints Day, 1 November 2006 at St Mary s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur. Priests l. Rev. Lionel Gan Benq Huat - St. Stephen's Church, Yong Peng, Johor 2. Rev. Doding ak Rito Jiroi - Church of the Good Shepherd, Seri Alam, Johor 3. Rev. Nick Loi Boon Leong - St. Peter's Church, Ipoh 4. Rev. Robin Gan Kok Keong - St. Paul's Church, Petalinq Jaya 5. Rev. Raymond Au Hau Chee (NSM) - Kulai Anglican Mission Centre 6. Rev. Baliah Philemon (NSM) - St. Barnabas Church, Klang Canon Emeritus Ven. Rev. Peter Devanayagam Deacons 1. Mr. Victor J. Arputham - St. Andrew's Mission Centre, Ulu Tiram, Johor Bahru 2. Mr. Jack Monqudal Owa - Gereja Shalom, Gopenq, Perak 3. Mr. Christopher Dalie - St. Joseph's Church, Kemaman, Terengganu 4. Mr. Raymond Lai Sai Wai - St. Paul's Church, Slim River, Perak 5. Mr. Edmund Reuben Daniel - St. Martin's Church, Kota Bahru s s s s s s s s s Farewell to Assistant Bishop Assistant Bishop Rt Rev Ponniah Moses receiving a gift from the Diocese from Tan Sri Dr Lim Cheng Ean, Bishop of West Malaysia, while Mrs Rachel Ponniah looks on. 20 The presentation was made during a farewell dinner given by the Standing Committee of the Diocese for Bishop Ponniah on 23 November 2006 at the Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur.

4 INTERVIEW WITH Assistant Bishop Moses Ponniah Assistant Bishop Moses Ponniah retires at the end of 2006 after a long and fruitful ministry in our Diocese. The Anglican Messenger (AM) met him recently to find out about his service and seek his perspective on the needs of our Diocese in the future. AM: Bishop Ponniah, could you please start by telling us a little about how you came to be involved in ministry. BP: I grew up in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Ipoh and attended the OMF Sunday School there. My first ministry responsibility was for that Sunday School as well as helping out with the Salvation Army Sunday School. From there I continued as a server, and took on responsibilities as church treasurer and then a church warden. I left school after Form 3 and worked in a Methodist Girls School for 10 years during which time I finished my Form 5 and started Form 6. During that time I experienced the Lord in different ways and so continued to serve the Lord always being involved with people. At a Youth Camp in Taiping, Bishop Koh shared with us the needs of the Diocese and challenged us about ministry. That was where I first experienced that desire to serve the Lord in full time ministry. Once that seed was sown, I enquired about how to proceed with preparation for it. I studied at St. Peter s Hall, Trinity College for a year and then at Bishop s College Calcutta. AM: I understand that you were one of the top students there BP: Yes, God blessed me with being able to study at that age I was about 28 or 29 - and through the Theological Education Fund of the World Council of Churches I was picked as the Student Representative on the committee for 2 years. After I finished my studies I was ordained as Deacon and 6 months later as a Priest. AM: Your first posting was in Tapah. Can you tell us a bit about your ministry there? BP: I was the first local priest appointed to the parish - my predecessors were OMF missionaries. When we started 4 From left - Mr Samuel James, Mrs M S Teoanna Samuel & Abrianna Samuel, Bishop Ponniah Moses & Mrs Rachel Ponniah, Mr M S Teofilus Ponniah & Mrs Sheila Teofilus, Ms M S Teorene Ponniah we divided the church building into two and started a kindergarten. We also started a small hostel for 3 students one of them is [now Rev] John Ganapathy. (That ministry later developed into a larger hostel and a full fledged kindergarten during the ministry of Archdeacon Samuel John). One of the high points was that each year we would visit almost every non-muslim home in Tapah with a tract. Through that at least two non-christian families came for counseling and prayer and later received the Lord Jesus. One of the fathers later became a lay reader in our church and the other is still serving there as a warden and synod member. In 1978 while I was in Tapah, Rachel, my wife and Teofilus my son came up from Singapore and joined me. AM: You ve been leading several churches since then could you give us one or two highlights from each of them? BP: In Tapah I was also in charge of St. Luke s Teluk Intan which was also an OMF parish. It was a great church because the lay ministry was very strong. From there I came to St. James the highlight of that was bringing in different Indian community groups because previously it had been very much a one community family. And from there St. James realized the importance of mission and went on to plant a church in Selayang. We also initiated the rebuilding of St. James church which now stands as a landmark in Sentul. During those days we used to also go to St. Thomas, Banting. That was a rural congregation which we developed into a vibrant church and bought a piece of land. During the time of Rev David Alakumalai, a new building was completed on that site. At St. Christopher s, Johor Bahru, the Lord led us to plant churches in 5-6 places. In St. Barnabas, Klang, my role has been trying to build people together and help them see that the church is more than problems and issues we have the greater task of bringing people to the Lord. When I came here, St. Barnabas home was being built - that was completed and it has been growing slowly. AM: In addition to leading churches you ve also been in active in many Diocesan activities tell us about some of them. BP: I initiated Young Adult work at a diocesan level and was involved in the formation of the Diocesan Youth Council. In children s ministry, we began to try to draw up a syllabus for our Sunday Schools which led to the writing of a Christian Education book by Deaconess Datin Dulcie Abraham. I coordinated the Diocesan efforts in the Decade of Evangelism. This led to the publication of the three books that were collectively known as Equipping the People of God. In the Tamil board we also trained 24 evangelists during the Decade of Evangelism and they were subsequently licensed to various churches. One of them was Evangelist Alfred Philip who is retiring this year. In 1992, we initiated the Diocesan Diary with the lectionary and this has become an important part of the diocese. We have also taken the Common Worship lectionary and tailored it to the needs of the Province. This led to the production

5 of Walking with the Bible which was to have completed the whole Bible over four years in eight booklets. Six books were published. Archbishop Yong encouraged this to become a provincial tool for daily Bible reading. AM: Could you please share with us about your role as Assistant Bishop how do you see your role and what are some of the highlights of that? BP: It was a great privilege to receive the appointment from Bishop Lim he felt it would be necessary to balance the racial composition and to strategize for mission. In the future however, I think it would be good to give an assistant bishop a particular area of responsibility and make him accountable for that, rather than just to take confirmation services or deal with issues when they come. Being the assistant bishop has given me a better understanding of the diocese and the opportunity to foster a passion for evangelism and church planting in our churches. Being a bishop has also given me a wider ministry like in Nepal where I ve been three times and I must have confirmed 700 people there altogether and confirmations among the Orang Asli people these have been some of the high points. AM: What have things been like for your family? BP: Family-wise God has been really good - my wife and children have always been supportive of all the ministries. My wife Rachel, a teacher, has been a helpmate and ardent constructive critic. In Klang she was able to complete her Masters in Ministry program at the Malaysian Bible Seminari (MBS). Our children were always involved in Sunday School and later Youth Fellowship and even as Young Adults they were involved in youth work. And God has blessed them all with tertiary education Teofilus is a lawyer, Teoanna is a graphic designer and Teorene is a teacher. Two are married and we have seen one grand child so far. So God has been good to me and my family. AM: Where will you go after your retirement? BP: I hope to stay somewhere in Klang, partly because my children are around here. So our family will remain as a part of St. Barnabas Church. AM: What are your ministry plans after your retirement? BP: I would like to give assistance in any way I can for example - visiting our senior parishioners who are at home and can t come out. I m also happy to take a service on Sunday if there is a need in any church. AM: As you look back on your ministry and as you look forward to the future, what is your advice for the younger clergy in our Diocese? BP: Ministry today is quite different. It is not simply taking a service a person needs to be able to know the Word and really be able to lead the people to understand the Word for themselves and for the time - which is not easy. Today, we need faithfulness more than anything else. People think of success as all important but we are called to faithfulness. We need to be faithful to the Word, to God and to his church. And being faithful to his church means basically being concerned to reach out to those who are not in the Kingdom. We in the Anglican church can become inward looking and maintenance oriented and concentrate on our own needs. It is very important that the church is focused on bringing in new people, which means the Word must have its root there is no other way. As much as liturgy is important, if we just concentrate on liturgy the Word can become diluted. We are so involved in rituals that we forget the Word. The Anglican church must always be at the forefront not through liturgy though liturgy is important because we are the people who are supposed to have the lectionary which is the planned reading of the Word. If we concentrate on the routine of the church we get into difficulty. AM: That s why you ve been involved with things like Walking through the Bible BP: Yes, that s my burden, for people to read the word daily. Sometimes today we have so many books to read that we don t read the Bible. Even with Our Daily Bread which is so good, people tend to read the meditation and forget the word. That is why in Walking through the Bible you are asked to read the Word and the message is only once a week. The Word has power in itself. I m sad because the Bishops have taken away Walking with the Bible but I m sure it will come back. Once the Word is there, everything else gets put right. The church is not just about the worship on Sunday but through the week and the laity have to understand the Word and to live it - they must be equipped. That s why I encourage the TEE program. My challenge is for every young person to attend at least one course in the TEE. AM: So your final message for Anglican Messenger readers? BP: Be faithful to God s Word read it, study it, speak it and live it out. Biodata: The Rt Revd Moses Elisha Ponniah Spouse : Rachel Devi Sandra Ponniah Born : 1941 Ordained : 1974 Consecrated : 1997 Colleges : Bishop s College, Calcutta, 1974, Dip. Th. Serampore University, 1975, BD Birmingham University, 1989, M Litt Positions : Vicar, South Perak, Vicar, St. James Kuala Lumpur, Canon, St. Mary s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur, 1989 Archdeacon, Southern Archdeaconry, Vicar, St. Christopher s Johor Bahru, Vicar, St. Barnabbas Klang, Assistant Bishop, West Malaysia,

6 CHAMPIONING THE SPM BIBLE KNOWLEDGE PAPER (9221/1) Do you know that there is a Bible Knowledge Paper that Christian youths can take in their SPM Examination? Are you aware that thousands of students have taken part in the BK Postal Quiz and SK Oral Quiz over the past many years? Have you seen the set of new SPM BK Textbooks recently produced? Have you heard that resource and training materials are available to assist students, teachers and parents interested in SPM BK? It is time churches, Christian leaders and Christian parents consider how we can support the SPM BK. Why the SPM Bible Knowledge Paper is important Why should Christian students take Bible Knowledge Paper in the SPM Examinations? Ms MoeyYoke Lai (the CEO of Methodist College KL) in a recent BK Teacher Training Seminar asserted that Christian students should take the SPM BK because as Christians, students need to know God's word as well as, if not better than, their other academic subjects. Taking SPM BK is an investment for eternity. Furthermore, knowing God's word will undergird the minds of our students and provide them with a moral compass to guide all their actions and decisions in everyday living. And this is the anchor that our students need in these times of turmoil. It is time churches, Christian leaders and parents consider how we can support the SPM BK. Students taking the SPM BK will contribute to the future leadership of the Church in Malaysia. Good and strong leaders are grown, not born. SPM BK can be a part of that growth process. It is also important to note that when our Christian children make an effort to take the SPM BK, this will be a testimony to our teachers, school administrators and government officials that our Christian faith means something to us! In the 1960s, many thousands of students took BK, both at the Form 3 and Form 5 level. The numbers dropped steadily until 1994 where the subject was "suspended". When SPM BK was reinstated in 1995, there were only 50 candidates. With this, we note that if the number of candidates is not sufficiently large, there is always the risk that the subject may be withdrawn. The total number of SPM candidates in 2005 was over 438,000, but the BK candidates comprised only a mere 0.13% of this figure. The BK Development Committee MCSC, TCF, SU and some Christian leaders have come together to form a committee to oversee the growth and development for SPM BK. We have set a target of 3,000 BK candidates by In order to achieve the target, more teachers are needed. Hence the recent SPM BK Teachers Training Seminar. Together with the production of BK resource materials, the BK Postal Quiz and the BK Oral Quiz, we are championing the subject among students, parents and churches, so that more lives will be touched by the word of God with an increase in the number of BK candidates. The SPM BK Syllabus The SPM BK syllabus requires a minimum of two hours of instruction per week over a period of two years. It provides for the study of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel according to St Luke, and of the growth of the Early Church as contained in the Acts of the Apostles. The RSV version of the Bible will be used up to From 2007, the Good News Version will be used as the standard text. SPM BK Resource Materials Various BK resource materials are available. These include the new SPM BK Textbooks, compilation of past year questions, database on BK teachers and classes, information on the BK Postal Quiz and BK Oral Quiz, as well as training VCDs for BK teachers. The following are contacts for these resources : 1. Malayan Christian Schools' Council (MCSC) 67 Jalan 5/31, Petaling Jaya Tel: Fax: edumeth@streamyx.com 2. Teachers' Christian Fellowship (TCF) C , Subang Perdana Goodyear Court 3, Subang Jaya Tel/Fax: tcfmy@pd.jaring.my 3. Scripture Union Peninsular Malaysia (SU) 386 Jalan 5/59, Petaling Jaya Tel: Fax: info@su.org.my Website: Source : Berita SU (Nov 2006) 6

7 20 TH PERSIDANGAN BELIA ANGLIKAN The 20 th Persidangan Belia Anglikan (PBA) was held from 31 August 3 September 2006 at the Country Lodge, Cameron Highlands. About 30 young adults from 11 churches attended this Young Adult Conference. The PBA was declared open by the Asst. Bishop of West Malaysia, Rt. Rev. M. E. Ponniah. He also delivered the Presidential Address and chaired the PBA Business Session. On behalf of the Diocesan Bishop, he announced the appointment of Ms. Shireen Visvanathan as Chairperson of the Diocesan Youth Council (DYC) for the new term. Elections and nominations of new DYC members were also observed at the business session. Amongst the many issues relevant to young people discussed during the business session was the need to get the church leadership to encourage their young people to play a more meaningful role in the affairs of the growth of the Anglican Church in West Malaysia. It was felt that the PBA was the best forum for such discourse. Churches too were encouraged to observe Youth Sunday and give full support for programmes organized at diocesan and archdeaconry level, for youth and young adults. Rt. Rev. M. E. Ponniah also facilitated a workshop on the Vision and Direction of our Diocese. He highlighted the developments over the years and plans that have been put in place to move forward. The theme speaker at this Persidangan was Ven. Canon Ng Moon Hing, the Lower Northern Archdeacon of our Diocese. His talks were based on the theme Transformation of Individuals in Christ and the topics he covered were - Transformation of the Mind (Theology) Matthew - Transformation into Action (Service) Mark - Transformation of the Inner Man (Life) Luke - Transformation of Commitment (Mission) John His sessions were very educational and entertaining as he spiced it with plenty of anecdotes of his personal experiences and journey in life. Ven. Canon Dr. S. Batumalai, the Southern Archdeaconry Archdeacon facilitated a session on Islam and Christianity in Malaysia today. He shared on the Islam Hadhari concept and the need to understand and appreciate the feelings and background of people of other faiths before we can evangelise amongst them. A forum on the topic Is there a role for me in the Anglican church today? was held on the last night. The facilitators were Ven. Canon Ng Moon Hing, Ven. Canon Dr. S. Batumalai, Rev. Robin Gan, Ms. Shireen Visvanathan, Mr. Andrew Khoo and Mr. David Joseph. It was generally noted that there was an urgent need to re-energise and engage young Anglicans in the affairs of the church and nation. Opportunities to participate in the life of church were aplenty but sadly, there were few takers at local levels. The participants at the PBA expressed a desire to continue to persevere to serve God through the Anglican church. We are indeed thankful to God for ministering to us through this PBA. We are also thankful for the warm ties of fellowship and friendship that were formed or renewed at this Conference, both during the formal sessions and informal sessions; over mamak mee, roti canai and teh-tarik at the local hawker stalls. David Joseph & Shireen Visvanathan 7

8 CHOOSING A NEW BISHOP Further to the previous note on the choosing of a new Bishop, I am pleased to provide this update. At the recently concluded Extraordinary Meeting of Synod in August 2006, nominations were made for the new Bishop. The names of the three (3) persons who received the highest number of nominations (listed in ALPHABETICAL order according to the CAPITALISED and UNDERLINED name) are as follows:- VEN. CANON DR. S. BATUMALAI Archdeacon of Southern Archdeaconry Vicar of Christ Church, Melaka. VEN. CANON NG MOON HING Archdeacon of Lower North Archdeaconry Vicar of St. Peter s Church, Ipoh. VERY REV. JASON SELVARAJ Dean of St. Mary s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur. In accordance with the provisions of Regulation C of the Provincial Constitution, the Archbishop s Advisory Board ( Board ) produced a report documenting the process that took place in arriving at the nominations, including a report of the proceedings of the Extraordinary Meeting of Synod and the deliberations of the Board itself which occurred both before and after the Extraordinary Meeting of Synod. This report was received by the Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia, the Most Revd. Dr. John Chew Hiang Chea, on 29 September 2006, together with the certification by the Diocesan Secretary and Diocesan Registrar of the names of the three (3) persons receiving the highest number of nominations and the respective number of nominations received. The Provincial House of Bishops is now scheduled to meet in Kuala Lumpur from 29 November to 1 December to interview the nominees and their spouses and to deliberate on the selection. The delivery of the report marks the culmination of the work of the Board. I would like to place on record my deepest thanks and appreciation to the Diocesan Secretary and Diocesan Registrar for their careful and meticulous work in counting the nominations during the Extraordinary Meeting of Synod. I would also wish to record my sincere gratitude to my fellow members of the Board, namely: Ven. Canon Andrew Phang (Member) Rev. Canon Eddie Ong (Member) Rev. Canon Steven Abbarow (Member/Hon. Secretary) Rev. Canon Edward John (Member) Rev. Dato Dr. Yeoh Beng San (Member) Tan Sri Dato Dr. James Alfred (Member) Dato Stanley Isaacs (Member) Dr. Teoh Soong Kee (Member) Mr. James Chee (Member) Mr. Andrew Lai (Member) I should not forget the members of the previous Archbishop s Advisory Board, namely: Rt. Rev. M.E. Ponniah, Asst. Bishop (Member) Very Rev. Jason Selvaraj (Member) Ven. Canon Dr. S. Batumalai (Member) Ven. Canon Samuel John (Member) Tan Sri (Dr.) J.G. Daniel (Member) Mr. Philip Nainan (Member/Hon.Secretary) Our work was made easier by having been upheld in the prayers of so many people both within and without the Diocese of West Malaysia, for which I give thanks to Almighty God. I invite readers of the Anglican Messenger to pray for the House of Bishops of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia as they meet, deliberate and prayerfully seek God s wisdom in choosing our next Diocesan Bishop. Andrew Khoo Diocesan Chancellor Chairman of the Archbishop s Advisory Board phenomenal effects of transformation "The countless number of people transformed by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the early years of Christianity was nothing short of phenomenal. The effects of those transformations were equally phenomenal. Christ's followers produced revolutionary changes-socially, politically, economically and culturally... Christ's transformed followers, especially during the first few centuries effected that change because Christ's life and teachings challenged almost everything for which the Roman world had stood." [`How Christianity changed the world' Alvin J. Schmidt ] 8

9 Candle in the Wind Theme for St Andrew s Mission Month St. Andrew's Church set aside the month of September 2006 as a Mission Month. The theme for the mission month was "The Candle in the Wind." This was launched on 31 August 2006 with Dato Chua Jui Meng, a former member of Parliament as our first speaker. Dato Chua Jim Meng conducted an evangelistic meeting on a day that was significant to the nation as we celebrated Merdeka day. It was also significant for St. Andrew's Church, as we had just moved to our new premises, which is much larger than the previous building. Despite the public holiday and the long weekend, about 110 people attended the evangelistic meeting. Most of those who attended were Mandarin-speaking Christians while others were non- Christians. Many came to the meeting, wanting to hear how God changed the life of Dato Chua Jui Meng and to hear some words of encouragement as to how God can change their lives as well. Dato Chua is indeed a prolific speaker, fluent in Mandarin and English. He spoke about his transformation in Christ and how God saved his son from being kidnapped. Hearing him talk made one wonder how much a Christian has to go through just to reaffirm his or her faith in Christ. Dato Chua's testimony recalled a very difficult journey in his spiritual life. Even though a Christian in his younger days, in his important role as a Minister, he was unable to fulfill his Christian obligations. He spoke of his fight against Satan who was ruling his life before he came to know Christ. He shared about how he had been trapped within the confines of the evil one. In fact, it was his son's firm conviction in the power of God that drew him back to the straight and narrow path. Now his whole family has accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. His talk also touched on secular beliefs such as the use of charms, visiting bomohs to direct the day to day activities of life. This was most appropriate, because the people especially those of other faiths in Terengganu believe in such things. He urged the Christians and non--christians to shun all these practices and to turn to the living God who can deliver them from the bondages of sin and fear of bad consequences in life. He reminded them that he is living proof of how God can transform the life of an individual, when one is ready to surrender one's life to him. Terence Wong, a representative from the student body who attends St. Andrew Church and a non-christian felt that he could identify with the struggles of Dato Chua. As a non-christian, he too has to go through many challenges. A member of St. Andrew's, Patricia Wee said that Dato Chua's testimony was meaningful and personal. It also clearly showed how God could transform people and do wonders in their lives. She felt the hand of God working in Dato Chua's life despite all the trials and challenges. She believes that once we surrender our lives to God, we will come out victoriously. Ven. Canon Charles Samuel, St Andrew's Church, KT DIOCESAN SENIOR CITIZENS' DAY CELEBRATION SERVICE AND DINNER About 270 people attended the Diocesan Senior Citizens Day celebration service held on 1 October 2006 at St Paul s Church, Petaling Jaya. The Churches which participated at the service were: 1. St. Mary's Cathedral. Kuala Lumpur St. James' Church All Saints' Church Christ Church, Jinjang Our Saviour's Church 4 6. St. Peter's Church 5 7. Emmanuel Church, Cheras 3 8. St. Mark's Church, Seremban 8 9. St. Barnabas' Church Good Shepherd Church St. Paul's Church, Petaling Jaya St. Katherine's Church, Kajang 11 Door gifts were given to all dinner guests, and after the service, a short ceremony was held to present the Diocesan Golden Circle farewell memento to the Bishop and Assistant Bishop. The gift for Bishop Tan Sri Dr. Lim Cheng Ean was presented by Mrs. Esther Schokman and received by Mr. V. Dhanaraj on behalf of the Bishop who was not able to attend. Mr. Jeremiah Paul, DGC treasurer, presented the gift to the Assistant Bishop, the Rt. Rev. M E Ponniah while Mrs Lily Periathamby presented a bouquet of flowers to Mrs Rachael Ponniah. 9

10 by Rev. Lee Kon Yim TRANSFORMATION: TH My approach to the topic in question is to identify the unique purpose of the church and the proper priorities the church must concentrate on in order to fulfil that unique function. The church must identify its primary purpose. Everything else derives its meaning from this purpose. Only when the church gets this right will the world see the church as being transformed by the Lord to be God s witness. I am heavily indebted to Raymond C Ortlund s paper on Priorities for the Local Church 1 in writing this paper. In today s churches, doing ministry can become very confusing. On the one hand there is the danger that everything becomes a priority. On the other hand, it can be very tempting to concentrate on the one thing and excel at doing it. 10 Biodata of Rev. Lee Kon Yim Born in Malaysia in Went to school at St. John s Institution KL. Left Malaysia in 1975 to study in England. Graduated from the Polytechnic of Central London (now called University of Westminster) in 1983 with BSc in Quantity Surveying. Qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in Lived in the UK for a total of 23 years (worked for 13 years as a surveyor) before started studying at Moore Theological College in 1998 for Dip in Bible & Missions. Switched to BTh programme in 1998 and graduated in 2000 with BTh & Dip. Min. Returned to Malaysia in Feb Appointed by Rt. Rev. Tan Sri Dr. Lim Cheng Ean to serve at St. Gabriel s Church KL in April Ordained as Priest in November Appointed Priest-in-charge of St. Gabriel s Church KL in Appointed Acting Priest-incharge at All Saints Church KL in March Currently Priest-in-charge of All Saints Church Kuala Lumpur. The approach to church ministry can be seen in a broad spectrum. At one end of the spectrum there are churches that just focus on being centres. A church may be an evangelistic centre where everything done during the week leads to that one exciting moment on Sunday morning: the altar call. Or a church may be a fellowship centre where the emphasis is on body life: relationship through small groups, discipling and function of spiritual gifts. Or a church may be a mission centre where vast amounts of money are raised for missions. For example, in a mission centre church, one will find a map with twinkling lights and the sermons sounding too much like missionary reports. I am not saying these churches are doing anything wrong or being unbiblical but what each one focuses on is not the primary focus of the church. At the other end of the spectrum there are churches that make everything a priority. The dangers these kinds of churches face include burn-out, loss of direction and descending into maintenance ministry. A possible dangerous consequence of trying to revive such directionless churches is the introduction of new interpretations which try to appeal to the emotions (the feel good factor). This in turn will lead to the emergence of new priorities which will take the church even further away from the primary focus. Primarily, first and foremost, the church exists for the Lord. Christ is the Head and he must be the focus, the first priority. The church, as a corporate body and comprising individual believers, is to be committed first to Christ, then to one another in Christ, and then to the world Christ died to save. These three must be kept in proper order. For example, a church must not let its ministry to the world (i.e. evangelism and good works) become its primary focus. When a church understands it primary purpose, which is focus on the Lordship of Christ, it will understand functions such as evangelism, ethical living and good works. This is where doing matches being. Without the proper understanding of the primary focus of the Lordship of Christ one cannot understand all that means for being a disciple of Christ. Being a disciple means being in a loving relationship seen in a life of obedience. One can only obey Christ by knowing his will which is through his Word. The commitment to Christ, the commitment to one another and the commitment to the world (evangelism) must not be done piecemeal or chronologically. Instead the churches and the individual believers must hold all three together in tension all the time and in every aspect of their lives. The bible repeatedly spells out the three priorities, both generally and specifically. For example, one can identify these three in Jesus teaching on the vine and the branches in John 15. Commitment to the Lord Jesus can be seen in verses 1 to 11, stressed by the imperative, Remain in me. Here lies the first priority. Verses 12 to 15 focus on the command, Love one another. This is the second priority. Verses 16 to 27 in essence talk about the Lord Jesus disciples bearing testimony to Jesus as Lord to the world. This is the third priority. Furthermore in John 17 the prayer of the Lord Jesus to his Father reveals his own personal priorities. In verses 1 to 5 the Lordship of Christ, inextricably linked to the glory of the Father, is only possible through the commitment of the believers (despite their impending trials). Then in verses 6 to 19 Jesus prayed for the believers that God has singled out to keep his commandment to love one another. In verses 20 to 26 Jesus prayer extended to the world so that the world may believe (v21) in the Lordship of Christ and to let the world know (v23) that the complete unity of the church is catholic in nature. Even in Jesus own earthly ministry, these three priorities are clearly seen. Jesus commitment to the Father was seen in his withdrawing from his disciples to be alone with his Father. Jesus also spent quality time with his inner circle of disciples. Jesus teaching and healing ministry took him out of the Jewish locale, to Samaria and the cities of the Decapolis. The three priorities are also very evident in the New Testament Epistles. For example, in Colossians Paul spoke of the supremacy of Christ, the image of the invisible God (v15). Since Christ is supreme over all believers, Christ s Lordship is to be evident in loving relationships among believers (3:12-4:2). Furthermore, based on these two criteria, God will not only provide a doorway for the gospel to reach outsiders but every believer must make use of any and every opportunity that arises (4:3-6). Cont'd on page 12

11 E CHURCH'S WITNESS by Rev. Dr. Vijendra Daniel In the previous issues of Anglican Messenger, we have looked at Transformation from two different perspectives: God's Work and Man's Response. We saw that "Transformation" begins when we move from a self-centered, self-indulgent and self-absorbent lifestyle to embracing God's purpose and perfect will for our lives. The question then begs to be asked, "What are we transformed for?" In this issue we want to focus on a third aspect of Transformation: The Church's Witness. Someone once said, "Christians are like fertilizer. Pile them up in one place long enough and they'll began to stink. But spread them out and they'll do some good!" Jesus said as much in his famous Sermon on the Mount, "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it will be thrown out. You are the light of the worklike a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. " In the New Testament, the many analogies of Christians being like salt, light and leaven in this world has only one significance: God destined His church to have an impact in society. When transformation occurs, we move from being self-centered to being community centered. Didn't Christ himself model such a purpose for the Church when he came to seek, save, serve, call, preach and draw people to God? Didn't the Apostle Paul himself declare that, "... we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) What were these "good works" that Paul was referring to? Jesus taught his disciples that at the final judgment, Christians who loved God and helped their neighbours were to be separated from those who just professed Christianity without following it through with relevant deeds. These "deeds" included feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, looking after the sick, ministering to prisoners and practicing simple hospitality (Matthew 7: 21-23, 25: 31-46). At the recent Anglican World Missions Conference organized by Partnership for World Mission (PWM), Bishop James Tengatenga of Southern Malawi in his opening, address said, "It is through this hospitable listening that our mission takes direction and responds to the challenges and opportunities expressed therein..." The Anglican Church once had a legacy of being a powerful witness in society. Schools, hospitals, community services and mission societies jubilantly proclaimed the love of God to the young, poor, sick, dying and the lost. Today, the Church Mission Society (estb.1799) and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) are two Anglican organizations that continue to make a powerful impact in this generation. But what about here in our own Diocese? What are we doing to be witnesses for Christ in our churches, communities, workplaces and schools? How are our churches being "the aroma of Christ" today? Has our transformation impacted our culture, community and country? The Great Commission exhorts us to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). This evangelistic work of declaring the gospel is the primary ministry the church has toward the world. However, just as imperative, is the local church's responsibility to care for the poor, hungry, sick, lonely, imprisoned and disfranchised. In addition, the church should be the voice for the oppressed and exploited especially to the increasing number of migrant workers here on our shores. Finally, the church should attempt to influence governmental policies to make them more consistent with biblical moral principles and speak against systematic injustices. The Lina Joy and Moorthy Maniam sagas are just two cases in point. All of these are ways in which the Malaysian church has to supplement its evangelistic ministry to the world and indeed adorn the gospel that it professes. This is the church's witness. The Anglican Church had once a legacy of being a powerful witness in society. Schools, hospitals, community services and mission societies jubilantly proclaimed the love of God to the young, poor, sick, dying and the lost. Today, the Church Mission Society (estb.1799) and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) are two Anglican organizations that continue to make a powerful impact in this generation. All of these are ways in which the Malaysian church has to supplement its evangelistic ministry to the world and indeed adorn the gospel that it professes. This is the church's witness. BIODATA OF REV. DR. VIJENDRA DANIEL Rev. Dr. Vijendra Daniel, a medical doctor by training, is the Priest-In--Charge of All Soul's Church, Cameron Highlands. He has served in Cameron Highlands for nine years and is married to Joan. They have two children, Deanna Grace, aged 3 ½ and John Prasanth, aged 1 ½. 11

12 Growing Youth Ministry at St Andrew s During the past four years, the youth ministry in St. Andrew's Church has had a significant role in the life of the church. Young people, mainly students from the Kustem University, Instep and the Teacher's Training College as well as trainees from the National Service programme have also attended our services. We are fortunate that all these students have been a blessing to us, especially to the senior citizens of the church. Besides the Anglican students who attend our services, there are others from the Methodist, SIB, Catholic, Lutheran and AOG churches. Many of them are talented in playing musical instruments as well as being worship leaders. The church's earnest prayers have been answered and we continue to seek God's blessing for more young people to attend our services. For the past four years, students have led in the Christmas carolling. The church was encouraged when they appeared twice in the New Straits Times newspapers and Besides their involvement in the church, they are also active in the Christian Fellowships of their respective universities. They have organised activities for new students. On another occasion a senior student organised a fellowship dinner for all East Malaysian students. At this fellowship dinner, the juniors were briefed on activities for the year They were introduced to churches which they could attend and participate in. The speakers for this gathering were Archdeacon Charles Samuel, Pastor Jasreen from SIB Church, Mr. Robin Maramat (a Forensic Officer, member of the church), and Mrs. Yap Guat Thoo (leading the students ministry). The seniors were considered as mentors and they were given the task of taking care of the sheep (juniors) for the whole duration of their studies. Their main concern was to make students aware of their responsibilities as Christians, to keep their faith alive, and walk closely with God. The number of students who attended was about 65. St. Andrew's Church is indeed so privileged to be able to nurture these students and to see them graduate get on in life. Our hopes and desires are that we would be able to continue this ministry and bless the young people at St. Andrew's Church. This year, the students formed a band called `All For +'. They organised a concert at Mid Town Hotel in March. Christians from different denominations as well as non-christian youths attended the function. It was amazing to see how the students were able to interact well and how they coordinated the whole show. They even invited youths from other churches to perform during the concert. On Saturday, 20 July 2006, the students organised an outing to La La Hot Springs in Jerteh for about 80 students. This was to welcome the juniors to the Christian Fellowship Centre and to get to know them better. They had praise and worship sessions, an icebreaker, games and jungle trekking at the hot springs. Alice Samuel St Andrew s Church, KT Cont'd from page 10 Space does not allow me to elaborate further these three priorities. These three priorities may not necessarily always follow in the order as outlined above throughout the Scriptures. But they are present and help to provide balance for church ministries. Balance in the life of the church or in the individual believer comes from making sure that Christ is supreme. If a church is centred on anything, any person, any doctrine any project, anything but Christ, then it is off balance. There is balance in the church when believers speak well of the church and praise God for the whole body of Christ and all its parts. They must never make fun of any segment of the church or disparage it in any way. The third priority brings balance to the purpose of the church s existence in the world. Out of one s commitment to Christ and to the church must flow a concern for the world which Christ died to redeem. In a sense the unity of believers in Christ is evangelistic for it gives proof to the world that Christ is the Son of God and that God loves the church just as He loves the Son. The believers love for one another actually helps to teach unbelievers the veracity of the gospel. The three priorities discussed form a measurement by which Christians can test whether they are balanced. Is Christ being put first? Is there genuine fellowship in the church? Not just Hi! Bye! Is there a genuine, heartfelt reaching to the world? Only when these three priorities are operative and in their proper order is the church, corporately and individual believers, balanced, whole and biblical. Only then can outsiders see that God is doing His work of transformation. Only then can the church be seen as an effective witness for the gospel. 12 (Footnotes) : 1 Roy B Zuck (ed), Vital Church Issues: Examining Principles and Practices in Church Leadership (Grand Rapids: Kregel Resources, 1998),

13 ANGLICAN CARE TRAINING CAMP TOGETHER AS A TEAM All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possession was his own, but they shared everything they had (Act 4 : 32) Many of us have in one way or other helped the needy but may not know the dos and don ts of helping. We usually rush to help without analyzing whether the person we are helping is genuine. To help members in this area, Anglican Care organized a Training Camp on how to be involved in the Social Ministry from July There were about 30 participants from the Churches of the Central Archdeaconry. The speakers were Ms Nesam Ebenezer who elaborated on Ministry to Individual & Families. She spoke mainly on how to identify the needy and how we can help them. She said that Christian social work is based on an acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord of our lives and our work. The social work should consciously seek to bring the love of Jesus to every person and into every situation they are involved in. It will be impossible to engage in social work without being a person of prayer. We should remember that social work is about empowering the needy to make positive choices to achieve attainable goals, which will enhance their well being. Christian Social Workers should have a Christian worldview, which is that man is made in the image of God, a God who loves them dearly. God gives meaning and purpose to their existence. The social worker then must seek to help the needy person build a fulfilling relationship with God, with family, with others in the community. The Christian social worker must display sensitivity and humility when interacting with clients from cultures other than their own. Their interaction should establish a relationship of trust, respect and understanding. A social worker should make a thorough assessment to help the person correctly. Helping a needy person should follow these steps:- i) Identify their problem; ii) Guide them to overcome the problem; iii) Short term help (immediate help like providing provisions, medical care and so on); iv) Long Term (to have a stable future, to be independant and to introduce Christ into their lives) Mrs Jasmine Adaickalam spoke on "Church in the Community." To identify the community in which the church wants to assist, firstly they should study its various aspects such as:- i) Racial Composition ii) Ethnic Group, iii) Culture iv) The needs of the community. The Church needs to survey, collect secondary data, conduct informal interviews/meetings, identify potential leaders and volunteers from the same community and assess the needs of the community. She spoke on the Trinity (Genesis 1.26) God, Son and Holy Spirit as a community, God created a community by creating Mankind. When God called Abraham to leave his land, he brought along his community. Then when Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt; that was also a community. Our own church and surroundings are communities and we should identify their needs. At both sessions we had case studies and it was very interesting to see how the training has benefited us. There were also a lot of questions and answers. Even though this was only a basic training, it benefited all participants. Each Church should have a comprehensive training if it wishes to serve the community. Veniselvam Anglican Care ABOUT Anglican Care Anglican Care is caring a ministry of the Diocese of West Malaysia. It was set up to mobilize and synchronise the efforts of the social ministries of the Diocese in serving, sharing and glorifying God by responding to the needs of the poor, disadvantaged, marginalized and displaced through a Christ-centred approach. The Chairman of Anglican Care, Mrs Lydia Wong said that the vision of the ministry is to see a holistic transformation in the lives of individuals, families and communities by mobilizing, equipping and re-channeling resources that lie dormant and is spread across within the Diocese. The scope of our work includes creating an effective network among the social ministries within the Diocese, strengthening the existing social ministries as well as encouraging new ones, she explained. We also play a proactive role in alerting the Diocese on matters pertaining to national social concerns as well as network with other churches and para-church organizations as well as the government and NGOs, she said. For more details on how you can support this ministry, please contact the Diocese office. 13

14 VISIT TO LICHFIELD By James Chee My wife May and I were invited by The Diocese Of Lichfield for a holiday from 19 September to 12 October to meet old friends whom we had met at the FEAST in 1998 and also to meet up with our volunteers. To coincide with this trip we also planned our visit to Edinburgh, Wales, Oxford and London. We arrived at Manchester Airport on 19 September at pm and were met by Rev. Prebendary Lawrence Price together with his wife Jean Price who hosted us from September. Lawrence Price is the Vicar of St. Werburgh, Kingsley, Stock-on-Trent and also takes charge of four other parishes. Jean Price is currently the Trusty of Mother s Union Worldwide and is their Marketing Coordinator. A reunion dinner was organized at their home to meet up with some friends. We visited the School and Churches under the charge of Lawrence Price. From Kingsley we moved to Admaston Farmhouse, Rugeley from September and stayed with our hosts Captain David & Mrs. Katie Brown. A dinner was organized so that we could meet some of the key members of St. Mary Church, Colton. We met up with Mark Bull who visited Malaysia a couple of years ago. Mark had indeed gained from this visit and is now a very confident person serving faithfully in his Church. He not only gained his experience through the exposure but also gained a life partner his wife, Dolphina from Kuching. Dolphina is an encouragement to Mark and members of their church at Colton. Captain David Brown is currently the Chairman of St. Chad s Trust Volunteer and he was the PA to the former Bishop of Lichfield Rt. Rev. Keith Sutton On 22 September a Press Conference was held at Lichfield Cathedral, with Mr. Gavin Drake the Director of Communication of the Diocese of Lichfield together with our volunteers, Regina, Julie Tan, Sheerah Lee and John Sheard a volunteer of St. Chad Trust and Rev. Prebendary Dr. Michael Sheard. At the Press Conference, the volunteers including myself were asked how the St. Chad s Trust Volunteer Program benefited the INS and OUTS of Mission. It was a fruitful interview. We evaluated the St. Chad s Programme and made suggestions for the future. On 23 September a conference was organized, sponsored jointly by The Borneo Mission Association, The Singapore & West Malaysia Diocesan Association, St. Chad s Trust Volunteer and the Diocese of Lichfield. The theme for the conference was The Church, God s mission and us. The program consisted of The Ins and Outs of Mission. Various speakers participated at the conference to name a few, Bishop Tony Dumper, Bishop Jonathan Gledhill, Captain David Brown and our volunteers Regina, Julie and Sheerah and their volunteers John Sheard, Joe & Timothy Mayo. Our three volunteers together with St. Chad s Volunteers carried themselves very well and spoke on how they benefited from the exchange program, the challenges they faced and how they were able to contribute toward this program. I spoke and congratulated St. Chad s Trust for their attention to the Youth exchange program and informed them that our Diocese also was focusing on Children and Young People. I also emphasized the need to do mission and be transformed as individuals in Christ and this is the quality in our Youth selected. Some of them had resigned from their jobs to be part of the mission and I am sure they had gained as much as they have contributed. I urged those present to continue their support for this program. I also stated that the presentation by the volunteers of both Dioceses were enough to tell us that they have gained tremendously through this program. On Sunday 24 September we attended a Matins at St. Mary the Virgin. During the service, both my daughter Wendy and I were interviewed on various aspects of our lives as Christians in a Muslim country and the challenges encountered. In the afternoon, after lunch, we packed for our trip and drove in Katie s car to the Lake District. Our trip to The Lake District was very adventurous and pleasant with fine weather and put up a night at Coniston town. In the morning of 25 th September after breakfast, we continued on our journey toward Kendal and proceeded to visit Rev. Canon Richard and Barbara Kirton who hosted us as planned. Richard is currently the Vicar of St. Paulinus and pastoring various churches. The next morning we went for a Holy Eucharist service at St. Giles. After the service, we met with old friend Rev. David Priston from Chilwell, Nottingham. David Priston who is 79 years old was the OMF missionary to Malaya in the 50s led me to know Jesus Christ in As Malaysia celebrates its 49 th year of independence, I am proud to celebrate my 49 th year of freedom in Christ. After Admaston Farm we were sent to Roger and Wendy Ford at Shrewsbury who hosted us from 27 to 29 September. Roger is involved in many ministries. Wendy is the Executive Officer of St. Chad s Trust Volunteer Program, A Trusty for Uganda Society for Disabled Children, Board of Governor of Wilfred Owen Primary School, Shropshire. At the City of Shrewsbury we took a short walk and arrived at St. Chad s Church where we met Sheerah Lee one of our volunteers who is serving here on a one year exchange program. This church is very old and is one of the finest we have visited thus far, the architecture is beautiful and preserved as if new. We went home for a short rest. During the evening, Wendy Ford took me to the World Mission Committee meeting. There I met Dr. Paul and Beryl Graetz who would host us on the last lap of our visit. Dr. Paul is the Chairman of the World Mission Committee. It was nice to be able to meet up with Revd. Prebendary Dr.Michael Sheard (the Mission Officer) and Ann Bucknall (a former lecturer Seminary at Theology Malaysia) who are members of the committee. At the meeting, matters pertaining to mission work were discussed. This included the Cross Talk with twinning churches (mission prayer partnership). The Cross Talk program was proposed to include young people and was tabled by John Sheard who was on an exchange program with the Diocese of Kuching. He also had a short stint in our Diocese at Ipoh and Penang this year. Some members of our churches are on the Cross Talk program to prepare 14

15 A preview of St Mark's Cozy Home Not wanting to wait for the official opening of the Cozy Home, a few members of St. Paul's Golden Circle visited the home and were delighted with what they saw. They were informed and now are able to inform others about what the Home is like. Two vans driven by James Chee and Andrew Lai made their way to Sungei Buloh through heavy traffic. We arrived in good time and the ooh's and aha's' indicated that everyone was pleased with what they saw on the outside. The three storey building stands majestically amidst a primary school on one side, shops and factories on the other and the main road. The ground floor houses the reception desk and the Office and it also has a multi-purpose dining hall cum function room. The kitchen is also large and has access to the delivery area. On this floor there are four rooms for four persons each and four rooms for two persons each. The lift was not yet operational so we climbed the stairs to the first and second floor where there were more rooms and lots of open balconies for rest and relaxation. We were told that awnings would be put up and there would be lots of green plants and shrubs to give the open spaces an atmosphere of freshness and beauty. The second floor had a spacious chapel which could seat 150 people, and apartment suites for married couples. There was also a sitting room for visitors. The grounds have ample space for gardening and other outdoor activities. It is also planned to have opportunities for physical mental and spiritual development as well as weekend fellowship. Needlework, handicraft and carpentry would also be an activity in the Home. The group made their suggestions to Andrew and James and we adjourned to a nearby restaurant for lunch. We look forward to the completion of the electrical work and the furnishing and equipping of all rooms with the facilities required, The rooms will be ready for booking by Don't miss your chance!! Cont'd from page 14 themselves for a gathering at Lichfield in I spoke on our Diocese mission to the various ethnic groups in our country and how the twinning program had benefited both Dioceses. On 30 September we went shopping and marketing to prepare for the Malaysian Night. Ven. John and Kay Hall had allowed us to use their kitchen for the preparation. Seven dishes were prepared to feed 30 people as a small gesture to reciprocate the kind hospitality extended to me and my family and the three volunteers. However, about 20 people including our volunteers turned up and the food was more than enough. We had a wonderful time and our three volunteers enjoyed the home cooked food. At 9.45pm, Dr. Paul and Beryl Graetz took us to their home at Tittensor, Stoke-on-Trent and hosted us from 30 September - 2 October. Dr. Paul is a GP, Warden of St. Luke s Church, Chairman of World Mission Committee. On 1 October, we had Harvest Thanksgiving of St Luke s and St. Mary s at Sweynnerton. We were given a warm welcome by the parishioners of both Churches. The Church was, beautifully decorated, with produce from the farms and gardens. During the service Ven. William S. Pashi from Arua, Uganda and I, were interviewed on matters pertaining to our country and the problems faced in spreading the good news. Then we had a wonderful tea fellowship, which lasted for more than half an hour. At Edinburgh, Dr. Michael and Jill Northcott hosted us from 3-5 October. Michael was a former lecturer at Seminary Theology Malaysia from and presently is the Reader in Christian Admin at the University of Edinburgh and Canon Theologian of Liverpool Cathedral. Jill was teaching English at Seminary Theology Malaysia and is now a Lecturer at the University Edinburgh. On 5 October we bid farewell and proceeded to the Airport to catch a flight to Heathrow Airport, London and arrived at 2.30pm. Rev. Prebendary Dr. Michael Sheard was at the Airport with our luggage and drove us to Oxford to meet up with Rev. Kim Kee Lee and Ruth Yong who hosted us from 5-7 October. Rev. Kim Kee Lee drove us to Dorchester Abbey, a very special place in the history of Christianity in England and built in 635AD. After visiting this Abbey, my family and I felt a sense of meeting God in this place and we came away refreshed. At night we went for a half night prayer meeting at St. Aldates Church in the heart of Oxford from 10.00pm to 2.00am. There were more than sixty people young and old who attended. We sought the Lord to intervene in the life of our churches, families, cities and nations. It was one of the best meetings I had attended thus far with a synchronized orchestra leading the worship. We proceeded to London and stayed there from 7-12 October. On 8 October we attended Church at All Souls Church, a short walk from the apartment. All Souls Church is a very lively Church with a very fine orchestra leading in the music. Rev. Rico Tice the founder of Christian Explores preached on What is success? Towards the end Rico challenged us to examine ourselves as to how successful we are as Christians. After the service, we got to know Rico Tice and told him that back home at St. Mary s Cathedral, KL, I had the privilege of assisting in coordinating his course. Our whole trip had been educational and interesting. I am full of gratitude to God for the fine weather and protection. I have a sense of mission accomplished. Our commitment is to pray fervently for the Diocese of Lichfield that there would be a revival in all their Churches amongst the old and the young. Some of the Churches are losing their members and are slowly closing due to the decreasing population and migration etc. 15

16 THE LIVING GOD SAVED US 36 SECONDS FROM A WATERY DEATH The door of death was only 36 seconds away, but for the mercies of our eternal living God whose name is I am the Lord, that is My name; Isaiah, Chapter 42 verse 8. This 1985 episode involved 272 passengers and crew, a jumbo jet 747 and about 350 miles north west of California over the Pacific Ocean heading to Los Angeles. The veracity of this is now chronicled in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on the website. Air travel disasters and near fatal disasters for 1985 began with the near disaster China Airlines spiral plunge to the Pacific Ocean on its flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles on the 19th February 1985, followed by the Atlantic explosion of Air India, the Manchester, England take off disaster, the historic, largest crash of the Japan Airline in Tokyo, Japan, etc to name a few in the worst airline disaster aviation history f or the year This incident can be described as a miraculous act of the living God whose Omnipresence has moved from past history to our current time span of the 20th and 21st century. After waiting for 21 years for results of the investigation from aviation experts, including the National Transportation Safety Board, no satisfactory answers were reported as to why this near fatal disaster had happened except that the captain was struggling with the automatic pilot system. Hence, after this prolonged hiatus, it is time for me to testify to real life experience of the mighty hand of God who is alive and hears prayers, cries of fear of death, anguish and helplessness to save 272 people of different nationalities in a jumbo jet 747 SP that dived 6 miles in 150 seconds and was only 36 seconds from crashing into the Pacific Ocean. Can anyone come out alive in this near fatal disaster without the help of a real time triune Almighty God? This demonstrably revealed His existence. At the time of writing this testament nothing on this subject has been written before and so few people (including present airline pilots) have heard of this incident. Therefore, I for one would not wish to be referred by our Lord Jesus Christ, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? (Luke 17:17). It was one of my annual trips from Hong Kong to Los Angeles to join my family for Chinese New Year reunion and as usual boarded Flight 006 on 19th February 1985 at Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong. The take-off from the tarmac was smooth and the landing gears retracted quietly into its housing with the bay doors closing with the soft thud of a refrigerator door closing. We were still ascending with the plane nose pointing upwards when I lost consciousness in a relaxing slumber. As in other past flights, drinks, meals, plenty of magazines, newspapers and a center screen playing video films with the steady, constant audible humming drone of the 4 turbine engines intruding into the passenger cabin, conveying to the passengers that everything is normal. This continued without an incident and after a non-stop uneventful flight of 9 hours, it all happened. Every window blind was drawn shut, except for a few left opened by the stewardess and some passengers. We were having brunch and suddenly the plane dropped horizontally like a stone for a few seconds and probably a good 15 feet drop the feeling of a roller-coaster ride after the slow steep upward climb and a fast slide down the tracks leaving, as it were, your heart up at the apex of the tracks. The serving trolleys were moving up and down the aisles responding to the first large bump. The stewardesses squatted on the aisle clutching onto the armrest of passenger s chairs. The drone of the four turbine engines was less audible. Shrieks and cries of anguish were heard everywhere in the cabin, only to be broken by the shout of one of the air stewardesses calling all passengers to fasten seat belts. When I heard fasten seat belts I reached for mine and buckled up and in that instant I heard many more clicks. Nonetheless, the trays of food were set before us, in spite of some more rough bumps, but of smaller impact, throughout the duration of the meal. The trays were collected and I was having my second cup of coffee when the near fatal crash began. The flying continued smoothly for a while then I noticed a softening of the audible humming drone of a turbine engine to the right side of the wing (i.e. passengers facing the back of the pilot). This situation continued for a few minutes and eventually the lessening drone of the engine to the right completely stopped humming and the three remaining engines were less intense in their humming drone. After a while more, I heard complete silence, all drones disappeared. I thought to myself, why have the engines shut down and we were not even near any airport and if anything it would be Hawaii but we have no scheduled stop at that place. In fact, we were between Hawaii and West Coast of America and beneath the vast Pacific Ocean. But why have all the engines stopped, giving an eerie silence. In spite of the silence, the plane continued to move forward (perhaps moving forward on its momentum the force derived from the now silenced four turbine engines). And not before long, the plane veered to the left with nose of the plane slightly pointing downwards. A lady s voice broke the silence We are heading down dear. To the right and rear of my seat, I heard her crying, We are going down. We are going to die sobs and sobs. A man replied, No dear, we are not with shivering and stammering voice. Another couple to my left front said, Goodbye, my dear, we will not see each other in trembling voice mixed with sobs. These were words uttered amidst crashing trays, trolleys, cries of anguish, shrieks of fear, shrills and groans of 16

17 the inevitable end. There were no oxygen masks dropping from the compartments above, except for personal clothing, handbags, brief cases and attaché cases. The partition panel (between the economy class and the business class) began to warp and twist. By this time, we were listing nearly 60 degrees and I could see the dark blue ocean. As I was adjusting my seating position, (guess I was moved of my seat by the pressure of the twists) the fatal spiral began. Sensing this helplessness, I immediately sent arrow prayer to the Lord the Captain is the master of this plane and he is the one to determine what is to be done and he is the leaser who knows the best for all of us, so I soliloquy. I prayed earnestly and I cried Lord, Lord have mercy on all of us. Lord, Lord have mercy on all of us and abandoning myself to Him. I continued to pray the more intensely Lord, forgive me of my sin, cleanse me and should my sin cause this mayday, please, Lord, forgive me. And should the sins of these people, my fellow travelers cause this, please lay these on me and look compassionately on all of us. Please give your wisdom to the captain, to the pilot, to the engineer, for they are in charge on this plane and there is no one else, just as a ship s captain has the final authority on his ship. We are dependent on them and you are the only One who can save us and grant us refuge. Please give them your know-how. Bless the engines and make them work again (Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the heart (Job 38.36). By this time, we have fallen 6 miles in 150 seconds and I have to grip the arms of my seat tightly and digging my shoes into the carpeted floor to keep myself in the seat and I caught sight of the ocean coming directly fast at us, as the 747 twisting itself helplessly downwards. I cried to the living Jesus Jesus, Lamb of God Have mercy on us Jesus, Bearer of our sins Have mercy on us Jesus, Redeemer of the world Give us your peace Into your hands, dear Jesus I commend my spirit With this statement I committed my spirit into His hand preparing my life for the end. Immediately, I realize I was slipping again from my seat. I struggled up to get a better seating position by pulling myself up with my left hand holding onto the right side of the seat's back rest. It was in this position when my face was twisted to the left then slightly to the right and my body was distorted causing excruciating pain to the muscles of my back. We were spiraling and nose diving down. The seat belt retained me in that "new" position when I found myself seeking for help from my Saviour to whom I prayed the more intensely, earnestly and imploringly. "Please give wisdom to the Captain". Soon after this cool, calm and collected humble petition of intercessory prayer, I heard soft turbine engines hum, slowly but increasingly louder and louder from all four turbine engines and immediately felt the plane was not plunging but was leveling and eventually pulling upwards, as if we were taking off from the runway of the aerodrome and have just left the tarmac and slowly retracted the landing gear and are roaring upwards and away (what nostalgic thinking, except that we were in mid-air and over the Pacific Ocean). We kept on climbing for several minutes and then leveled off. We flew on for some 15 minutes in this condition and had suddenly and without warning the turbine engines drone went silent for the second time, as it were stopped in tracks, and then the plane was not climbing but was fast losing the forward thrust and was gliding on the forward momentum. The plane's nose then tilted slightly downward, as it were letting us know we were about to spiral down again. "Lord have mercy on us and be gracious to us as I implored and entrusted Him". As if bitter from losing a game, I began to ask the Lord why is His arm short of saving us definitely. Why let us have so short in hope? And what are the flying crew doing? Little did I know that the plane by this time, had plunged 32,000 feet (6 miles dive) from its cruising height 41,000 feet to a 9,000 feet height measuring from the surface of the Pacific Ocean and we were only 36 seconds from a belly landing on the surface of the ocean or in a worst case scenario, a horrendous smash into the ocean - a most frightening thought as it was only 36 seconds from the Jaws of death!). The Lord did not permit this! As the plane's nose began to tilt downwards and for some unknown reason (but only the living God can do this) the four turbine engines re-started and from the soft drones they turned into roars reflecting the power regained for the second time. The plane did not begin to dive but continued horizontally for some while and afterward began to climb. This time I felt the sensation of being forced back to the back of my seat, apparently in its upward movement towards the sky, as if we were in steep ascent (for the second time) of an aircraft taking off from the airfield, except this happened in mid air. This went for about 3 minutes when the plane leveled off and cruised at a constant drone. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4). But for the mercy of the living God, we would have all perished. This monotonous drone continued with an unusual quietness among the passengers, only to be shattered by a passenger shouting "oxygen, oxygen for the lady who is breathing heavily! As for me, I could barely move with strained muscles across my entire back, from shoulder down and found fatigue in all muscles of my limbs. How fragile are mortals! In the meantime, a passenger to my right began to thrown up, and followed by another to my left. The stewardesses were rushing around for more air sickness bags. I thought I was faring well until someone left a large plastic bag containing all the used air sickness bags and the total sum of all these nauseating smell pervaded into my nostril, creating such a stench that I was induced to throw up. All praise be to the Lord, a stewardess removed it well before I succumb to it. I reflected with my understanding, perhaps it was normal as we had been buffeted and twisted so much and had just finished brunch. Cont'd on page 18 17

18 Cont'd from page 17 During the whole of this duration, no announcement of whatever nature was made from the captain or the chief steward. There were no stewardesses to be seen except for the plucky and brave stewardess who shouted seat belt. Thereafter, it was like hours later that the captain announced that we were landing at San Francisco International Airport instead of Los Angeles International Airport. The flight time was 1 hour to arrive at the San Francisco International Airport. No stewardess checked whether we have our seat belts on, but we could hear the landing gear being lowered and was making a landing. We felt the wheels touched and landed on the tarmac and we were all thrown forward but the restraining seat belts held us back in place. But the plane kept on going, going and going, seemingly not wanting to stop. Finally, after a period of 5 minutes or so we came to a stop. Immediately, all the emergency doors were opened and in rushed firemen, paramedics, ambulance men with their stretches, nurses, etc into the passenger compartments. A voice over the intercom announced we were to be seated while the injured were taken out or assisted out. Stretchers with a blanket covered over a woman was carried out. Several people were helped on their way out, including a man with a white blood stained handkerchief holding his head. This took a while, followed by the announcement for those who could walk to proceed to the exit where the TV/Radio media crew and reporters were waiting. We all assembled in a big hall 272 of us. Subsequently, a discussion ensued that there were 4 Vietnam War Veteran jet fighter pilots, as passengers, questioned the captain who explained it was wind shear/wind turbulence or atmospheric disturbances or otherwise he could not explain. The jet fighter pilots doubted "the wind shear/wind turbulence" theory. This question still remains unanswered to this day of writing this incident. "The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of this accident was the Captain's preoccupation with an in-flight malfunction (did not specify what went wrong) and his failure to monitor properly the airplane's flight instruments which resulted in his losing control of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the Captain's over-reliance on the autopilot after the loss of thrust on the No.4 engine? What irks me is "the flight crew were under the impression that all four engines had flamed out, but the (NTSB) believe only engine No.4 had quit. If only engine No.4 had quit, why did the plane encounter a second complete silence and a nose dip and began an uncontrollable descent. This continued for a few minutes and the four engines came to life giving us an upward thrust with a roar as loud as if the engines were taking off from the tarmac. In both instances of complete silence, they were terrifying. This lead to the understanding that the four engines were flamed out, as can be noted, the steep dive was loosing 10,000 feet in twenty seconds. For me in my heart I know and perceive that the living God has been merciful to us and He had borne our aircraft with His mighty hand and landed us safely. Praise the Lord from the depths of my heart. Thank you Lord for saving all of us. The last passenger to leave the stricken plane was the captain led by the pilot and the engineer. The jet fighter pilots shouted "Applause, please, whatever they have done, they have saved our lives today from this mayday/mayhem". I could see all of us clapping but could hear only muffled/muted applause. It was a resounding response and we gave him a standing ovation as I could still see them clapping for a good 10 minutes. Tears welled up in my eyes, as I prostrated before Him in my heart. According to the pilots, we lost one engine power for a few minutes followed by the total four-engine loss of power. The forward momentum could only continue this way for a short while as the forward thrust covers, the plane began to nose-dive and spiraled downwards like a fallen leaf for 150 seconds into the Pacific Ocean. However, the engines started again in mid air and ascended upwards leaving barely 30 seconds from a watery grave. The Bible verse flashed across my mind, "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it" Rev and I could have been one of them. "Gross jet upset is defined as anything over 20 degrees, nose down and 60 degrees of roll. But this 747 went 60 degrees nose down and suffered 160 degrees of roll, putting it on its back. The aircraft experienced probably the greatest G-forces ever endured by any civil airliner". According to the Captain he had the plane to belly land on the water and then escape from the chute into rubber dinghy. However, the Captain said to what degree the plane could take the impact on contact with the surface of the water is any one's guess. It could be a safe contact or it could turn out to be a total disaster as we split into half or into pieces. The landing at San Francisco Airport was at a speed 7 times the normal landing speed reported the airport tower. When this was imparted to us, we found older couples fainting along the corridors leading to the domestic flight to Los Angeles. Those who took the next flight to Los Angeles was to follow a ground hostess to the adjoining apron to board the plane. It was still a wonderful sun filled morning and no rain. There were no customs or immigration checks. Prior to this, I managed to call inter state to my wife in Los Angeles to let her know that I need to change plane in San Francisco (not to scare her with this mishap/nose-dive) and that I would explain when I see her at LA airport. She replied "I know what happened from the television but do you want to fly to LA now? I said, "Yes" as I fought back tears as I reflected on the hymn "How great thou art" and thanked the living Lord for His love, mercy and saving grace for all of us to be able to go back to our families! She and the children met me at the LA Airport. Again no customs and no immigration checks. However, when I pushed the baggage trolley containing my baggage up the ramp at Tom Bradley International Airport arrival hall did I realize that in spite of summoning up all of my strength to push 18

19 the same up I could hardly do so. Somehow, as slow as a tortoise I managed to reach the bottom landing of the next ramp leading up to the arrival hall. My children broke the greeting line and took over the baggage trolley. Wasn't I truly glad for I could only barely pull myself up the ramp. I did not call on the Lord to give me more strength for I am sure He will, but I felt restrained to do so, for He has done so much already for the day! I cannot be so selfish. My wife said I was drained of any color, literally green in the face and could barely walk. On arrival at home, there were relatives waiting to hear what had happened and one of them said, "The Lord saved you" and I replied Halleluiah! Amen". My wife ushered me upstairs to the bedroom and the next thing I know was 18 hours later when I woke up in the afternoon of the next day with a severe sore back - only a sore back, thanks be to Him! She gave me the front page of Los Angeles Times and there was the photo of the damaged aircraft. 1) Lost all the flaps of both sides of the 2 main wings. 2) Lost all the flaps of both sides of the 2 small wings. 3) Broken off half the left small fixed wing. 4) Broken off a quarter of the right small fixed wing. 5) Lost the movable vertical rudder of the fixed vertical fin. A TWA captain walked from his next door hanger and said "How did this extensively damaged aircraft go so far in this unworthy condition? or words to that effect. She flew nearly 350 miles from the fatal spot to San Francisco. This is a miracle! It took me 2 days to recover and I realized my next assignment was in London in 7 days time. I prayed for the Lord's guidance as to whether I should fly to London. Somehow and somewhere the Lord gave me courage to say "Yes". My wife flew with me - such gesture gave me support. We arrived in London and as usual, we went to the same Chinese restaurant situated along Shaftsbury Avenue. We were shown a table next to a group of 5 English gentlemen. As tables were closely placed next to each other, we were able to hear the conversation (actually my wife could hear) of a burly Englishman who stated that "the 747 was the toughest plane in the sky for now, and she can fly with one engine alive, as last week's incident of a jumbo jet which dived 6 miles as all four engines quit, prove it. It was a miracle. How do you like it, no flaps on all large and small wings and no rudder. (All these were said probably for my benefit to reemphasize to me His wonderful mighty act.) The four engines kicked start in the air, flew, then stalled and then re-started. This is indeed the second miracle. How did they get started in mid-air? Who started them? It is definitely not a co-incidence. Those who subscribe to this as a coincidence, cannot do so for the second start of all the four turbine engines repeated themselves within a time span of 15 minutes! Cold sweat appeared on my brow and sent shivers through my spine. What an Almighty living God He is. He was there to start and to re-start! And the third miracle happened on San Francisco tarmac when we finally touched down, the plane rolled on and on as if it was not going to stop and we were pushed forward towards the back of the front passenger seat even when we have our seat belts on and it was so violent/forceful that we need to push ourselves back wards with our legs in order to remain in our seats. This went on for a few minutes (all flaps on the wings were lost) and we thought we could topple over, like a tortoise turning over and resting on its back, as brakes were the sole stopping force. The Lord saw to it that she did not turn turtle! What a mess it would be, should this happen this can turn into a ball of fire! Our God lives and hears prayers. He said "Lo I am with you always" (Matthew 28.20) and from all of the above, He is with us even in a crisis like this one and in this modern century! There are many incidents, and "live" experiences to share and to relate by many millions of attesters from many nations round the world who have experienced mortal upclose and personal danger and obtain spiritual victories with the help of His unseen hand, but the larger implication is that "There is a living and eternal God who abides in us". Abide in Me, and I in you - John Over the years, I have pondered on this undeniable and irrefutable event and the conclusion is that we do have indeed a real God who loves all of us in the plane and also in the world, irrespective of whether we are people from different nationality, with different religion, faith and of different moral standards. This one thing I am positive - there are no castaways or orphans but we all His precious jewels. He has exercised His ultimate control over this near disaster. The living reality of His Presence has been revealed to us and to all who believed in Him. All praise, honour and glory to Him! "The Lord is gracious and merciful and His compassion is over all that He has made" - Psalm 145:8 & 9. P.S DANIEL YUEN (Attester) This incident is one of a kind, as no other similar case arose over the past 20 years. Editor s Note: This is an unedited version of Daniel Yuen s testimony. 19

20 16 th Diocesan Golden Circle Conference The Diocesan Golden Circle Conference is organised in turns by different Churches in the Diocese. This year the Golden Circle of St. Marks Church, Seremban -organised the 16th Diocesan Golden Circle Conference. It was held at the Empress Hotel, Salak Tinggi, Sepang from 4-6 August The theme for the conference was " CHANGE MY HEART, O LORD" (Ez.36: 26). The theme talks were held in Tamil, Chinese and English. The Speaker for the Tamil session was Pastor S.Selvaraj, the speaker for the English session was Pastor Gurmit Singh and children. the speaker for Chinese session was the Revd. Wong Kheang Wook. All the sessions provided spiritual inspiration for most of us, as they carried the same message. Surely our living and powerful God can change our hearts and transform us to be His useful On the first day, we had registration, check in, welcome tea, opening service and Holy Communion which was conducted by our Bishop, The Rt. Rev.Tan Sri Dato Dr. Lim Cheng Ean. A written Bible Quiz was conducted by Rev Joseph Kumar. Once again, this year, St. Mark's Church Golden Circle members won the trophy. At the Annual General Meeting this year, Mr. V. Dhanaraj was appointed Diocesan Golden Circle President by the Bishop. Mr James Chee was elected Vice President. Bishop appointed Revd. Roderick Koo as the second Diocesan Golden Circle Chaplain. We had a talent night in which many delegates displayed their special gift in singing, acting, and dancing. We saw God s people in harmony in the way they displayed their presentation skills. During our free time, we had medical advice provided. To top it all, we had line dance sessions for relaxation. Unlike previous years, this time we had lucky draws and gift hampers for the participants to take home. The conference ended on the third day. 0ur Diocesan Bishop congratulated the Golden Circle Organising committee of St Mark s for a well organized event and said it was the best one he has attended. The Golden Circle members of St.Mark's Church Seremban donated RM to the Cozy Home Building Fund. We thank our Vicar Rev. David Rajiah and his wife for the constant help and support they gave us during the planning, and for working to make the conference a success. Mrs. Esther Jacob Hon. Secretary, Golden Circle St. Mark's Church, Seremban The 8 th National Postal Bible Knowledge Quiz 2007 Make preparations to sign up for the 2007 Postal Quiz. Join thousands of young people across our nation in reading and studying God's word. It will be a tremendously rewarding experience... For whom: Form 1-6 students and college students can participate... Objective: To encourage students to read part of the SPM syllabus and to test their grasp of the text. It is also a very good activity for School Christian Fellowship or Church Youth Fellowships... Nature of Quiz: The Quiz can be taken in English, Chinese or Bahasa Malaysia. It is 45 minutes with 2 parts... i. 20 fill-in-the-blanks quotations (Jesus' words) ii. 30 objective questions Text: The Gospel of Luke : chapters 1-8, (on the life and mission of Jesus Christ) Awards: Participants who pass with a score of 40% and above will be awarded the MCSC Certificate... Venue: Quiz will be run in schools and churches at CF/YF meetings at various cities and towns... Dates: The dates (in mid or late April 2007) will be determined in due course Registration: Begins in January 2007 Enquiries: Scripture Union Office Tel: or runawan@su.org.my (Ms Runa Wan Eng) Note : This quiz is sponsored by the MCSC (Malayan Christian Schools' Council), produced and organized by Scripture Union Peninsular Malaysia. For more info on the quiz, please log on to Source : Berita SU (Nov 2006) 3