PELITA - The Methodist Church Newsletter
Listed below are articles abstracted from past issues of PELITA
October 2006 - MOT RETREAT 2006
What or who is MOT? You may well ask. This is one of the many acronyms one finds in organizations of every kind. In this case it stands for "Ministers on Trial", those men and women pastors who are on the way into full membership of their Annual Conference.
Thirty-four MOTs, including Deacons, from the three Annual Conferences in Semenanjung came together 5 - 6 September for their annual retreat in Fraser's Hill. How can we describe what MOTs do in such a gathering as this? Let me try by using four words.
Trial
For some, if not everyone, the Retreat may have begun as a physical trial. After the opening Communion Service by Bishop Hwa Yung, he led the group on a 2 km walk down and back to the Methodist Centre.
Teaching
This came through the Bishop's paper on "John Wesley and the power of the Gospel." He highlighted four distinctiveness of the minister: (i) our faith must be real, (ii) our ministry must demonstrate the Holy Spirit's power, (iii) our lives must be holy, and (iv) our evangelism must be marked with passion.
Training
MOTs were taken through the structure and uniqueness of the Methodist Connectionalism and Itinerancy, compared to other denominational systems. Certain aspects of the Methodist Discipline and duties of a Pastor were also discussed.
Talking Together
The participants talked with God together and in small groups. They talked together in fellowship and forging of unity across conferences.
At the end of the retreat everyone left with a great feeling of achievement. Ministers on Top of World?
Adapted from the article by
Rev. Elijah Bala (TAC)