PELITA - The Methodist Church Newsletter
Listed below are articles abstracted from past issues of PELITA
November 2006 - Malaysian, Ecumenical, Asian
STM 24th Graduation Service
Fifty-five delighted graduands received their certificates, diplomas and degrees from Bishop Dr Hwa Yung, the President of the STM Council, 21 October 2006.
The Dance of Celebration, based on East Malaysian native culture, reflected the diversity of Malaysian students in STM. The Choir presented three songs, one each in English, Mandarin and Tamil.
STM also reflects the ecumenical institution that it is. Graduates came from the Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Anglican, EFC, Brethren, Baptist, AOG, SIB and Independent churches.
The graduation address was given by the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Malaysia, Rt. Rev. Chua Hua Peng, on the theme "We Must Work Together." From the perspective of the doctrine of the Church the problem is not with its vision and mission, he said. Rather, it is the problem of working together. Rt. Rev. Chua exhorted the soon-to-be pastors and ministry workers to pay heed to this important area in their service to the Church.
There were ten graduates from the Methodist Church - six (CAC), one (TAC), one (TRAC) and two sponsored by their local church - besides the Methodist pastors who received their M.Min. degrees.
Stephen Gunaraja begins his pastoral ministry with TAC after the Annual Conference. How does he feel about this? "I want to be a faithful servant to God," he said to me. Not only in the ministry but in lifestyle as well, he elaborated.
Gunaraja picked the special friendships and sports as two memorable experiences he will treasure besides the four years of academic study at STM.
For Yong Wai Yin of TRAC what she enjoyed were the classes, the community life and especially the library. She appreciates the good faculty members who not only were concerned for academic work but for the formation of the person as well.
As for the future, Wai Yin looks forward to serve God's people, to apply what is learnt in class and see how it works out in the church and people's lives.
Hon Yock Tong from CAC is a father of three teenage children. The future for him is the start of a new chapter in his life and journey. He looks forward to a challenging future, but knows he needs to trust God and to continue to learn new things. His wife and children readily voiced their support.
God has been good to them in the four years at STM. At the end of it Yock Tong can say it was a good experience of the ecumenical, inter-denominational environment. There was a bit of a culture shock initially but now he enjoys the different friendships in the community.
Rev. Dr Ezra Kok, the Principal of STM, remarked at the Service that this was an international community. Indeed, students from China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Japan have come here to study. The Choir director is the Korean wife of a Japanese student!
Zaw Min Thu is from the Indian District of the Methodist Church in Myanmar. His studies in the Master of Christian Studies was sponsored by TAC. He goes back to pastor a church in Yangon. He may also be teaching part-time at the seminary there.
How did he find his experience in STM? "Really good!" was his immediate reply. He "really studied" here with enough books available, allowance to buy books he needed, lecturers who demanded a certain level of work from the students. He felt a bit sorry for students back home compared to what was available here.
So ended one phase of these students' journey in life and the beginning of another. Some of the staff of STM had the visible look of relief but also of satisfaction for yet another graduation successfully concluded.
For STM it must be gratifying to know this is the 24th year of graduating men and women into the pastoral and Christian ministry for the sake of the Church and God's Kingdom.
Christopher Cheah
Executive Editor