Bishop's Page

For years I have heard of the work of the Sarawak Iban Annual Conference (SIAC) in the interior of Sarawak. I was told that many longhouses there have become Christian, but some of these communities were being visited by a pastor only once in several months because they were difficult to reach. I finally got the opportunity to see things for myself in December when for three days six of us traveled in a long boat up the Mujong and Balleh Rivers, which flow into the Rejang.

Rev Bangau Amping, the DS for Kapit District, led the party, together with two other pastors, Rev. Arthur Taboh and Rev. Edmund Jamboh. The others were Mr. Robert Jingga, the Chairman of the SIAC Board of Finance, my daughter, Xin Ping, and myself. 

We left Kapit and went up the Rejang first, then the Balleh, before turning into the Mujong. It took us six hours, sitting under the hot sun in an open boat, to get to Ulu Mujong, the last longhouse on the Mujong, which had twenty-five bileks i.e. families. The next day we left at 8.30a.m., stopped at two other longhouses along the way, before finally arriving at 6.30 p.m. at Entawau, which is up the Balleh near the Indonesian border. This was a much bigger community with three longhouses, with about 100 bileks altogether, with a primary school, clinic and electricity and water supply. It was also the place where the first Iban baptism by Methodist missionaries took place.

All through the journey we saw numerous longhouses along the river banks. Many were part of the Methodist Church, but there were some Roman Catholic and SIB ones, as well as others which are yet to be evangelized. The third day was rainy and wet. Fortunately, the journey down river was much faster and we got to Kapit town in three short hours. We were cold and wet, but that was quickly taken care of by a hot shower and hot coffee.

Altogether, it was a most delightful and eye-opening trip for the three of us first-timers, Robert, Ping and myself. The virgin jungles were a joy to behold, though so much had been sadly spoilt by the logging, which had also made the river murky with silt. Old-timers tell us that the rivers used to teem with fish but no more. Still, it is a beautiful stretch of God’s creation to which I would happily return!

I am really glad that I made the trip because it opened my eyes to the real situation concerning the work in the Iban longhouses. There are over a hundred Methodist longhouses in the Kapit district. Every one has a tuai sembahyang, a worship leader, who leads in weekly worship in the absence of the pastor. It is clear that there is still much that needs to be done in terms of teaching. For example, in the four communities we visited, we could still see some things belonging to the old spirit worship being practiced. Clearly the work of discipling still has some way to go.

Furthermore, I am told that there are still probably a few hundred longhouses in the whole area that have yet to be reached by the gospel. It is a field ripe for harvest. Many of our churches are going literally all over the world to do missions. But we appear to be overlooking a wide open door—and an urgent need—right in our back garden!

Perhaps some will ask why can’t the Iban pastors themselves do more? I use to ask the same question myself. But now I have come to realize that the question is not so simple because the cost of river travel is so high. To give us an idea of what is involved, for the three-day trip that we made the cost of petrol alone was about RM300. This does not include the cost of the boat and engine, and their maintenance. Then I found out that these same pastors receive a monthly allowance of only RM90 for petrol, and they are  expected to buy the boat and engine at their own expense!? That is far worse than giving a pastor of a large church in one of our cities RM90 for traveling allowance, with a car maintained entirely at his own expense, and expect him to carry out his work effectively. Yet none of city churches would treat their pastors so niggardly.

Clearly the Methodist Church in Malaysia as a whole must rethink how we may find a solution together with our brothers and sisters in SIAC. This problem cannot be solved by merely giving more money to the SIAC. Rather it will require us to sit down with them side by side to develop a coherent plan of evangelization of the longhouses up the Rejang and its tributaries, and work together to release the necessary manpower and finances to do the job.

But one thing did give me much encouragement during the trip: I saw that there are pastors who have a real commitment to their calling. For example, to see our three weather-beaten Iban pastors navigating the rivers over the three days reminded me of the early Methodist ‘circuit riders’ in the American wild west, who went on horse back at great personal cost to preach the gospel from settlement to settlement. Such people need our prayer and support in every way possible. 

Let me therefore end with the personal story of Rev Bangau, the DS. He started training at MTS, Sibu, in 1969. After three years, he was sent out for three years of practical training in 1972. Being paid a RM60 allowance monthly, he lasted exactly one month. Off he went to work in a timber camp which was paying three times more. One night, around 3 a.m., he was woken by a voice which said: ‘Go to work!’ So naturally he asked the Chinese mandor, his supervisor, whether it is time for work. The mandor roundly scolded him in the foulest of language for disturbing his sleep! A few nights later, around 4.30 a.m., the same thing happened, and he got another shelling from the mandor!

Puzzled by what happened, Rev Bangau talked to another Iban, a nominal Christian, about the matter. His friend, Luta, told him in good Iban fashion that clearly God was calling him to go back to work as a pastor! Rev. Bangau quickly went back to see his DS, the Rev. Charles Chundy, who welcomed him back with the words, ‘I have not shown the Board of Ministry your resignation yet, so you can resume your posting!’ Rev. Bangau told me that when he finally started as a full-fledged pastor in 1976, his salary was RM180 a month. Of the seven who started training with him in 1969, he alone has remained in the ministry. All the others left along the way for better paying jobs!

Many of us from the outside have expressed concern over the years for the Iban Conference. But when I think of my good friend, Rev. Bangau, I know that God has not forgotten them. In fact, I can see Him actively at work in their midst, calling forth a people who, in spite of their weaknesses, limitations and failures, are on their way to becoming a church that will wonderfully glorify God and be an effective instrument for His work of redemption in Malaysia. Will you join me to pray that the wind of the Spirit will quickly speed this process along?

(Editor’s note: Rev. Bangau and his colleagues need a new boat for their ministry. The cost is about RM1500. If you would like to make a contribution, please send a cheque made out to ‘The Methodist Church in Malaysia’ to the Editor, designating it for the Iban boat fund.)