Coram
Rev. Dr. Ezra Kok, JC President
Rev. Dr. Tie King Tai
Mr. George Lau
Rev. Ting Moy Hong
Ms. Jess Ling Jye Sing
Rev. Dr. Lau Hui Ming
Mr. Tan Foong Luen
Mr. Chang Jih Ren
Mrs. Daphne Sebastian Gopal

Question
"Whether on the true interpretation of Para 310(1) of the Methodist Discipline and the other relevant provisions of the Methodist Discipline a Local Preacher is precluded from conducting the Sacraments of the Holy Com-munion and Baptism?"

This question was raised at the 35th Session of the CAC and the reply to this question was given by the President of the CAC in the following terms:

"According to the traditional practice of the church Para 310(1) which says "A Local Preacher has authority to preach and conduct divine worship" refers to preaching and chairing in worship services and conducting prayer meetings etc. Traditionally, to conduct "divine worship" does not include conducting the sacraments of Holy Communion or Baptism. Therefore I hereby conclude that a local preacher has no authority to conduct the sacraments of the Holy Communion and Baptism, unless he/she is appointed as an approved supply pas-tor of a local church (Para 317[1])."

This Question is brought before the Judicial Council for a ruling as to whether the decision of the President of the CAC is correct.

Ruling
The Judicial Council ruled that a local preacher has no authority to conduct the Sacraments of the Holy Communion or Baptism save when provided under the Methodist Discipline (hereinafter referred to as the Discipline).

In order to answer this question, the Council approached the issue not just from the viewpoint of practice and tradition, but from perusing the relevant rules in the Discipline.

We found that Para 310 referred to a local preacher per se. Such a definition does not include him as an approved supply pastor unless he is appointed as such and thereby by definition becomes an approved supply pastor. (See for example Para 310[3] and Para 313 of the Discipline).

As a local preacher what can he do? He can "preach" and conduct "divine worship." We then went on to examine what "divine worship" meant in the Discipline. There was no definition of "divine worship" as such but we derived from Para 325 of the Discipline that the Discipline makes a distinction between "divine worship" and the administration of "baptism" and the administration of "the Lord’s Supper", the other word for "the Holy Communion". These three facets of the Christian life are mentioned in Para 325 distinctly and separately from each other. This, by normal rules of interpretation, means that they cannot be considered as coming under one umbrella word which in this case would be "divine worship". Divine worship means just that, and no more.

Also it is clear from Para 325 that local preachers who are ordained deacons "can exercise ministerial functions only in the charge to which he is appointed or in which he resides". Therefore local preachers per se, who are not ordained deacons have a limited scope of functions which are described in Para 310(1) as "preaching" and conducting "divine worship" not including "the sacraments of the Holy Communion or Baptism".

Ruling of the Judicial Council
The Judicial Council thereby ruled that "local preachers" have no authority to administer "the Sacraments of the Holy Communion and baptism" save where they have met the requirements set out in the Discipline, an example of which is found in Para 325.

Daphne Sebastian Gopal
Secretary,
Judicial Council of The Methodist Church in Malaysia.
21 July 2011