01 Oct 2012

October 2012 - Moment

10th Session General Conference, Kuala Lumpur

The 10th Session of the General Conference was held at the Grand Seasons Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on the 17th to the 22nd of the September 2012. The General Conference meets once every four years to discuss, plan and decide on matters concerning the Methodist Church in Malaysia. Each of the 6 conferences was represented by 14 delegates – 7 members of the clergy and 7 lay representatives. Visitors comprising of Bishops and Presidents from various Methodist churches around the world also graced this special occasion as guest of our church.

During this conference there were elections
for the office bearers of the General
Conference, namely the office of the Bishop, Secretary and the Treasurer of the Methodist Church in Malaysia. There were also elections for the Judicial Council and the Discipline Review Committee. Bishop Hwa Yung chaired the conference. Though the elections of all the posts went on fairly smoothly, the election for the New Bishop took a fair bit of time. After many ballots taken, a two third majority required for election was not obtained by any of the proposed candidates. It was then decided by all the delegates that a one month period be given to all the delegates and the members of the Methodist Church in Malaysia to pray and seek the Lord for discernment on His choice for the bishop. The General Conference was then reconvened on the 22nd to the 24th of October 2012. In this extended session, Bishop Robert Solomon of the Singapore Methodist Church chaired the election for the Bishop. And through God’s grace, Rev. Dr. Ong Hwai Teik was elected as the Bishop of the Methodist Church through a fairly smooth and fast election.

It was really an experience for me to witness the church and God at work in the
elections of the office bearers, especially
for the post of the Bishop. Seeing the church pray, fast and deliberate amongst themselves on who should lead the church showed me the seriousness of our leaders in being sure of God’s choice for the leader of the Methodist Church. Though some may have thought that the church was disunited, the unity of prayer, struggling together to discern God’s voice and of companionship for the church was very evident throughout the Conference. And when the election was concluded, all the delegates went to Bishop Ong Hwai Teik to pray and congratulate him.

The two other office bearers elected were
Mr. Anthony Row and Mr. Tan Swee Ann as the General Secretary and the Treasurer of the General Conference. At this conference, the delegates unanimously agreed to confer the title of Bishop Emeritus to Bishop Hwa Yung for his service to the Methodist Church in Malaysia.

The consecration of the new Bishop, Bishop Ong Hwai Teik was held on the 24th of October 2012 at the Chinese Methodist Church in Kuala Lumpur. Bishop Hwa Yung, the Presidents of all the Annual Conference and Bishop Robert Solomon from the Singapore Methodist Church presided on the Consecration Service. In the presence of God, delegates and visitors from various churches in Malaysia, Bishop Ong Hwai Teik was consecrated as the Bishop of the Methodist Church for 2013-2016.

Our Methodist Church has new leaders for the next four years. May God bless them with wisdom, strength and fervour as they serve the Church and the country!

By Michael William