Source/Author: By Mr Anthony Row

In recent times, more than at any other in the history of our nation, calls have been made by many individuals and organisations for the Church to state its stand on a number of issues confronting our nation. Those in the pews must have certainly wondered and asked themselves “how does the Church and especially the Methodist Church in Malaysia respond to these calls”. It is arising out of this that this article is written to provide some basic information as to the avenues through which the Methodist Church does indeed respond to such calls when deemed necessary.

There are three (possible) levels of engagement of response that the Methodist Church in Malaysia (MCM) is involved in when it comes to making public statements. The first level of involvement is at the level of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM). The CFM is a consultative body and its members are the Council of Churches in Malaysia (CCM, the National Evangelical Churches Fellowship (NECF) and the Catholic Church (CC). This body represents almost the whole of the Christian Community in Malaysia and speaks on behalf of the Malaysian Church on important issues. It is the body that seeks collectively to engage the Government on issues primarily pertaining to the Christian Community. The CFM makes public statements on behalf of the community and it has established “a code of understanding and practice” to especially ensure unity of stand and articulation.

When an issue concerning Christians, which is of national concern and affecting not only Christians but also all Malaysians is brought to its attention, then the process of discerning whether to make a public statement begins. The Executive Secretary is instrumental in initiating a formal process in arriving at an appropriate decision by the CFM Council. If the decision is that a statement is needed, then the necessary process and protocols will follow until a final document is crafted in addressing the issue at hand. The approved statement will then be released to the press, all member churches and other interested parties. The Methodist Church in Malaysia is involved in CFM by virtue of being a member of the Council of Churches of Malaysia. It is an agreed principle that the CFM represents the Christian Community in Malaysia and that it will speak on behalf of them. Generally speaking, the three component bodies (and affiliated denominations) do not make individual statements.

But there are times when the CFM Council may decide not to make a statement and leaves it to the individual component bodies to decide whether they want to make a statement on a particular issue. In this instance the Council of Churches in Malaysia (CCM) may decide it wants to make a statement on such an issue. Then the CCM General Secretary will initiate the process which will involve all the Heads of Churches of the member churches. Once the General Secretary has consensus from the Heads of Churches, he would release the statement to the relevant bodies and to all member churches. The Methodist Church and all our Annual Conferences are members of the Council of Churches and the Bishop and Annual Conference Presidents are part of the body called “Heads of Churches”. It is also an observed practice that generally speaking, the component denominations will then not issue individual statements in preserving unity of stand and articulation on the said issue.

A third level is where the MCM may make a statement in its own capacity as prescribed by two provisions in the Methodist Book of Discipline (MBOD), namely para 511 and para 357.8 when a particular issue warrants it. Para 511 states that “No person, no paper, no organisation has the authority to speak officially for the Methodist Church, this right having been reserved exclusively to the General Conference under the Constitution.”

Having stated thus, the MBOD also provides for para 357 – “Duties, powers and limitations of the Bishop(s) - 357.8 “To represent and speak on behalf of the Methodist Church in all matters related to other church bodies or government, in consultation with the Council of Presidents. However the Bishop(s) may not commit the Methodist Church to any action, stand or policy contrary to the Constitution and Discipline of the Methodist Church”. The latter provision does give room for the Episcopal Office to make statements when necessary, but this is done so with great care and in consultation with the college of Annual Conference Presidents and must be consonant with the provisions in the MBOD. Much wisdom, prayer and consultation is needed in such instances before a statement is released to the press, to relevant organisations, and to all Annual Conferences, its churches and members. The Bishop will also report the statement made in his report to the General Conference Executive Committee (GCEC) which is also made known to the Annual Conferences.

It is my sincere hope that our Sovereign God will continue to guide and empower the Church in Malaysia of which the MCM is a part - with wisdom, discernment and courage to be a united prophetic voice that will bless our nation at this historic point of time. Let us remember our Malaysian Church leadership in prayer as they shoulder this important but far from easy task.

ANTHONY ROW
General Secretary
The Methodist Church in Malaysia