Source/Author: By Dr Yao Sik Chi

GC Laity Convention News (GCLC) - SCAC

In our workplace, we have the mission to share the gospel and to glorify God in our work and by lifestyle. We have to befriend our colleagues of various races and religions and have open dialogue with them to promote mutual understanding of one another’s religion. Wise living is getting our values, which determine our priorities, right, namely, aligned with the Kingdom of God. These are the three main ideas conveyed by the three speakers at this conference (our Bishop, Rev. Dr Sivin Kit, and Dr Mark Lovatt).

Forty nine delegates from the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (including President Rev. Dato’ Dr Su Chii Ann and his wife Pastor Yeo Hung Eng) attended this conference. It was a good conference. A big thank you to Datin Judy Chin and Jenny Qua for a splendid effort in organizing this conference. Special thanks to Jenny Qua for arranging transport for the delegates from Sarawak and Sabah between KLIA2, KLIA and the Methodist Centre at Port Dickson, where the conference was held. Thank you also to Michael William and a brother for waiting for delegates from Sarawak and Sabah at both airports.

During this conference, we learnt much from the teaching of the three speakers and the recount of personal experiences of Rev. Dr Sivin Kit, Dr Mark Lovatt, and from the testimonies of Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian and Dr Sii How Sing.

The briefing by Madam Melissa of Alpha Malaysia on the Alpha in the Workplace course on 21 May 2015 night was very inspiring. This is a readily available effective tool to introduce the Christian belief to non-christians in the workplace.

It was good that there was a session for the delegates to meet on the night on 22 May 2015 in groups according to the respective annual/provisional conference. This gave opportunity for discussion and deliberation on follow-up actions to be taken by the General Conference and the respective annual/provisional conference.

This conference was a great opportunity for delegates who were from different ethnic groups to interact with one another. After someone on the stage mentioned that delegates were mixing only among their own races, there was greater intentional efforts in interaction between the different races. As a Church, we are supposed to be exemplary in inter-racial interaction and neighbourliness.

Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian gave an inspiring and heart-warming account of the various ways in which his company - Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad – had helped the local communities in Malaysia and in other countries. For example, in Liberia (in Central Africa), the company supplied hand-pumps to provide clean drinking water in villages. In Sabah, the company established Humana kindergartens and schools in estates for children of Indonesian migrant workers. The company also built good quality low-cost houses for its employees. It regularly organized sport carnivals and football competition for children under 12 years of age to promote inter-racial harmony in the communities. Alpha in the Workplace course was also conducted in the company’s premises.

Dr Sii How Sing also gave an inspiring testimony of how he was able to persuade a workers’ union in two factories manufacturing recreational drugs to agree with the management to encourage workers to abide by the company’s policy of no alcohol or drug at work, in order to prevent workplace accidents.

Dato Dr Alex Mathews gave an impressive summary of the conference in the closing plenary entitled “The Way Forward”. He encouraged us with story of the work of Hudson Taylor in the interior of mainland China, how Hudson Taylor assimilated the lifestyle of the Chinese in order to be accepted by the Chinese. Dr Alex also shared about the Iranian Christians who are willing to die for their faith. He reminded the gathering that “as long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent (us). Night is coming when no one can work (John 9:4).”

The conference ended with Holy Communion. Indeed, thanks be to God for His guidance and inspiration to this Laity Conference 2015.

Dr Yao Sik Chi
SCAC Conference Lay-Leader
29 June 2015