Leaders of the participating churches at the Zurich meeting, from left, the Rev Andreas Stampfli of the United Methodist Church in Europe; the Rev Dr Clarence Lim, The Methodist Church in Singapore; the Rev Li Ping-Kwong, The World Federation of Chinese-Speaking Methodist Churches; The Rev Dr David Wu, The United Methodist Church; Bishop Heinrich Bolleter, The United Methodist Church in Europe; Bishop William Dew, The United Methodist Church; Bishop Dr Robert Solomon, The Methodist Church in Singapore; Bishop Kwon Young Kag, The Korean Methodist Church; and the Rev Lee Won Jae (KMC).

THE Methodist Mission in Cambodia is in its final stages of being established.

It will be constituted by The Methodist Church in Singapore, The Korean Methodist Church, The United Methodist Church and the World Federation of Chinese-Speaking Methodist Churches.

The structure and governance of the Mission will be designed by the bishops of the participating bodies, and the first annual meeting of the Mission is scheduled for February next year.

The bishops have agreed to establish a Board of Ordained Ministry.

This was decided by the bishops at a meeting in Zurich on Jan 8 this year following a request from the Coordinating Board of the Cambodian Christian Methodist Association to review its work and to consider other matters such as the candidacy and ordination of ministers.

In a report drafted "in a spirit of unity and with the clear intention to move forward towards one Methodist Church in Cambodia", the bishops said that when the Mission is officially organised, an administrative entity will be created to incorporate and expand the functions of the Coordinating Board and other needs.

Until then, the Coordinating Board will continue to be the governing and policy-making body for the mutual efforts of the participating churches.