Aldersgate Convention 2008

to be held at Wesley MC

It will feature programmes in English and Mandarin

WESLEY Methodist Church has been confirmed as the venue for the next Aldersgate Convention, May 19 to 24, 2008, and it will feature two speakers who will talk on the theme, “The Road to Glory: The Future in Wesleyan Perspective”. 

Topics will be presented in both English and Mandarin. The Rev Dr Ben Witherington III and the Rev Dr Ezra Kok will focus on biblical teachings about the end times.

All the events will be held at Wesley Methodist Church.

The Chinese speaker, the Rev Dr Kok, Principal of Seminari Theoloji Malaysia and lecturer in New Testament studies, will give two evening talks in Mandarin on May 19 and 20. The topic for the first night is “Christ: Offering Hope in the Midst of Darkness”, based on Revelation 1, and that for the second night, based on Revelation 2-3, is “The Church: Holiness in the Midst of Imperfections”.

The Rev Dr Kok is an ordained Elder of the Chinese Annual Conference of The Methodist Church in Malaysia. He has served churches in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, as well as on a number of General and Annual Conference boards and agencies.

He received his Ph.D from Durham University, with earlier degrees from Alliance Bible Seminary and China Graduate School of Theology, both in Hong Kong.

Currently involved in the publications of several Bible resources, he is doing research on the New Testament books of Mark, Romans and Ephesians. His particular interests include Biblical hermeneutics, homiletics, worship, pastoral spirituality, leadership and Methodism.

The Rev Dr Witherington, a New Testament scholar from Asbury Theological Seminary, will deliver the English evening talks on May 21, 22 and 23. The topic for the first evening, Wednesday May 21, is “Rapture or Parousia – Will there be one or two Second Comings?” The second topic is “Other-World or After-life? What does the New Testament say?” The third topic is “The Future of the Church, Israel and the Kingdom”.  

The Rev Dr Witherington will preach the sermon for the Aldersgate Service on Saturday, May 24. Using Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4, his sermon is entitled “A Vision of Worship”.

In addition there will be two morning seminars to be led by the Rev Dr Witherington. A seminar, “Eschatology and Ministry”, targeting at pastors, church workers and seminarians, will be held on May 22 from 9 am to noon. It will examine and compare in some detail what Jesus and Paul say about Heaven, Hell, the Parousia, the Kingdom, Israel, the new heaven and the new earth.

There will also be a Saturday seminar from 9 am to noon for church members and friends. The topic is entitled “What have they done with Jesus?”, which is based on the Rev Dr Witherington’s recently published book of the same title.

REV DR EZRA KOK:

To give two evening talks

in Mandarin.