It also commemorates
Aldersgate Day
By EARNEST LAU
ALDERSGATE DAY and the 120th anniversary
of The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) were memorably celebrated
by Singapore Methodists at a powerful and colourful service of
worship and thanksgiving at the joint premises of Faith Methodist
Church and Queenstown Chinese Methodist Church on May 24.
It was attended by more than 1,000
worshippers, including 120 Methodist ministers who formally processed
into the sanctuary. It was led by Methodist Church officials carrying
the cross, an open Bible, banners identifying the MCS, the Annual
Conferences and the General Conference Women's Society of Christian
Service (GC-WSCS).
Following them were the pastors from all the three Annual Conferences,
the President of the GC-WSCS, Mrs Laureen Ong, Conference Presidents,
the Rev Khoo Cheng Hoot of the Chinese Annual Conference, the
Rev James Nagulan (Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference), and the
Rev Wee Boon Hup (Trinity Annual Conference), and Bishop Dr Robert
Solomon.
Musical offerings were made by a Combined Methodist Orchestra
(conductor, Mr Jusuf Kam), the Voices of Praise Choir (conductor,
Mr Goh Say Meng), and piano (Dr Emilia Wong) and keyboard (Mrs
Suzanna Kam). Needless to say, the quality of choral and congregational
singing was in the best of Wesleyan tradition - "lustily
and with a good courage … modestly … and spiritually".
An interesting and tuneful musical interlude using an Asian medium
was performed by the Paya Lebar Methodist Primary School Angklung
Ensemble. The other Asian item was a much appreciated Tamil lyric
sung by the Ang Mo Kio Tamil Methodist Church Choir. All in all,
the evening's musical gift befitted the occasion.
The congregation which packed the sanctuary was made up of a whole
spectrum of age-groups, young, middle-aged and senior citizens,
and their linguistic needs catered to through a tri-lingual order
and content of service in Mandarin and Tamil from English and
vice versa. Some continuity was naturally lost, but many more
could follow intelligently.
Long Service Awards - Bibles, mono and bi-lingual - were presented
to serving and retired pastors with 25 years or more of service:
Pastors in full connexion with
25 years of service: The Rev Tan Lye Keng, the Rev Dr Lorna Khoo
Lock Nah, the Rev Dr Daniel Lee Kok Pheng, the Rev Dr Francis
Ngoi Ngie Huat, and the Rev David Wee Cheng Swee.
Retired Pastors who had 25 years
or more of service: The Rev Dr Jesudian Daniel, the Rev Dr Yap
Kim Hao, the Rev A. J. Williamson, the Rev Hong Chong Shit, the
Rev Dr George Wan Tian Soo, the Rev Dr Prabhu Das Roberts, the
Rev Dr E. J. Thoraisingam, and the Rev Nga Tieng Chieng.
The sermon, "What Do You See?" preached by Bishop Dr
Solomon, was based on the same scripture text - Zechariah 4:6
- that the Rev James Thoburn used 120 years ago at the first evangelistic
meeting held at the Town Hall on Feb 8, 1885.
Picture:
View from the top: A general view of the Aldersgate Service. - Methodist Message picture by DANIEL LIE of Barker Road Methodist Church.