THE Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) has given $20,000 towards the relief of the Central Java earthquake victims.


The quake on May 27 has killed about 6,000 people and caused tens of thousands of people to lose their homes.


In sending a cheque for the amount to the Singapore Red Cross Society on May 31, Bishop Dr Robert Solomon wrote: "The Methodist Church in Singapore will continue to remember the victims of the earthquake, and pray that God's love, comfort and strength will touch them and encourage them."


Meanwhile, Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) of the MCS sent an eight-member relief team to the affected area from June 1 to 6 to provide relief and to assess the situation.


A two-man team from the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) was also sent to the affected area to assess the situation and to work with a local non-governmental organisation (NGO).


The two Annual Conferences and the General Conference Disaster Response Team, headed by the Bishop, are monitoring the situation. They are liaising with some Indonesian Methodist pastors and their local churches.


The eight-member TRAC Crisis Relief team, led by the Rev Juliette Arulrajah, comprised two surgeons, one pediatrician, three medical aides and one children's worker/teacher.


Besides attending to medical cases, they distributed medical supplies to about 800 adults and children, 100 blankets and 50 tents, each of which can accommodate eight adults.


They worked alongside the Gereja Methodist Indonesia (The Methodist Church in Indonesia), whose relief work was spearheaded by Grace Methodist Church, Jakarta, and Wesley Methodist Church in Jakarta in partnership with the GMI church in Jogjakarta, which was slightly affected by the quake.


The CAC team of Mr Han Hai Kwang and Mr Steven Lau from Grace Methodist Church flew to Solo on June 1 and then went to Jogjakarta to work with YBN, the local NGO in the affected area. They returned on June 8.