By WINNIE TIE

SIBU – Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” More than 40 years of its closing down, the Tutus Iban Methodist Church located downstream of Igan River was finally filled with worshippers again.  The heavenly Father has indeed heard the cry of the Iban people and remembered them.

On April 21,the Rev Dr Su Chii Ann, President of the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference  (SCAC), and the Rev Steward Damat, President of the Sarawak Iban Annual Conference (SIAC), together with representatives from the two Annual Conferences, travelled to Tutus and attended the worship service at 1 pm in the newly-renovated church building.

The Rev Steward preached from the text of Luke 12: 15-34 and the Rev Dr Su shared a short message with the participants.  The Rev Dr Su used the acronym WELL to remind the congregation to worship (W), evangelise (E), learn (L) the word of God and lead (L).

The mission work in Tutus district was pioneered by missionaries from the United States. Tutus Iban Methodist Church was first built in 1965 and dedicated on Nov 7, 1965. It was funded by family members of missionary Jonas Baker. It was then a house full of worshippers but as years went by, the church closed down due to a lack of pastors.

In 2007, members of Guong Sieng Church and Ching Ing Church of Sibu West District of the SCAC went there on a short-term mission trip. It was then that they heard the cry of the neighbouring seven longhouses and decided that the Chinese church would come once a month to re-start the worship service.

Tutus District has nine longhouses and 110 families with a total number of about 500 residents. Churches from Sibu West District now take turns to conduct worship service once a month. The average adult attendance is 90 to 120. Three are 35 children attending the Sunday School.

Winnie Tie is the Editor of Connection, the English publication of The Chinese Methodist Message of the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference.