SOME 1,200 delegates from Chinese churches in various parts of the world attended the 5th Mission Conference of the World Federation of Chinese Methodist Churches (WFCMC) here from June 21 to 25, 2007.


They came from England, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, West Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore.


There were two special guests - the Rev Dr John Barrett, Chairman of the World Methodist Council, and Bishop Dr Hwa Yung of The Methodist Church in Malaysia.


The theme for the 5th Conference was "In Mission, We Connect & Unite". The keynote speaker was the Rev (Professor) Lo Lung Kwong, President of The Methodist Church, Hong Kong.


Morning devotions were led by the Rev Dr Ezra Kok Hon Seng, Principal of Seminari Theologi Malaysia.


The other speakers were Bishop Dr Hwa Yung, the Rev Khoo Cheng Hoot, President of the Chinese


Annual Conference, Singapore, and the Rev Dr Su Chii Ann, President of the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference.


At the closing ceremony, the Sabah Provisional Chinese Annual Conference and The Chinese Methodist Church in Australia were admitted as members of WFCMC.


The WFCMC comprises The Methodist Church, Hong Kong; The Methodist Church in Taiwan; the Saraawak Chinese Annual Conference of The Methodist Church in Malaysia; the Chinese Annual Conference of The Methodist Church in Malaysia; and the Chinese Annual Conference of The Methodist Church in Singapore.


The conference is held once in five years and hosted on a rotational basis by the five WFCMC members.


The first conference was held in Taipei in 1987, the second in Hong Kong in 1992, the third in Singapore in 1997, and the fourth in Penang in 2002. The recently-concluded fifth conference in Sibu marked the completion of a cycle.


The sixth conference will be held in Taiwan again in 2012. The exact location has yet to be decided.