Believe it or not, the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) held the 13th Triennial General Assembly from 21 – 23 June 2010 in SIBU!!!
The theme of the Assembly was “Upholding the Truth in Love”. The CCM renewed the mandate given to them which includes : “To be truthful to each other, as we seek to speak His truth with courage in the world’.
The CCM NEWSLINK (July 2010 edition) published ‘A LETTER TO THE CHURCHES FROM SIBU’. I was both amazed and disillusioned to discover that this letter made no mention as to whether “His truth” (Capital H both here and in the above mandate) prevailed in Sibu on May 9th 2010, the eve of the by-election.
The churches in Malaysia, to whom this letter was addressed, may not have expected an authoritative statement but, coming from Sibu, they would at least expect that “His truth” was examined and that further information would be given at a later date.
Instead, all that we get from the Assembly in Sibu is a deathly silence. How long do we have to wait before our Christian leaders put into practice the meaningful words of the mandate: “To be truthful with each other, as we seek to speak His truth with courage in the world”?
The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy ministry that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.
July 13th, 2010 at 8:50 am
In response to Rev. Peter Young’s concerns which I share, I herewith append my recent reflection on the same issue in the hope of generating thoughtful concern about what I consider to be a critical issue for church and country:
A COUNTRYSIDE RESPONSE TO BISHOP HWA YUNG’S PASTORAL LETTER CONCERNING GOVERNMENT GRANTS
1. In a nutshell the said Episcopal letter of 16-5-2010 was written in response to the “text messages and emails from our own pastors and members … expressing concern and asking where the Methodist in Malaysia stands” on this issue which may be stated thus: whether or not it would be morally right and ethically proper for the 4 Methodist churches to accept the grants given on the eve of the Sibu by election. Curiously there was no pastoral letter written by the Episcopal head concerning the Allah issue or the more recent proposed legalization of football betting by the government. Any legitimate expectation that the Episcopal head would address the issue with authoritative clarity is met with disappointment. No amount of reading and scrutiny of the Episcopal letter can shed any light on the stand of the Methodist Church in Malaysia on the issue. A careful perusal of the Bishop’s letter would reveal several startling pontifications:
(a) “In so far as the money was given to the churches this time round, it can be said that the government is trying to right a past wrong. Further, the churches concerned never asked for the money. No one should therefore charge them with wrongdoing”.
2. Whether the money was given as an attempt “to right a past wrong” or with more oblique motive is anyone’s conjecture and surmise. To the best of the writer’s knowledge there is no documentary evidence to support the Episcopal inference that “the government is trying to right a past wrong”. The objective bystander would be left to wonder if not ponder if the said Episcopal head had suddenly become a public relations mouth piece of the BN with the said impugned utterance or was it a veiled attempt to exonerate the BN government? According to some reliable sources it is not entirely correct that the grants were given without any soliciting on behalf of the recipients. The crux of the issue is the morality or propriety of the 4 churches accepting the grants which besmirched cheque book politics. To say that no one should therefore charge them with wrongdoing is a red herring (a specie not commonly found in the territorial waters of Sibu); why sidetrack and introduce an irrelevant issue in distraction when the actual focus is on the morality or propriety of accepting the grants.
(b) “The Christian church is concerned about morality and politics. Nonetheless it cannot take sides in party politics for various reasons … In the light of the above, rejecting the grants given by the government in this instance is not necessarily the solution, because it could be misinterpreted as a rejection of the government in favour of the opposition. Clearly we are caught in a delicate dilemma, which has been forced upon us.”
3. For a bird to fly over one’s head, may be beyond one’s control but can one be free from culpability if the bird is permitted to nest on one’s head? Consequently the decision whether or not to accept a grant or gift is absolutely the prerogative or right of the recipient. Obviously the Episcopal head was more fearful of offending the government of the day when he mitigated that the non acceptance of “the grant could be misinterpreted as a rejection of the government in favour of the opposition”. The forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden manifests itself in diverse forms at diverse times. It requires proper discernment to recognize and avoid the trap of one disguised as an angel of light. It is unfortunate that the apostolic response in Acts 4:19 did not find expression in the Episcopal letter. Despite enjoining that “the church cannot take sides in party politics” the Episcopal head has unwittingly tilted towards one party with his the said mitigation. Where an ethical issue affects the integrity and witness of the church can we allow political expediency or correctness to override or overrule the same or our Christian witness to be compromised or made a sacrificial lamb to appease certain quarters?
(c) “The Methodist Church in Malaysia respects the right of the leadership of the four churches to decide on what to do with the grants that have been given. At the same time, the General Conference Executive Council, which includes the Bishop and all the Presidents, will deliberate on this matter and advise the four churches concerned accordingly”.
4. It is a pity that on an issue of such grave importance the burden of deciding on the propriety of accepting the grants has been shifted to the leadership of the four churches. This is obviously a serious abdication if not dereliction of Episcopal statesmanship and duty in dastardly cowardice in an hour where clear and decisive Episcopal guidance is crucially needed. The Episcopal action in passing the buck to the 4 churches is reminiscent of King Saul’s action in passing the responsibility to the people when confronted by prophet Samuel on the sheep spared purportedly for sacrificial offerings. Is it fair or proper to shift the onus to the 4 churches to decide such a serious issue which has a material bearing on the entire Methodist Church in Malaysia? To aggravate the situation the General Conference Executive Council has yet to issue a statement on the matter. The episode has demonstrated beyond doubt the dire need of the Bishop to recruit a panel of suitable advisors to assist him in his Episcopal duties.
(d) Meanwhile, I would like to urge all our pastors and members to refrain from making any comments on the matter so that it does not get blown out of proportion. Instead let us take serious the words of our Lord Jesus in Mat 5:16. which of particularly significant in our present context. “In the same way, let your light shine before all men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” When we truly live in this manner, we will go a long way to fulfil our Quadrennium theme, “Spreading Scriptural Holiness, Transforming the Nation”.
5. The Episcopal head did not make any clear and unequivocal stand on the issue in his pastoral letter. Yet the Bishop urged “all our pastors and members to refrain from making any comments on the matter”. One would have thought that the Episcopal head would be brave and humble enough to solicit the collective wisdom of the Methodist family to assist him with the relevant insight in hindsight redemption. Having correctly cited Mat 5:16 it is a tragedy that the Episcopal head failed to ask himself whether acceptance of the grants would help to promote the Quadrennium theme of “Spreading Scriptural Holiness, Transforming the Nation”. If only the Episcopal head had applied the said Scripture with sagacious wisdom and courage he would have hit the bull’s eyes in his Episcopal guidance. In accepting the grants which were given under such murky circumstances would the light of the Methodist church still shine before all men or are we also pathetically reduced to the carnality of the world?
6. One may also pause to ask why the grants were not given to the poorer Iban churches who are much more deserving of financial assistance. And why were the grants given on the eve of the by election? Didn’t the Preacher remind us that to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven. Would it not be an affront to or aberration of the integrity of the church to accept the grants in the given circumstances and thereby compromise her witness? Perhaps there is an urgent need to rehearse and put into practice the great hymn by James Russell Lowell whose immortal lines reads:
“Once to every man and nation Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, For the good or evil side:
…
Then it is the brave man chooses While the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue Of the faith they had denied”
7. One cannot help but to recall with nostalgic memories the courageous action of Cardinal Sin of Philippine who dared to stand up against the wrongful actions of the late President Marcos while sycophantic pretenders aligned themselves with the corrupted leader. Surely wisdom and good conscience would dictate the obvious response to the grants if the Methodist Church in Malaysia is to epitomize Matt. 5:16! Jesus was sold by one of His disciples for 30 pieces of silver; is He in danger of being sold yet again for a bigger sum in modern times?
Dated this 9th day of June, 2010
HC Nga
July 13th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
yes, Jesus is not in danger of, but already being sold again for a bigger sum
in malaysia
by the deafening silence Rev.Peter laments about
the cowering stances
the bending-over-backwards to appease the popular crowd
Lord God Almighty, have mercy on us…surely You are looking for any remnant left that still hunger for Your truth and justice, righteouness and peace to reign in this land: forgive us our sins for things done and left undone, cleanse us by the precious blood of Jesus…let there be repentance, salvation, restitution, redemption and restoration…Lord, have mercy