Vicar Writes

ARCHIVES

3 Jul 2016
We had a very encouraging trip, visiting Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang (HTBB) Church in Kuala Lumpur on the weekend of 18-19th June. Our Vicar’s warden, Keith Chua and his wife, Irene, were with us too. HTBB is a two year old Anglican Church which has grown to 600+. When Archbishop Moon Hing was last here, he shared about this amazing work. We met Revd Miles Toulmin and heard about how the Lord has led them to pioneer this work. Youthful, lively and with the Alpha Courses being run regularly, this new Church is reaching young urbanites.

I also met the Asia Pacific Alpha Director and was amazed by how the Alpha work has grown. Some of you may know that I was very involved in the work of Alpha Singapore from 1999 to 2006, where we played a part to seed the work in Malaysia and Asia Pacific. 

The question we in SAC are praying over now is how some of these connections can help SAC to open new doors to reach people of today. The Spirit has been stirring and we sense that He could use some of these connections for His wider Kingdom purposes. I came away refreshed and encouraged by what the Lord is doing, which is as always, so much larger than our ability to see ahead or keep up with changing times.

I preached and celebrated at our Myanmar Service last Sunday and met the leaders after that. This Service is growing and there is a wonderful atmosphere and spiritual hunger! It comprises people from all walks of life, from professionals to domestic helpers. This is what a church should be. We also spent time talking about how we may minister to the many Myanmar persons visiting our grounds every Sunday. They have already started English language classes for them. More ways to reach them are being planned.

With sadness, we bid farewell and wish the Lord’s blessings on Revd John Lin as he moves on to serve as Vicar at St John’s Chapel. He has served in our community very well as a “shepherd-pastor”. We will also miss Connie and their children, Grace, Charis and Timothy.

We also welcome Revd Bertram Cheong and Cherlie as they start their ministry in SAC. Bertram will serve as Service Pastor (Priest-in-charge) of our Westside Anglican Church congregation. Bertram participated in the Tribute programme in St John’s Chapel where he transitioned into full-time ministry. He finished his training in Trinity Theological College in 2011 and was ordained to the diaconate in November 2011 and priested in 2013. 

He is married to Cherlie Cheong, on 8th August last year. His hobbies and passion include anything military, especially nuclear submarines!

As already mentioned, Revd Timothy Chow will be posted out to serve as Vicar of Chapel of Christ the King w.e.f. 1st September. 

We also express our condolences to our Dean and Bishop, Bishop Rennis and Amir at the loss of Amir’s mother (Mrs Florence Caldwell) on 21 June. She was a godly woman and this legacy is seen in each of her children and their families. Bishop Rennis and Amir are on Sabbatical from June till September. 

1st of July marks my first year of ministry in SAC. I want to thank each of you for being welcoming and making this community a warm one for Jennifer and myself. Changes are to be expected in this “new season” and I ask for your prayers as I continue to pastor, lead and make decisions. With each change, some could be affected negatively. I ask for your patience and the Lord’s strength to have in view the Lord’s wider and longterm purpose for SAC. May I have the courage, humility and wisdom: qualities I was challenged recently to pray for by another very experienced minister. 

During this month, we are promoting our Connect Group ministry. There are now 78 Connect Groups in the Cathedral, involving almost 900 members. I am sure you can find one which you can be a part of. In all my years of ministry in urban Singapore, I have found small groups (Cell or Connect) to be almost indispensable for a primal experience of church life.