45th SCAC
The 45th annual conference of the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference was held from November 24th to 26th. Due to the pandemic, it was conducted both physically and online, with a total of 459 participants.
This year is also election year. In addition to voting for the new president, board chairmen and members need to be elected during the conference. For this reason, voting was conducted online and electronically.
In terms of physical meetings, Sibu had two meeting hubs, namely Masland Church (Sibu South, Sibu West and Kapit Districts) and Siong Dau Methodist Church (Sibu North, Sibu English District). Miri District and Miri English District were at Mei Ann Methodist Church, and the Bintulu District was located in Ming Ong Church.
Kuching East, West, and English District were in the red zone of the pandemic, thus they joined the meeting online via Zoom. Bishop Rev Ong Hwai Teik of the General Conference also participated in the meeting online from Kuala Lumpur. In addition to preaching the holy word at the opening ceremony, he also examined the pastors who are to be ordained as elders.
Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia Rev Ong Hwai Teik emphasized in the opening ceremony that God is big, but we are small. During the pandemic, we often feel tired and seem unable to see the end of the epidemic. “1.5 million people across the world have died due to the pandemic. In Malaysia, we have over 300 deaths. We must remember that God is still in power.”
The new normal in response to the pandemic seems to be an unprecedented change, but this is not a novel thing in human history. The vision of the prophet Isaiah has already revealed all this.
“King Uzziah ruled the country for 52 years. He was basically a good king and a powerful king. He made the entire nation of Israel, especially Judah, a very powerful country. Israel became an agricultural country with abundant resources. Through a water system and by developing military power, the surrounding countries feared Israel and admired King Uzziah very much. The Israelites lived in a comfortable state. However, after King Uzziah died, the old normal of 52 years of governance followed him into the coffin and became a thing of the past.”
God is unshakeable
Bishop Ong said that oftentimes, God allows our old normal to pass away, die, and be buried so that God’s new normal state can emerge.
“During the pandemic, many things needed to be adjusted, such as preaching, sharing, and even lifestyle. I am thankful that many brothers and sisters have adjusted through God’s grace in the new normal, so that our fellowship and connectivity continues, and we stay together as the flock of God.”
Bishop Ong reminded that God is faithful to each of us, and he often surprises us when fulfilling his promises. Therefore, in the new normal, we have to see that the unchanging king of the universe is still sitting on the throne. God is the eternal king. The old normal on earth becomes the past as one power passes away, but God is still in power. Although we are afraid, God is still here, right now.
“Only God’s way is eternal. We must continue to regard God as the centre of our lives. As Colossians 15:1 reminds us, Jesus Christ is the first-born, and He existed before everything was created. He is above everything and is the object of our worship.”
He said that God precedes all things, and all things depend on him. God is also the head of the whole church, the beginning. He rose from the dead, therefore, he is the first in everything. This is the trustworthy, eternal, unchanging Scripture.
Bishop Ong pointed out that in the new normal, we must remember the words of Hebrews 12:28. Everything in the world can be shaken. Only our God is unshakeable, and so we have entered an unshakeable kingdom. We should be thankful and serve God with sincerity and awe according to his will.
Therefore, when we gather in the annual conference, let us continue to trust the God who never changes. Life’s greatest moments come from the unexpected and God will continue to reveal himself through surprises as he fulfils his promises.