Sydney Chinese church movements – 2011
In future I will probably post these in the middle of the year – there are way too many moves happening in the Nov-Feb period, and it makes more sense to deal with them all at once when things have settled down for the year. But for the time being…
Here are Chinese church English ministry moves for Sydney for the year 2011:
Dale Baikie finished ministry as English pastor of Chinese Methodist Church Carlton at the end of January.
Andrew Wong began as interim youth and young adults pastor at WSCCC in January. He was previously studying at SMBC, and will later be preparing for overseas ministry.
Andrew Drury finished ministry as youth worker at Asquith Anglican in February.
Tho Luu finished up his part time role at NSCAC. He is focussing on his North Sydney responsibilites with City Bible Forum.
Ben Ho began serving at CPC Surry Hills.
Kitty Chan began serving part time at CPC Surry Hills.
John Gurusamy began as English pastor of Living Stone EFCA in February. He was previously International Minister at St Matthew’s Anglican church, Manly.
Ernest Chiang began at Chinese Methodist Church in Carlton in March.
David Martin returned from East Asia and took up a part time role at NSCAC in April until the end of this year. He will then be moving to Hebron Chinese Alliance Church in Westmead.
Thomas Chin began serving at Beverly Hills Baptist Church as English pastor.
Anthony Dumbrell is now serving at EFCA Living Springs.
Darran Holder started as student pastor at NDCCCS in April. He and Sarah will be moving to a new ministry next year.
Stephen Coxhead started at Cheung Chen CCC.
Jasmine Yong is now at NAAC as chatechist. She was previously at St Andrew’s Cathedral.
Albert Lam moves from full time to part time MAP at EFCA East Lindfield.
John Dickson was ordained at NDCCCS on 15 May.
Candy Leung left Lidcombe Anglican Church in June.
John Menzies left NDCCCS in December and began his new role as Regional Chaplaincy Advisor at Gener8.
Douglas Fyfe graduates from MTC. He will be serving at NDCCCS in the coming year.
Kitty Chan begins ministry at CPC Surry Hills as youth pastor. She has been studying at SMBC.
Kenneth Lo return to Malaysia to take up a ministry position. He has been studying at MTC.
Chris Lung graduates from SMBC. He has been serving at Sydwest and will be serving at Chinese Alliance church in Brisbane.
Fiona May began a full time role at York Street Anglican.
Leo Chen began serving at Ashfield Anglican.
Here are other Chinese ministry moves:
Charles Yu was ordained at NSCAC in Epping in May.
Frankie Law is beginning ministry at WSCCC, Strathfield. He was previously serving at Living Springs EFCA, Kellyville.
Kenneth Leung finished up at St Matthew’s Anglican Church, West Pennant Hills.
Ken Wong starting up at St Matthew’s Anglican Church, West Pennant Hills.
Jonathan Phua started up at St Matthew’s Anglican Church, West Pennant Hills.
Leung Sung finished up ministry at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Carlingford.
[ PS: any other moves you know of? let me know! ]
Stand corrected, but growing up in a Methodist Church in Singapore, I’ve grown up with these rituals. My church in sg still uses those hymnals and the rituals are at the back. Another one u didn’t mention was holy communion – pastors had to say those passages very single time, these days they’re abridged! Used to be so long that I drifted and later felt guilty over it.
For us, the “silent stance” was more expectation than ritual. We didn’t have the “silent hymn” to signal people to be quiet. Only when it got too loud, especially when there was nothing to do as the offering bags were making their rounds, did the worship leader say something like it’s not good to be too noisy.
Service on Sundays – I thought this would be “mainstream” the world over. If the Chinese could have a say, I suspect the pragmatism in them may want to have it on a Thursday or Friday so we could have an longer uninterrupted weekend, what do you think?
Call to Worship – We had this too, usually accompanied by the congregation reading aloud a prayer of confession.
3-Fold Amen – Titto this, hmm, maybe ours was 4-fold, can’t remember.
Doxology – you don’t have this one which we sing at the end of offering. Goes like “praise God from whom all blessings flow…” and ended with “Amen”.
These things were done so repeatedly, or ritualistically, that the songs were indelibly etched into my memory and I cannot forget them even if I want to (not that I want to though). And I would think growing up singing Wesleyan hymnals, doxologies, 3-fold amens, receiving benediction (numbers 6:24-26) I’ve been indoctrinated. But somehow, I find the experience a good one.
Dressing – I’d like to be bold enough (but dared not) to follow the example of a few who came in thongs. And I had imagined how comfortable it must be. Our leaders didn’t have to wear ties, or if they did, they didn’t wear a coat. Here it’s way too formal, and must be uncomfortable in summer.
Here, I have this opinion – that if we don’t go to a job interview or company function (where we want to impress, there is such a thing called power dressing you know) we perhaps shouldn’t come in too casual an attire. Now this is subjective. Like our leaders only wearing shirt and tie but no coat would come under criticism here. Wearing trackshoes is ok, but not thongs,,,how about singlets, bermudas, or in allowing freedom of expression to our youths, how about sloganed t-shirts, pierced lips, earrings (for dudes)? Hey tattoo is vogue too!
I can think of a word – “association”, ie you don’t go to a library to have a party, so you don’t go to a brothel to pray. “My house shall be a place of prayers..” has a place-to-activity connotation. I know the argument – it’s the heart that counts, but the heart has no visual form, and it can only express itself through the body and clothing choice is an expression of the heart. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks…” may I venture, the body dresses?
Ducking – this is a funny one. When someone has to walk from pt A to pt B in front or out the aisle, do you notice they actually duck themselves, ie lower their bodies by bending the knees to walk away? It’s as if by doing so, pp cannot see them so they didn’t cause any disruption.
Ok, in closing this long comment from a long-winded old man, I just want to say my purpose = to verify/test/challenge the impression I got, that these rituals are of a Chinese origin. They’re more Wesleyan or Anglican, Oh yes, my sg church is chinese but speaking english, or singlish if you like. And we share the “duck walk” too.
Alan
p/s: I recently debated with 2 persons whether it’s alright to call one’s dad by his first name. It was an interesting discourse, I’d like to do that with you sometime.