The annual gathering of the Fellowship of Asian Methodist Bishops including delegates from Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan..
(The Methodist Message / Daniel Lie)
The Asian Methodist leaders from Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Singapore were meeting at the Annual Gathering of the Fellowship of Asian Methodist Bishops (FAMB) convened at the YWCA Fort Canning Lodge on June 22 and 23 for goal-sharing and situation reporting one day prior to the Second General Assembly of the Asian Methodist Council from June 24 to 27, according to the Methodist Message.
The Methodist Church in Hong Kong has been concentrating on alleviating poverty over the past few years in response to growing disparity between the rich and the poor.
Revd Dr Li Ping-kwong, past president of The Methodist Church, Hong Kong, said: “We have continued to work ecumenically to voice out Christian views on social issues and to launch campaigns and projects to alleviate the plights of the underprivileged, including the setting up of food banks.”
Bishop of India, E. P. Samuel, reported the major challenges facing the country including: poverty, conflicts, diseases, unemployment, negative impact of economic globalization and war on terrorism. Secondly, the nuclear threat looms large, and thirdly, religious conflicts, racial violence and territorial disputes have led to mass killings, and saw the imperative role of the Church in promoting ‘life-enriching morality and spirituality’.
Taiwan’s Bishop Enoch Kuey reported that the Church has established the Day Care Centre for the Elderly and Wesley Community Service Centre in the city of Kaohsiung.
The Korean Methodist Church has been making progress in its cooperation with world churches since the late 90s. Up to now, more than 20 churches have worked together with the KMC. The number of KMC missionaries is also set to increase to 1,000. The Church is also providing assistance to a seminary in Communist North Korea.
Bishop Hwa Yung of Malaysia spoke about the current projects being taken up by The Methodist Church in Malaysia including: developing a comprehensive vision for the life of the church, nurturing a prayer movement, revamping its work in education through schools and colleges, and strategising its programmes for social outreach and nation-building.
The United Methodist Church in the Philippines has been continually expanding its ministry to migrant workers, both land and sea-based.
According to the report, the Church has sent out pastors to minister to migrant workers in countries including: South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, England, Dubai, Italy, Canada, the United States and other parts of the world.
