2023年牧者按立 Pastor Ordination 2023
The 48th Session of CAC also saw the ordination of 4 deacons and 3 elders. We congratulate our newly ordained deacons: Rev Teh You Siong, Rev Sharon Lee, Rev Joseph Chen and Rev Gareth Yeo; as well as elders: Rev Ong Bee Keow, Rev Joshua Ong, and Rev Timothy Ang. Hear them reflect on their journey of being in full-time ministry and share their thoughts and feelings on getting ordained.
我们也于第48届华人年议会目睹了七位牧者的按立典礼。我们恭贺新按立副牧：郑有祥牧师，李丽萍牧师，陈勇畅牧师和杨泳泰牧师；及新长牧：王美娇牧师，王志翔牧师和洪培正牧师。听听他们回顾他们全职事奉的经历并分享一些按立感想。
郑有祥牧师 Rev Teh You Siong在一次的训练中被告知原来按牧后带上的“牧师领”代表的是仆人的轭，用意在提醒每个带上的人不要错以为按牧是一种身份的提升，而是要每时每刻意识到自己的上帝的仆人，众人的仆人。我想这样的一个提醒是重要的，让受按牧的我能够时时被提醒，调整自己的心态，在服事中忠心地摆上，清楚知道自己是服事上帝，服事教会，而不被自己的某些思想所挟制。耶稣基督来，不是要受人的服事，乃是要服事人。这成为了我们最好的榜样，更是对接受按牧的我最大的提醒。我也清楚地意识到服事的道路充满挑战与困难，惟愿在未来的日子里，在上帝的带领下，在教会里能履行所赋予的职份，与众弟兄姐妹们同心配搭，兴旺上帝的事工，携手在主里成长。
李丽萍牧师 Rev Sharon Lee有人说，时间是最好的“见证人”。确实，从三一神学院毕业至今18年的岁月里，时间见证了上帝的信实，对我不离不弃的带领。今年能被按立为副牧，我再一次经历上帝的信实。在这18个年头里，时间有淡化祂对我的呼召，反之，更让我经历上帝呼召的确实性，并使我被呼召的使命感更加倍坚定。因此，心里充满感恩！除了感恩，还是感恩！感谢上帝呼召我这不配的，成为祂愿意使用的器皿，更一直带领了18年；感谢年会会长、牧职部、全体牧者同工们的接纳，接受我加入年议会；感谢直落亚逸礼拜堂的主理牧师和领袖们接纳我成为会友，并将我举荐给年议会为试用传道；感谢教牧同工和会友们这两年的包容、同工与扶持，使我能在这个大家庭和大家一起效法基督、作主门徒、活出圣爱！感谢我的家人：父母、三个孩子和弟妹，特别是我先生，他们是我这些年事奉道路上的见证人，也是不间断的给予我鼓励和帮助的“最好搭档”。因为有他们的支持，我方能更得力的事奉。最后，我将一切的荣耀都归于这位慈爱又信实的上帝！愿一切称颂都归于祂！
陈勇畅牧师 Rev Joseph ChenI am deeply humbled by my ordination as a deacon in the Methodist Church. To be frank, I am still adjusting to the title “Reverend” and the heavy responsibility that comes with it. As I reflect on this milestone, I am reminded of Moses’ humility in the face of challenges from his own brother Aaron and sister Miriam in Numbers 12:1-9. Authentic humility is crucial, especially when facing enormous and daunting challenges, and that was the kind of humility Moses displayed in the passage. I anticipate that this test of faith will reappear in my pastoral journey, to teach me, mould me, and shape me into the person He wants me to be.I also recall Jesus’ words in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” prompting me to serve with even greater humility before the LORD. As Rev Dr Wilfred Ho said to me, “不是越升越高，是越陷越深”. May the Lord have mercy on me and grant me a heart of humble obedience as I serve Him in my pastoral journey.
杨泳泰牧师 Rev Gareth YeoPutting on my clergy shirt for the very first time, I am struck with a sense that my role has shifted in profound ways that are hard to articulate. To be high is to be low. To lead is to serve. As I reflect on these emotions and thoughts, I am reminded that my ordination is both a privilege as well as a dedication.
It is a privilege because I am reminded that without God’s grace and His empowering presence, I would not have the courage to even step into this seldom-ventured path. I am immensely grateful for how far the Lord has brought me since He called me into full time ministry almost 15 years ago. Not only did God grow my skills as a minister, He has also grown my love for Him and His people through ministry. I am thankful to my wife who has supported me all the way, making many sacrifices to be with me in ministry through the ups and downs. I am also thankful to my home church, who played a key role in my growth as a youth leader, and my current church, who have been so welcoming and loving towards me as a new pastor.
My ordination is also a dedication to the Lord. As Paul says, not that I have already obtained or arrived at my goal but I press on towards the goal (Philippians 3:17). Ordination is a big step of dedicating myself to the Lord. It is saying to the Lord: “Here I am, I am no longer my own, but Yours”. It is declaring to the world that Jesus is more than enough for me. All these tell me that this path is not one I can take without the Lord. This should be a heavy burden, but as the past 2.5 years has shown me, the joy of the Lord is my strength! All glory to Him alone.
王美娇牧师 Rev Ong Bee KeowI started as an MOT in August 2019 and was appointed to Foochow MC. Barely six months in, COVID struck. Pastoral care became a great challenge as we could not meet in person. I was exposed to immense human pain and mental stress of troubled souls within the community of faith. Ironically, it was also during this period that I could truly and surely connect with the flock that God had entrusted to me. In the process I learned what it means to be incarnational, “present” in their situation, and to “interact” with them in a way which points them to the Lord, trusting the God of all grace to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish them. (1 Peter 5:10).With the lifting of the COVID restrictions and following my ordination as a Deacon in 2021, I was assured once again that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).This year, I was appointed to Sengkang Methodist Church. I am thankful that the first half of the year has been a busy yet fruitful period. It was fruitful not in how many tasks I had completed but in the exponential growth of my relationship with God, and an assurance of who I am and to whom I belong.The ordination as Elder at CAC’s 48th session was really a time of thanksgiving. I am truly thankful to my family – my pillar of support. I appreciate the brothers and sisters-in-Christ who shower me with so much love. I am indebted to the college of pastors and co-workers who have filled my journey with so many fun and learning experiences. Above all, I give thanks to God for His goodness and faithfulness in my life, in all situations.I look forward to my new appointments in both Changi MC and Sengkang MC in 2024.Holding fast to my ministry philosophy in Titus 1: 5-16, I pray that the Lord leads me to a pure, righteous, ethical and moral life so that I may become an obedient servant and a faithful steward of God.“[but] they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)All Glory to God!
王志翔牧师 Rev Joshua Ong按立后的这几天，收到了许许多多弟兄姐妹的祝福和恭贺，让我倍感温暖。但同时也有不少的弟兄姐妹会好奇，从副牧到长牧有什么不同，因为都还是称做牧师嘛。这也给了我更多的机会去思想这个按立的意义。
确实说到底，对会友来说，真的没有太大的不一样，不管副牧长牧都还是教会的牧者，都是上帝的代表，去将主的爱与平安带给有需要的人，这些是不会改变的。而我的答案，除了更正哪些“升职”的说法，就是告诉他们这是教会和年会对牧者呼召的肯定，也可以说是上帝所给的一种确据。
我的祷告是在接下来的服侍上，我能够越加带着上帝的确据，去以牧者的身份，宣讲主道的真理、主爱的安慰和主里的平安。
洪培正牧师 Rev Timothy AngI praise and thank God for the sacred privilege of serving as a pastor in the CAC. In my journey of pastoral ministry thus far, I have experienced time and again what Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 12:9, that God’s grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in my weakness. I am immeasurably grateful to my home church Telok Ayer CMC and my current church Holy Covenant MC for their support and partnership in ministry. My family, especially my wife Velma and our three children Faith, Charis, and Nathan, have also been unwavering in their love and affirmation of my calling, and I am deeply indebted to them. Above all, I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for redeeming me through Jesus Christ and calling me to serve Him and His church. May my ordination be a ‘stone of Ebenezer’ that testifies to God’s goodness, that everything that I can ever do is accomplished by His hand. The road ahead will have its ups and downs, but through it all, I pray that God may grant me the necessary gifts and graces, and that I may always serve His church faithfully, to the glory of His name. Let me decrease, that the Lord may increase!
Chinese Annual Conference