bobjots : redux

Following the recent Quadrennial General Conference of the Methodist Church in Malaysia, the following statement was adopted :

The Methodist in Church Malaysia held her 9th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference at Kota Kinabalu from 15-20 September 2008. 100 delegates and staff from the six annual conferences in Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak gathered in conference with guests and Bishops from regional Singapore and Indonesia , the UK , Australia and the USA.

During the conference, the current Bishop Dr Hwa Yung was re-elected for another term of four years. In his episcopal address the Bishop challenged and called the church to practise scriptural holiness and to transform the nation. While deliberating on the mission of the church and her strategies for the next quadrennial, the conference also expressed with deep concern some of the issues that continue to plague the nation, calling for earnest prayer and considered action thereof. The issues include -

1. The economic and political uncertainties.
2. The socio-ethnic polarisation and schisms.
3. Rampant corruption at all levels in both the public and private sectors.
4. Delayed reforms of the Judiciary and the restoration of its integrity and independence.
5. Escalation of crimes and increased concerns on the integrity and dependability of law enforcement agencies.
6. Infringements on the land rights of some of the indigenous peoples.
7. Unlawful arrests and detentions under the oppressive Internal Security Act
8. Ineffective measures to arrest the deterioration of education standards.
9. Exploitation of the weak, the poor, migrant workers, the stateless, children and women.
10. Erosion of freedom of religion as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.

The Methodist Church reaffirmed her mission to “Spread Scriptural Holiness, Transforming the nation” and to this end, she reaffirmed her commitment to -

• reach out to the needy and the oppressed through social, medical and educational services
• uphold truth and justice and support all agencies that strive towards such end
• pray for peace and harmony, political stability; economic prosperity, poverty eradication, literacy advancement and the prevailing of righteousness, mercy, truth and justice in our nation

The Methodist Church In Malaysia
23rd September 2008

Incidentally, the Methodist Church in Malaysia has a body of teachings known as the Social Teachings of the Methodist Church in Malaysia. Some further perspectives from the Church on social justice are linked below:

• The Church in Society : A Lutheran Perspective
  - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• Methodist Social Principles
  - United Methodist Church
  • Social Teachings of the Methodist Church in Malaysia (PDF)
    - The Methodist Church in Malaysia
• Lausanne Documents
  - The Lausanne Movement
• Social Justice in Malaysia : Doing Justice To Our Faith
  - The Council of Churches of Malaysia
• An Evangelical Rationale for Social Justice (PDF)
  - Social Issues Committee, Anglican Diocese of Sydney
• Declarations, Letters & History
  - Evangelicals for Social Action
  • The Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social Concern
    - Evangelicals for Social Action
  • Chicago Declaration II : A Call for Evangelical Renewal
    - Evangelicals for Social Action
• Catechism of the Catholic Church : Social Justice
  - Roman Catholic Church
  • The Busy Christian’s Guide to Catholic Social Teaching
    - Salt of the Earth Magazine
• What is Integral Mission? (PDF)
  - Micah Network
  • Integrating Mission with Development (PDF)
    - Micah Network
  • Key Influences on the Local Church (PDF)
    - Micah Network
  • The Mission of the Church and the Role of Advocacy (PDF)
    - TEAR Fund
  • 10 Reasons Why Justice Is Essential to the Gospels
    - TEAR Fund
  • Barriers to the Embrace of Integral Mission (PDF)
    - Micah Network
  • The Social Justice Roots of Christianity
    - Cory Gross