Rev Dr Ong Hwai Teik
KUCHING: Rev Dr Ong Hwai Teik has been elected Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia at the adjourned meeting of the 10th Session of General Conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Ong garnered 56 votes required by the constitution to be elected Bishop, thus defeating Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference president Rev Dr Su Chi Ann after 28 rounds of balloting in two sessions.
The meeting yesterday was a continuation to the General Conference held from Sept 17 to 22 during which the conference failed to reach a conclusion on the election of the new bishop after 17 rounds of balloting.
The Book of Discipline of the Methodist Church in Malaysia requires the elected candidate to win a two-thirds majority of the members present and votes cast.
Rev Ong was elected President of Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) in 2001 and re-elected to another two terms in 2004 and 2008. He joined TRAC in November 1983 after serving with the Chinese Church in London, and ordained as a travelling elder of the Methodist Church in Malaysia in 1988.
He served as pastor in a number of TRAC churches in Teluk Intan, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur between 1983 and 2003.
He obtained B.A. in Theology (1981) from the London School of Theology, UK and M.A. in Missiology (1999) from Fuller Theological Seminary, USA. He received the Doctor of Ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary, USA in May 2009. He has also received training in Spiritual Direction (Life Direction Team in Singapore).
He was also involved with the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship as Hon. Secretary of Discipling A Whole Nation National Committee from 1992 to 1995.
He serves as chaplain to the Girls’ Brigade Malaysia and also Regional Chaplain in the Girls’ Brigade Asia Fellowship.
The General Conference is held every four years and is attended by delegates from six Annual Conferences of the Methodist Churches – Chinese Annual Conference, Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference, Sarawak Iban Annual Conference, Sabah Provisional Annual Conference, Tamil Annual Conference and Trinity Annual Conference.