Bolly (third right) greets participants at the forum.
KUCHING: The Anglican Church in Sarawak and Brunei, which is known as the Diocese of Kuching, has been asked to pray for Malaysia’s welfare.
The Most Reverend Datuk Bolly Lapok, Anglican Province of South East Asia Archbishop, said at a time when the political situation in the country is tumultuous, the church needs to pray for the peace of the country.
“We want the journey of the church to be praying for the welfare of the nation and to be about what we as the church do at the national or international level,” he stressed during his keynote address at the Diocesan Missions and Evangelism Forum yesterday.
“All corners of the Diocese, from Brunei to Limbang to Kuching, have come together to focus on our mission together in evangelism and why the church is a church. A church is defined by mission – mission is not something that the church does, instead it is what the church exists for,” he said.
Bolly likened the forum to being ‘part of the church’s journey’ and asked participants to think back to the Scripture.
“Just like the church in the Bible, even in the Old Testament, has been on a journey, we are on a journey. On a journey, there is bound to be discussion and if there is conflict, the journey will halt until it has been cleared up. Hence, in the church, we need to deal with things gently.
“Everyone here is a leader who leads in their own capacity. Leadership has sacrifices, but what is important as a leader is to divide the work but take responsibility for your own leadership,” he said. Over 100 church leaders, clergy and laity attended the forum themed ‘Seeking the Welfare of our Community’.