HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Bishop Ong (second right), Dr Su (third right), Rev Ling (right) and other Methodist Church leaders at the cake-cutting to mark the occasion.
SIBU: The new RM8.35 million Sing Ang Tong Methodist Church was dedicated last Sunday, followed by a banquet that marked the 112th anniversary of the church.
The dinner at a hotel here was attended by over 1,000 faithful.
Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia, Rt Rev Ong Hwai Teik, Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC) president Rev Dato Su Chii Ann and Sibu Municipal Council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King were among the dignitaries at the function.
It was also attended by church leaders from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sing Ang Tong pastor Rev Timothy Ling.
Ong said it delighted him to read newspaper descriptions of the new church building as a unique one.
“I’m impressed by the bell tower — an iconic symbol that signifies the mission of the Methodist Church in Sibu and Borneo.
“The bell tower with a torch is a symbol of the Methodist Church that has a mission to shine forth and evangelise to the four corners of the world,” he said.
The church’s torch or candle will be lit every evening to shine and bring hope and love to the lost ones, according to Ong.