Malaysian Bishop Yong Chen Fah has challenged Sydney Anglicans to send more missionaries to South East Asia.
At the CMS Annual Dinner last Friday night, Bishop Yong Chen Fah addressed the 260 people present to be open to growing mission opportunities in Asia.
Speaking at the sold out event at St Anne's, Ryde, the former Assistant Bishop in Sabah, Malaysia and chairman of the South East Asia Missionary Committee spoke of the need for Sydney Anglicans to reach South East Asia's half-a-billion people.
"We are determined under God to bring the gospel to every part of South East Asia," he says.
"Of this 500 million, there are many varied tribal people groups. Indonesia's has 230 million people alone, but if you learn the language, you can reach the whole country and Malaysia too."
Bishop Yong referenced the foundational work of Archdeacon Walter Newmarch in the 1950s and 60s as an example of how influential mission work can be in South East Asia.
"Suppose 40 years ago missionaries did not respond to the call of God to go to Sabah, if Archdeacon Newmarch did not leave the comfort of Australia, I would not be standing here before you. I would not be a Christian," he says.
"Because of the missionaries who came to Sarawak to spread the gospel, the locals stopped headhunting and killing people. This is thanks to missionaries who left behind family they loved and obeyed God's will above all else.”
A vision for the future
Bishop Yong gave thanks for three dioceses in Malaysia, which he says are continually increasing in strength thanks to 50 years of committed mission work.
Bishop Yong also pointed to new challenges in South East Asia such as Thailand and Cambodia.
"Many Australians go to Phuket for a nice holiday, but further north-east is Karat with a population of 400,000 and many private colleges with 3000 to 6000 students. We must target this young student population," Bishop Yong says.
"They are looking for teachers and hostel wardens. It's a great opportunity for young Australian Christians. If I were 30 years younger, I would go myself."
Bishop Yong recommended short-term missions as a worthwhile way for Christians to get a taste for overseas mission and highlighted two CMS short-term missions taking place next year, one to Sabah, Malaysia and another to Thailand and Cambodia.
Comparing the Diocese of Sabah's 45 years of interior mission to CMS NSW's more than 100 years, Bishop Yong asked that Sydney Anglicans assist in helping the Asian diocese in building its mission base.
"You are a big brother to us. In this century let us work hard together in order to bring the gospel to the whole of South East Asia."
Bishop Yong also spoke about his three-year term in Sydney Diocese guiding and encouraging the ministry in Chinese Anglican congregations.
"There are migrants coming from China and there are thousands of them. I am here to encourage the Chinese clergy to catch more lives into the kingdom of God and send some of these people back home or to other places to spread the gospel further."
Photo courtesy of Dan Li, [url=http://www.gospelherald.com.au]http://www.gospelherald.com.au[/url]
