Year of the Dragon (a Review)

In a few days' time the Year of the Dragon is coming to an end. I have had a roller coaster of a year. But God is great. He is faithful to His promises. When the Year of the Dragon started early last year, I was well in advance in making plans to leave my former Seminary in Kota Kinabalu as I had tendered my resignation in October the previous year. But I had three subjects to teach, all new courses that I wanted to teach especially the Song of Songs and the NT Greek language (Level 2 or Intermediate Greek). Again at the start of the Year of the Dragon, last March I was surprised to hear what the ATESEA (accreditation body of my former Colleges including TTC in Singapore) had to say and I remember well that the five main points the Committee raised were ones that I thought I could make a significant contribution at the Seminary.

First, the lack of PhD holders in Seminary. I am the only Malaysian and Sabahan PhD holder in the Bible (OT/NT) who is a local and who is also fluent in Malay, the largest of the three departments of English and Chinese as well in the Seminary. Second, the lack of publications. I had published six books then, and now it's seven. It was ironic that my five books in the Seminary's library were hidden from sight during the Committee's visit. Third, attendance at academic Conferences which was the exact thing I raised with the Principal during our first meeting in Jan 2023. Fourth, the Malay language department needs strengthening as some of the lecturers teaching at the Malay dept are not fluent in the language and I had served at that time (Mac 2024) 23 years in the Malay language ministry having pastored three Malay-speaking churches in Sabah. No other lecturer had such experience. Fifth, the indigenous ministry in the College and again closely associated with the Malay language which the native Christians use in Sabah. Frankly, I almost fell out of my chair during the meeting and truly felt sorry for the Seminary as I was leaving for good. How come the Committee that only visits once in five years for re-accreditation was spot on while those in the Seminary for decades seem so slow to catch on? You can read my latest book, "Anak Panah" as there is a chapter on my time at my former Seminary and the four reasons I gave in resigning after less than one Semester there. Again and as in so many places, leadership is critical in ensuring well qualified people do not leave our institutions or churches. 

As was the tradition, the Lord gave me a couple of verses at the start of the New Year 2024 leading to the Lunar New Year. "New wine is poured into new wineskins" but old leaders are stuck in their ways and the Holy Spirit is raising a new generation of leaders with new ideas and new ambitions. Anyhow, I enjoyed teaching the three new courses in my last Semester there (Jan-May 2024) and they went well. By the time I finished, I flew to Kuala Lumpur for an intensive course in MTheol and that was another eye opener. Again leaders of integrity and who know good governance and academic standards are critical in the advancement of theological education in Malaysia. Unless certain conditions are met, I plan to keep my doctoral regalia in the closet and I may not wear it again.

After 10 months of applying for a new appointment with the Church that I had been since day one (Dec 1994), I received news of "my future" in late August last year, in the middle of the Year of the Dragon. As a couple of churches were very keen to have me as their pastor, so I prayed for a couple of months as I know by early October 2024 I needed to make a decision as I have a host of speaking invitations from mid-October until Christmas. I wanted to tell my hosts where I would be heading or ministering in the near future. So by end of the first week of October least year, I signed up and accepted a call to pastor the church I am pastoring now, coming to the end of two months since 1st Dec 2024. 

We saw an almost immediate increase in people regularly coming to worship in our one shop-lot unit. From 90 adults on average it is now averaging 110 people and last Sunday we had to put extra chairs outside the door the first time it was done as there 120 adults inside. So in the next meeting or two, we will discussing locating to another church hall, perhaps at least two shop units or if our faith is strong, a 3-unit shop that can seat 350 people at any one time.