Their presence can be attributed to the deep friendship that John Chew has cultivated with them, and to his will to aid the emerging Chinese Church contribute to Chinese nation building.
One Bishop said: “His good relationship with politicians and church leaders in China has been cultivated through the years. Consistently, he has come across as a intellectual with deep, mature insights and long-term vision for the Church and society. And as a person, he is warm, sincere, humble, trustworthy and committed to the Christian faith.”
The New Archbishop now has the responsibility of keeper of the flame that was first lit 10 years ago, when the Province came into being. Then the Right Reverend Dr Moses Tay of Singapore became the first Primate of the Province.
The Province consists of the Dioceses of Kuching, Sabah, Singapore and West Malaysia and has overcome a number of difficulties, namely the spreading of the Gospel in ancient Asian civilizations and faiths, this all in the context of relentless economically driven globalization, secularism and threats from extremists.
The outgoing Archbishop, the Most Reverend Datuk Yong Ping Chung was appointed to the post in 2000. Speaking of the change in leadership he said: “I can retire with confidence because the Province is in the good hands of a servant who will continue the vision we had when we first started. And I am looking forward to my next appointment – as a fulltime grandparent!”
Bishop Solomon of the Methodist Church observed that: “John Chew plays an important role in the Anglican Communion. He is able to contribute the Asian voice and perspective. So the issues in the Anglican Communion are of interest to all. We (Methodists worldwide) do not live in a vacuum. What happens in one denomination has impact in others. John can make significant contributions to the Church worldwide.”
Representing the Archbishop of Canterbury was the Bishop of Lichfield, the Right Reverend Jonathan Gledhill.
He said: “There are lots of healthy signs of community despite the differences. The Dioceses of Singapore and Malaysia are wonderful examples of how different ethnicities and religions can come together and the Anglo-Saxon world can learn so much from them.”
After the service the new Archbishop spoke with many well-wishers including the Nicholas Chia, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore.
By having such a diverse group of church leaders from across the world, some have commented that it reveals the “small but influential” mission and prophetic role that the Province has.
Towards the end of the day the Archbishop was heard to say: “What a week it has been. The events may be all over. But actually, the work is only just beginning,” reports Global South Anglican.
