Berita NECF Newletters

Where Are We In Nation Building?

Where Are We In Nation Building?

By Eugene Yapp, Executive Secretary, Research Commission

 

RECENTLY, my colleague, Pastor Andy Chi, asked me this probing question, "Where do you think our nation building agenda is, given our efforts in this direction the past few years?"

As I heard the question, I couldn't help but wonder about the unspoken perception behind the question that perhaps, Christian contribution to nation-building and national transformation has not reached full potential. Our motto which has been "Transforming the Nation through the Local Church" compels us to reevaluate how we can more fully mobilise the church to reach its maximum potential.

NECF commenced the nation building agenda with the view that we ought to centre on infrastructural development, such as purchasing land to build a vocational school, or having our own online media portal. But God has His own timing and purposes. Through circumstances, He has led us to focus more on public issues that potentially define the character and destiny of our nation. The events of the last two years have been most unexpected and challenging, to say the least. The Christian church experienced arson attacks over the "Allah" issue, bore the brunt of allegations about a Christian state conspiracy, and one church has been subjected to an illegal raid. At the same time, Christians have also been blamed for apostasy cases among the majority religion.

All this demonstrates that Malaysia is at the crossroads of a defining or kairos moment. If so, the stakes are high and Malaysian Christians need to work at and engage these issues to determine the country's path.

The chart below illustrates the areas NECF has been engaging with in terms of our nation building agenda.

NECF Nation Building Agenda

Presently, our focus has been in the two broad areas of social-public engagement and empowering churches. Encapsulated within these broad spheres are the twin initiatives of the quest for greater religious freedom and empowering churches to engage public life issues of concern to both society and nation. What are some of these initiatives in practical terms?

In terms of the quest for greater religious freedom, NECF will continue efforts at education and awareness. These include organsing seminars on political engagement and constitutional rights. We especially wish to work with churches from Sabah and Sarawak to spread greater awareness about their historical heritage and civil rights.

In empowering churches to engage public life, NECF will continue teaching and encouraging churches to rethink the witness of the church as one involving more than just a proclamation of the Gospel to include living as a missional community. A missional community is one that brings kingdom values such as truth, justice and righteousness to bear upon critical areas such as corruption, systemic racism, ethnocentrism, abuse of power, religious marginalisation and poverty eradication. In this respect, NECF seeks to partner with churches to develop initiatives that will enhance their public role in these matters so that Christians may contribute towards enhancing a truly democratic way of life for Malaysia.

As our tag line goes, we are seeking to transform the nation through the local church by imbuing the nation with economic sufficiency, social peace, public justice and national righteousness. The key to this sort of transformation is not via NECF per se but through the local church. Hence, for the nation to experience actualized transformation, the church of Christ in Malaysia needs to arise to meet the challenges and to build a nation that is premised on the kingdom of God (Micah 6:8).



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