Berita NECF Newletters

Church Representation and Nation Building

Description: "And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king." (Esther 8:4)

Queen Esther’s virtuous attributes and position in the palace made her the best conduit for Mordecai to warn the king of the imminent danger to his life, and also to make representation to thwart Haman’s secret plan to eliminate all Jews.

Today in Malaysia, NECF Malaysia, together with the other two component partners in the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), plays the divinely-appointed ‘Esther role’ of advocacy, directly articulating issues facing the Christian community to the authorities charged with the nation-building agenda.

However, in having to voice common views affecting adherents of other religious faiths as well, CFM stands on a broader national platform through the MCCBCHS, that is the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism.

The recent lifting of the ban on Bup Kudus, the Iban-language Bible, by the then acting Prime Minister (also the Home Minister) resulting from an appeal by the Christian community is evidence of fruit borne through healthy representation and bargaining on behalf of the Iban Christians.

This is a clear demonstration of the national leadership’s positive and sympathetic review and ensuing decision to uphold religious freedom as enshrined in our Constitution.

Such representations have also been blessed with timely and just responses in other matters that come under the jurisdiction of other Federal agencies, state governments, statutory bodies and local authorities. In the light of such positive developments, we look forward to greater social justice, tolerance over religious practice and improved efficiency in service delivery.

They augur well as future problems facing the multi-ethnic and multi-religious Malaysian society could be resolved in the desired and mutually acceptable legal, moral and ethical perspectives. As fulfillment of the Great Commission cannot be given second place, initiatives by representatives as ambassadors for Christ in these matters should take priority.

The professionalism and spirit of service of the NECF Research Commission and the recently-formed Roundtable Discourse comprising academicians, church leaders and professionals have contributed to the wisdom and ideas and compilation of credible cases on human rights, religious freedom and justice issues.

As for the local churches, it is pertinent for me to convey our heartiest gratitude to them for having adhered to NECF guidelines on matters relating to local authorities, land administration, immigration, and a host of government and church policies disseminated over time.

Donor churches and Christian individuals have contributed much to meet not, only the needs of local social welfare organisations, needy churches and church workers, but have also helped disaster victims and war refugees overseas.

Their contributions have immensely helped to improve the quality of representation and resulting response benefiting Christians. The prophetic and ‘watchman’ role of the contemporary church could help the national leadership to ‘see signs of the times’ rather than ‘things that happen’.

Effective church representation and contribution to nation building will depend on the multiplier effect of our ‘salt and light’ witness and being in the world but not of it. We need to be a convincing community of love and concern with the ‘Good Samaritan’ spirit. The Lausanne Covenant affirmed unequivocally that evangelism and social concern are inseparable if God’s redemptive and restorative work is to be realised.

As Dr J.W. Dumbrell states (as quoted in the seminar paper Social and Political Transformation presented by Philip Koh at an NECF conference in 1985): "... the gospel of Jesus Christ claims the world as God’s domain, (it) is eschatological in the sense that it will settle for no less than the restoration of all things of mankind and his world". Efforts made through representation have therefore to give preeminence to the tenets of peace and reconciliation.

Apart from ‘Esthers’, the nation also needs ‘Daniels’ to "stand in the gap" (Ezek. 22:30) for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1–4); ‘Nehemiahs’ to seek power from on High for ‘building’ purity, revival and renewal; and ‘Jobs’ to press on in suffering. More importantly, the restoration of sola Kristus, or foundational truth in Christ, needs to be given centrestage for the Church to become the "chaste virgin" (2 Cor. 11:2), able to lift up our heads as our redemption is near (Luke 21:28).

 



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