| The Clergy |
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Welcome to the inaugural story on St Hilda's online. As the opening story, we figured we would try to get to know our beloved clergy in the church. It is not a torrid detail of their past, we did not dig that deep into it...not yet anyway. Just a little to get to know them better, as we do see them in church every Sunday, and we do listen to them preaching, some of us do,....but we may never have found the time to know them save to shake their hands after service. (Before the story, this is phase one of the new web launch, please be patient if you do not see the ministry that you are involved in, on the site yet, it will come in the following months, however if you are impatient, why not volunteer your time to the web team and get this party started. So we pray for your patience and understanding, and we thank you in advance for it) So for the first time in never ever before, we bring you, THE CLERGY.... First and foremost, we bring you our fearless leader and our Vicar, Canon Soon Soo Kee (SSK). Married to Guat Eng, he has 2 daughters, Sandra married to Hong Meng and Amanda, with one grand-daughter, Claire (2 years old), whom you will be able to see running around the church everyday. He is our great leader and all round great guy (trying to score points), chairman of PCC, the St Hilda's Kindergarten board, and a whole hosts of things that Vicars are in charge of, we wonder where he finds the time. Then we have our Curate, Rev. Christopher Tan (CT), always with that smile on his face, widest grin on any face and always with a wise answer for your questions. He looks after the school ministry and 8am service congregation needs, is married to Michelle and has 3 kids, Kester, Keven and Ketti. They have a lovely house in the Hamptons of Singapore which also doubles up as a retreat centre. The 2 newest boys on the block are Rev William Chee(WC) and Rev Huang Hui Jen(HHJ). Rev William Chee is married to Siew Ngo and has 3 kids, Joshua, Joanne, and Jocelyn, he looks after the Christian education and discipleship emphasis of the church (he is putting it together. If at this point in time, some of you would be reading this with an incredulous look saying...got meh?? Look out for it in the coming months) Rev Huang is the newly posted, (not that new, about a year, we estimate) pastor to the Mandarin speaking congregation. Hailing from Taiwan, he is by far, the best Chinese speaker and preacher in our church, he had to hit the ground running when he came to St. Hilda’s. He is married to Li Wen and has 2 children Chong Xuan and Yong Xuan. Always warm and pastorally, speak to him in Hokkien or Mandarin to know him better. So here we go, the inaugural story is titled......... 9 Simple questions to the Clergy....( if you do not think this title is imaginative enough, please approach the church office to volunteer your services and someone will get in touch with you, VERY QUICKLY) Warning; the following questions and answers have not been rated, you read and digest at your own peril, knowing that after this, you will never look at them in the same manner again. (not really...) Describe yourself in 5 words. SSK: Do not judge a book by its cover CT: Tall, Strong, Handsome ... enough jokes. WC: Intense, Open, Preachy, Fun and Fat (Wife say so) (Editor's note: wait till December after you've had a few months with Katong food, then you will know what fat is) HHJ: I am in growing stage. What is your favourite food? SSK: Easier to ask me what I don't like! CT: Anything yummy - wanton mee (that's why I weigh so much!), charkway teow, durians ... WC: "Wang Jiu Ji" - Chicken in Hakka Rice Wine HHJ: Niang toufu What is your favourite pastime? Besides preaching. SSK: More than one...reading, reflecting, retreating, walking, eating. CT: Sleeping, and if I can keep awake to read WC: To fly in my Sop with Camel to shoot down the Red Baron over France or to Fly over the Balkan or Korea in my F16 jet. (EDITORS NOTE:??????) HHJ: E-learning (computer & IT) How long have you been in ministry? SSK: More than 11,000 days CT: Where did the dinosaurs go? Since 1985. WC: 16 years HHJ: 23 years serving God What is your favourite memory? SSK: Being naughty and chased round the house by my dad with a cane until his temper cooled and he gave up! CT: Going out with my wife and then later with the children as a family. WC: Walking down the aisle with Siew Ngo on our wedding day HHJ: Seeing progress in Church members' growth What are you currently reading? Besides the bible SSK: "Ecstasy and Intimacy". Sounds juicy but its subtitle is "When the Holy Spirit Meets the Human Spirit". Its author is the Anglican New Testament scholar, Edith M. Humphery. Its an exciting book! CT: Why pastors should go on a sabbatical every 6 years (to be written!) WC: Awaking the Laity by John Oak HHJ: 'The Journey of Israel' by Brian J Bailey What is on your mind most every day? SSK: The Church and God's desires for the Church CT: Exercise. Finding time to exercise so I can continue to work. WC: At the present moment, Christian Education Program, Discipleship, Pastoral care, Leaders and the Church HHJ: My relationship with God Your one greatest desire for yourself- in 20 words or less SSK: To know God more deeply, to experience Him more richly, to serve Him more significantly and to love Him more faithfully CT: To do my Father's will. WC: To grow as a disciple of Christ and encouraging others to do the same. HHJ: To improve my leadership and management skills; to bond with fellow brothers & sisters Your one greatest desire for the church- in 25 words or less. SSK: Same as for myself CT: To be ready as the bride of Christ. WC: That St Hilda's will be a disciple making church, united and empowered by the Holy Spirit, displaying Christ likeness, winning souls and serving our community HHJ: To see fellow brothers and sisters grow in Christ maturely; To increase in number; Revival in the Mandarin and Hokkien congregations Check back next month when we will have another segment called, 10 questions for the staff.....(again, if you want to volunteer for theweb team, you know what to do) |