THE R IGHT REVD RENNIS SOLOMON PONNIAHNINTH B ISHOP OF S INGAPORE

2012 TO 2020

D I O C E S E O F S I N G A P O R E

S E R V I C E O F

30 AUGUST 2020

COMPLE T I ON OF T ERM

THANKSGIVING

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Service of Thanksgiving

for the Completion of Term

of the Right Rev Rennis Ponniah

as the Bishop of Singapore

Sunday 30 August 2020, 4pm at St Andrew’s Cathedral

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Order of ServiceOrgan Prelude: Liebster Jesus, wir sind hier Lim Chin Kai Johann Sebastian Bach (pre-recorded) Please standProcessional Hymn (video): Lim Chin Kai & the Cathedral Choir

Praise to the Lord the Almighty1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation; O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation: All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near; Joining in glad adoration.

2. Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, Shieldeth thee gently from harm, or when fainting sustaineth: Hast thou not seen how thy heart’s wishes have been Granted in what he ordaineth?

3. Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee, Surely his goodness and mercy doth daily attend thee: Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, If to the end he befriend thee.

4. Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore him! All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him! Let the Amen Sound from his people again; Gladly for aye we adore him!

Praise To The Lord The Almighty by Joachim Neander Tune: LOBE DEN HERRENPublic Domain © 1680

Crown Him with many crowns1. Crown him with many crowns, The Lamb upon his throne; Hark, how the heavenly anthem drowns All music but its own! Awake, my soul, and sing Of him who died for thee, And hail him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

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2. Crown Him the Virgin’s Son, The God Incarnate born, Whose arm those crimson trophies won Which now His brow adorn: Fruit of the mystic Rose, As of that Rose the Stem; TheRootwhencemercyeverflows, The Babe of Bethlehem.

3. Crown Him the Lord of Love: Behold his hands and side; Those wounds yet visible above Inbeautyglorified: No angel in the sky Can fully bear that sight, But downward bends his burning eye At mysteries so bright.

4. Crown Him the Lord of peace, Whose power a sceptre sways From pole to pole, that wars may cease, And all be prayer and praise. His reign shall know no end, And round his pierced feet Fairflowersofparadiseextend Their fragrance ever sweet.

5. Crown him the Lord of years, The potentate of time, Creator of the rolling spheres, Ineffably sublime. All hail, Redeemer, hail! For thou hast died for me; Thy praise shall never, never fail Throughout eternity.

Crown Him With Many Crowns by Matthew BridgesTune: DIADEMATA (Elvey)Public Domain © 1851

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Please sitWelcome and Introduction by the Vicar Rev Canon Terry Wong

Minister: Dearly beloved, we have come together in our Father’s presence, to give thanks for his blessings through the ministry of our Diocesan Bishop Rennis Ponniah for the past eight years. We pray for our Bishop to be renewed with strength, vision and anointing for a new phase of fruitful ministry, and for our Diocese to be faithful to grow in mission and ministry by God’s grace.

Let us prepare our hearts to worship the Lord. Please sit or kneel as you are ableConfession Rev Canon Rinji Kwashi Minister: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Let us confess our sins to Almighty God.

All: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you and against our fellow men, in thought, word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of your name. Amen. Absolution Right Rev Rennis Ponniah

Bishop: Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent: have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins,

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confirmandstrengthenyouinallgoodness, and keep you in life eternal, through Jesus Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Please standWorship in Song: (video) Quek Li Huan & SJSM Team

Thank You Lord

1. I come before You today And there’s just one thing that I want to say Thank You Lord, thank You Lord

For all You’ve given to me For all the blessings that I cannot see Thank You Lord, thank You Lord

Pre-Chorus: With a grateful heart With a song of praise With an outstretched arm I will bless Your name

Chorus: Thank You Lord I just want to thank you Lord Thank You Lord I just want to thank You Lord Thank You Lord

2. For all You’ve done in my life You took my darkness and gave me Your light Thank You Lord, thank You Lord

You took my sin and my shame You took my sickness and healed all my pain Thank You Lord, thank You Lord

Thank You Lord by Don Moen | Paul BalocheIntegrity’s Hosanna! Music ©2004CCLI #256449

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Be Exalted O God

1. I will give thanks to Thee O Lord among the people I will sing praises to Thee among the nations

2. For Thy steadfast love is great Is great to the heavens And Thy faithfulness Thy faithfulness to the clouds

Chorus: BeexaltedOGodabovetheheavens Let Thy glory be over all the earth BeexaltedOGodabovetheheavens Let Thy glory be over all the earth

Tag: Let Thy glory, let Thy glory Let Thy glory be over all the earth

BeexaltedOGodbyBrentChambersUniversal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing ©1977 CCLI #256449

Collect for the 12th Sunday after Trinity Rev Canon Terry Wong

All: Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than either we desire or deserve: pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Please sitOld Testament Reading: Isaiah 52:1-10 (ESV) Burton Chen (in English)

Is. 52:1 Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.2 Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

Is. 52:3 For thus says the LORD: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord GOD: “My people went downatthefirstintoEgypttosojournthere,andtheAssyrianoppressedthemfor nothing. 5 Now therefore what have I here,” declares the LORD, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the LORD, “and continually all the day my name is despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”

Is. 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”8 The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion.9 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

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New Testament Reading: Acts 11:19-26 (ESV) Rev Canon Steven Asirvatham (in Tamil)

Acts 11:19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking thewordtonooneexceptJews.20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and sawthegraceofGod,hewasglad,andheexhortedthemalltoremainfaithfulto the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught agreatmanypeople.AndinAntiochthediscipleswerefirstcalledChristians.

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.All: Thanks be to God.

Sermon: “Global Antioch” (video) Most Rev Dr Benjamin Kwashi

Please standResponse Song: “Through It All” (video)

Through It All Amaria Ponniah & SJSM Team

Verse: You are forever in my life You see me through the seasons Cover me with Your hand And lead me in Your righteousness

Pre-Chorus: And I look to You And I wait on You

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Chorus: I’ll sing to You Lord a hymn of love For Your faithfulness to me I’m carried in everlasting arms You’ll never let me go Through it all

Bridge: Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah

Chorus: I’ll sing to You Lord a hymn of love For Your faithfulness to me I’m carried in everlasting arms You’ll never let me go Through it all

Through it all by Reuben MorganHillsong Music Publishing ©2001 CCLI #256449

Please sit or kneel as you are ableIntercession Tan Kian Woo and Rev Canon Yee Ching Wah

Please sitAddress by the Bishop-designate Rev Canon Dr Titus Chung Address by the Archbishop of the Church Most Rev Melter Tais of the Province of South East Asia (video) Address by the Archbishop of the Episcopal / Most Rev Dr Mouneer Anis Anglican Province of Alexandria (video) The Bishop’s Address The Rt Revd Rennis Solomon Ponniah Ninth Bishop of Singapore

Choral Anthem: (video)

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Faithfulness Cathedral Choir

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me, Lord unto me!

FaithfulnessWords by Thomas O. Chisolm Music by Joel Raney

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Congregation please stand

Right Rev Rennis Ponniah & Right Rev Low Jee King

Handing Over of the Diocesan Pastoral Staff to the Vicar-General

The Bishop places the Diocesan Pastoral Staff in the hands of the Vicar-General.

Bishop: ThisStaffofthePastoralOfficeisa symbol of the call of Christ Jesus to bring in the wandering, sustain the weak, rouse the careless, and shepherd the flockentrustedtotheDiocesanBishop.

As you receive this Staff in trust for the nextBishopofSingapore,maythe Diocese in every generation discharge Christ’s calling by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the praise and glory of God Almighty.

Vicar-General: We will so do until the return of Jesus Christ, the Lord Himself being our Helper.

The Vicar-General then places the Staff on the Lord’s Table.

Congregation please be seated

Gift Presentation from the Diocese Right Rev Low Jee King & Chancellor Richard Magnus

Blessing in Song (video) Combined Team

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Benediction Right Rev Rennis Ponniah To God’s gracious care, leading and empowering we commit you that you will walk with Him and shine for Him.

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Announcements Rev Canon Terry Wong

Recessional Hymns: (video) Cathedral Choir

My Saviour’s Love

1. I stand amazed in the presence Of Jesus the Nazarene, And wonder how he could love me, A sinner, condemned, unclean.

Chorus: How marvellous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be: How marvellous! How wonderful is my Saviour’s love for me!

2. For me it was in the garden He prayed, “Not My will, but Thine;” He had no tears for his own griefs, But sweat-drops of blood for mine.

3. He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them his very own; He bore the burden to Calvary And suffered and died alone.

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4. When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see, ‘Twill be my joy through the ages To sing of his love for me!

I Stand Amazed In The Presence by Chas. H. Gabriel Public Domain © 1905

To God be the Glory

1. To God be the glory, great things he has done, So loved he the world that he gave us his Son, Who yielded his life an atonement for sin, And opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Chorus: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear his voice; Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice; Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give him the glory; great things he hath done.

2. Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, To every believer the promise of God! The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus forgiveness receives.

3. Great things he has taught us, great things he has done, And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; But purer, and higher, and greater will be Our wonder, our rapture when Jesus we see.

To God Be The Glory, Great Things He Hath Done by Fanny Crosby Tune: TO GOD BE THE GLORY (Doane)Public Domain © 1875

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Organ Postlude: God of Grace Lim Chin Kai Cwm Rhondda, setting by Paul Manz (pre-recorded)

After the Service

Presentation of gifts and photo-taking Guests will be guided by at Chancel Steps with safe distancing. ushers

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Rennis Solomon Ponniah was installed as the ninth Bishop of the

Diocese of Singapore on 20 October 2012. As a young man, Bishop Rennis was touched and greatly used by the Holy Spirit during the Spiritual Renewal that swept through Singapore in the 1970s and 1980s. He would become involved in evangelism and outreach, particularly through the Golden Harvest extension centre.In an interview he provided for the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, he shared some details of his journey of faith “I was born into a God-fearing Christian family with parents who loved the Lord and His Church. Daily family devotions, my Dad’s robust faith, and my Mum’s disciplined effort to get me to memorise the Psalms from an early age were the foundational rocks of my spiritual formation. From my teens when I was a “server” at the Communion table, I grew in my love for the ministry of the local Anglican Church … The call to “full-time ministry” was probably sown in my heart in the late 1970’s

before I was even twenty years old but the Lord had His way of ripening the seed and of preparing the instrument until I was ready to answer His call to be an Anglican priest in 1990.”

He studied for his Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) degree at the National University of Singapore, and went on to obtain a Masters in Divinity from Trinity Theological College (TTC), Singapore. He was a Senior Research Officer with theHousing and Development Board, before being ordained a deacon at St Andrew’s Cathedral in 1990 and a priest in 1991. He counted it a

LED BY THE SPIRIT, HE HAS

ALWAYS SEEN HIS ORDAINED

ROLE AS PREPARING THE PEOPLE

FOR A MIGHTY HARVEST.

RENNIS SOLOMON PONNIAH Bishop of Singapore 2012-2020

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privilege to have been able to study under godly and gifted teachers at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Chicago), Regent College (Vancouver) and TTC itself.

He was appointed the Vicar of St John’s-St Margaret’s Church in July 1993, where he would serve until his appointment as Bishop. On 4 May 2005, he was consecrated the Assistant Bishop of Singapore. At his installation as Bishop, he shared that “The Lord has called me in these days to be the shepherd-leader of this Diocese of Singapore, having given me an anchor text from Zechariah3:6-7: “The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: “If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my commandments, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.” The meaning of those verses given me many years ago, has now reached anotherleveloffulfilment.Iknowthat

being a Diocesan Bishop is not a prize to be won but a cup to be drunk.”

Three key areas of focus for Bishop Rennis during his episcopacy have been, firstly, the building ofstrong parishes that evangelise to the lost, disciple its members and reach the nations through missions so that collectively, clergy and laity might constitute a strong community of disciples. Secondly, he has also been keen that the Diocese effectively harnesses its education and community service arms, so that they might meet the real needs of people and offer “good works” as witness to the kingdom of Christ’s love. Thirdly, Bishop Rennis Ponniah has made it a diocesan goal to “mainstream” the mission Deaneries. One of the ways, wherever possible, was to have the Dean or Associate Dean stationed in the Deanery countries, in order to provide more direct on-the-ground pastoral leadership. The parish involvement in the work of the Deaneries has also grown substantially with this approach. Together with godly and competent pastoral leadership, this vision has led to progress in the spiritual vitality of the churches.

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Bishop Rennis has played an important role internationally, much of it through the Global South Fellowship of Anglican churches. He spearheaded the committee that drew up a proposal to formalise the ecclesiastical structure of the Global South Fellowship, a structure that is clearlydefineddoctrinallyandwhichwill provide not only for networking for missions, but structural provisions to ensure accountability and discipline as a global Anglican body.

He is married to Amir, herself the daughter of an Anglican clergyman, Revd. Abraham Caldwell. In an article, Bishop Rennis paid tribute to his wife “I thank God that she is a tremendous support to my ministry. She is a fervent intercessor, a worker in the background, a close and trusted companion, and the one who manages our home and nurtures the children with warmth, joy and sacrifice.” They have four childrenand three grandchildren.

Led by the Spirit, he has always seen his ordained role as preparing the people for a mighty harvest. In his term as Chairman of the National Council of Churches in Singapore (NCCS), he was instrumental in

bringing the churches under the NCCS umbrella together with the churches of the Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore (EFOS), in preparing the Christians in Singapore to join together in the harvest. Over three years, since 2017, a series of rallies and gatherings and prayer assemblies have been organised, leading up to a three-day event at the National Stadium, the Celebration of Hope.BishopRennis’firmconvictionis that this was a kairos (or God-purposed) moment in history—which would bring with it “the dawn of righteous living and the joy of love fillingourhomes,ourofficesandourstreets.”

His episcopacy may best be summed up by these words from Holy Scripture “I glorified you on earth,having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” John 17:4,ESV

*This biography of Bishop Rennis Ponniahisexcerpted,withpermission,from “The History of Anglicanism in Singapore 1819-2019, The Bicentenary of Divine Providence” by Joseph Thambiah, Armour Publishing, 2019

Celebration of Hope Dedication Service

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The Diocese is in a leadership transition. This is, therefore, a special Synod. A happy Synod in one way, sad in another. Similar to our rhythms in life. And we know that God in Christ Jesus is always in the midst of our rhythms.

It is happy because we are meeting in the bond of peace, despite the physical meeting constraints. Sad because we are bidding farewell to Bishop Rennis. This is the last Synod in which he is presiding as Bishop.

Two days ago, there was another rhythm in our liturgical season we are called to remember and that is the Transfiguration. It is unprecedentedor correctly sui generis, one of its kind. The Transfiguration is the gatheringin Christ, the law and the prophets. This is the pattern of continuity and continuum in the way, the narrative of our Father. The Lord gathers our past, our present and future in Him. And so it is with our Diocese.

This morning we witness this rhythm of continuity and continuum in our Diocese. Bishop Rennis was chosen by the Lord in the line of eight past Bishops. He is the present ninth Bishop of Singapore. The tenth Bishop has been raised. On behalf of the Synod and the House of Laity I want to welcome Bishop-designate Rev Canon Dr Titus Chung. I also wish to welcome Connie, his wife and their

two sons Thaddeus and Theodore into the assembly. There will yet be another occasion to give a fuller welcome to Bishop-designate Titus Chung.

I want this morning therefore firstof all to thank the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head of our Church, who has guided this Diocese from the past to the present and into the future.

And for now, I want to honour the present. The present commenced on the Saturday, 20 October, 2012 at 4.30 pm with the entry by Bishop Rennis into the history of our Diocese. 20 October 2012 was a beautiful afternoon. There was an air of celebration. The President of Singapore graced the moment. There was a gathering of the then Archbishop, Bishops and clergy and friends and congregants.

Address by the Chancellor of the Diocese of Singapore, Adj Prof. Richard Magnus at the Synod meeting of 8 August 2020

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It was memorable that Bishop Rennis’ family was there to bear witness. Bishop’s parents were present to be part of the great joy that their son was chosen Bishop. Bishop’s parents have since passed on to be with the Lord. That 20 October afternoon was a precious moment in their lives.

This was also the 21st Sunday after Pentecost. The Collect for that day acknowledged God as the giver of life whose Holy Spirit wells up within the church and that the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ and make us eager to do His will.

I want you to catch the spiritual fervour and the eagerness of that moment. Bishop Rennis asked for the prayers of the people to be a faithful pastor and true Father in God, to the honour and glory of the Christ our Lord. And He acknowledged the precious blood of Jesus; that He purchased us. This request for prayers was acknowledged and that as Bishop he would have the grace of God to proclaim and defend His word and to govern His church with love, humility and mercy.

That day Bishop Rennis promised to teach and maintain in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the doctrine and discipline by Him delivered to the Church, to govern the Diocese according to the constitution with truth, justice and charity and to be an exampletotheflock.

These were serious promises.

And I can testify that Bishop Rennis has kept all his promises. He has proclaimed the Word and defended

the faith with love, humility, mercy and deep reverence for the Lord. He moves by the Holy Spirit of God.

Against the backdrop of COVID-19, Bishop Rennis proclaimed the Word week in and week out. He gave visibility on his leadership so that the flock in the Diocese could bestrengthened and he kept faith and hope in a very challenging period. He helped the parish churches to have regard for their accountability and governance through specially dedicated online processes.

I can also say that Bishop has respected the Diocesan constitution. He sensed transitions and sought the Synod’s support to update the constitution which the Synod gave. He himself seemed to have found peace that he has achieved what the Lord has called him to do.

In the 2 Aug 2020 online Holy Communion service Bishop Rennis ended his sermon with these words: “My duty and joy was to have equipped the church with Scripture, Spirit and Sacrament.”

Bishop Rennis is passing on his crozier, the shepherd’s or pastoral staff to the Bishop waiting in the wings, Bishop-designate Rev Canon Dr Titus Chung in October at the investiture and installation of the 10th Bishop of Singapore. This Synod is a farewell tribute to Bishop Rennis. And the Lord has raised Bishop-designate Titus to continue. Christ, no doubt, is our midst. The transition is peaceable.

The Lord bless you Bishop Rennis, Amir and family.

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Today is a moving moment. It is also a moment of joy and thanksgiving. The time of my

episcopacy has passed all too quickly. My testimony as I complete my term ofofficeissimplythis:ALLBYGOD’SGRACE AND ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Thanksgiving to a God of Faithfulness

When I became the 9th Bishop of Singapore for the Anglican Church, the Lord reminded me that being a Diocesan bishop is not a prize to be won but “a cup” to be drunk. It is the cup of costly sacrifice, hardshipand suffering that Jesus our Lord drank when He went to the Cross for us. So,when I took up the office inOctober 2012, this was the question in my heart: “Can you drink the cup?” (Matthew 20:22)

Eight years on, I bring my thanksgiving to God in this service for giving me the strength to drink the cup. It is the Lord’s steadfast love that has carried me through.

a. Strength for the Ministry

The sermons that have been preached, the various committees that have been led, the numerous field trips to the Deaneries and thevision-casting, relationship-building role of the Bishop – I give the Lord Jesus Christ all the glory for the strength He gave me.

Theincessantdemandsontheoffice,the hardships and inevitable criticisms – they could not have borne and overcome apart from God’s loyal love to His servants – a love that is full of affection, mercy and kindness. I know

ALL BY GOD’S GRACE AND ALL FOR HIS GLORY

The Inauguration of the Singapore Anglican Indian Board Youth Wing

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I have been able to bounce back from exhaustion and difficult timesbecause of God’s faithful love and powerful Word made so real by the Holy Spirit. There were also nasty winds that came my way as part of the spiritual warfare involved in ministry. But the Lord faithfully guarded and delivered me and my family, doubtless in answer to the prayers of many of you.

b. Spiritual Allies

I do want to thank the Lord for the spiritual allies He has supplied to help mefulfilmycalling.Spiritualalliesarethemselves persons who earnestly seek the Lord; they want God’s best for you, they love and trust you, and they would do anything in their power to assist you.

Foremost among my spiritual allies is my dear wife, Amir. She has literally prayed me through these eight years and wonderfully supported me in every way. She has also complemented my ministry by specially taking care of the

clergy wives, the deaconesses and the female workers in our Diocese. I am ever so grateful to God that my family, not forgetting my late parents, have always been there for me.

No less valuable are my spiritual allies who come from a variety of sources: from the clergy team, the Diocesan lay leadership, national and global ministers of the Gospel, friends alonglife’sjourney,andrankandfileparishioners. Too many to name but each one precious and special.

c. Spiritual Victories and Hidden Joys

I thank God for the progress we have made as a Diocese on several fronts and the spiritual victories He gave along theway. The specifics can begleaned from our half-yearly Diocesan Digest. Let me thank God for all those who have worked with me to advance Christ’s Kingdom. Let it be said unequivocally by all of us: “This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes”. (Psalm 118:23)

In the cup we are given to drink, there are what Henri Nouwen calls “hidden joys”. That is to say, in the midst of the hardships are surprising and enduring joys. And the joys outweigh the costs! I have been so blessed by the hidden joys of being affectionately treated as “father in God” by our Deanery folk, of witnessing transformed lives throughout our Diocese, of seeing hundreds of people come down the steps of the National Stadium to receive Christ at the Celebration of Hope rallies, and by the

Christmas at Bishopsbourne

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overwhelmingandexhilaratingsenseof God’s presence at our Cathedral Ordination services. Hence, as I complete my term, I want to tell of God’s inexhaustible goodness andpraise Him with you.

Commendation of the New Shepherd-Leader

I also want to joyfully and whole-heartedly commend Bishop-Designate Canon Dr Titus Chung to all of us. He is a well-nurtured servant of Christ, with gifts and graces to lead the Diocese into a new season. He will be installed as the 10th Bishop of Singapore on 18 October 2020.

Youwill find in him awarmheart, atheologically well-instructed mind, a steady pair of hands and an unassuming style. He has the love of God, the love of God’s people and the love of Kingdom advance to lead our Church on.

And God has given him a very good team of Senior Clergy and Diocesan

lay leaders to share the load of responsibility with. It is a team of spiritually mature leaders, old and newintermsofDiocesanexperiencebut all hungry for God’s glory.

Exhortation to stay on the front foot

Letmefinishwithabriefexhortation:“People of God, stay on the front foot in these difficult COVID-timesbecause of who our God is”.

Romans 8:37-39 reminds us that we are overcomers through Jesus Christ: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We have been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. But it cannot separate us from the all-providing

Rev David Lee’s Institution and Induction as Vicar of COR Celebration of Hope

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and all-conquering love of God in Christ Jesus. In fact, through all the hardship, gloom and uncertainty, we are “more than conquerors”. That is to say, we not only make it through the adversity, we turn the adversity into a time when we reach out to others and lead them to experiencethe saving and loving rule of God.

Remember the time when our Cathedral Church was turned into a hospital for the wounded during World War II. So too, COVID-19 is a kairos time for the Church to “run into the need”! Christians are to rally together to meet the human needs of the people around them and to share with them the good news of how Jesus Christ has conquered life and death. Happily, this has begun in some quarters. But we need the flameoflovethatonlytheSpiritcanignite for the whole body of Christ to be mobilised to reach their nation for Christ.

I marvel at God’s timing. 2019 was a year in which we experiencedthe power and favour of the Lord. God gave the Church in Singapore a buoyancy in her life and witness through our national evangelistic effort in Celebration of Hope. This was God’s providential preparation to meet what was coming.

For 2020 has turned out to be a year of adversity and the start of “a new normal” in the way the world operates. The buoyancy of 2019 helps us to meet the unprecedented challenges. To be sure, there are

dangers that threaten our vitality as disciples of Christ. But we must overcome these dangers in the power of the Spirit and turn man’s adversity into God’s opportunity. We must continue to build our lives as disciples of Jesus and reach out to a lost and needy world.

Beloved people of God, we can indeed to so because God’s grace is unfailing and His power is limitless. That is my testimony and that is my exhortation. STAY on the FRONTFOOT for the Lord our God is GREAT BEYOND MEASURE.

Conclusion

As I step down as Diocesan Bishop, I leave a position but I do not leave the community of our Diocese. That communityincludesoursixDeaneries.I leave my governing role but I will, in the grace of God, continue to minister under the new Diocesan Bishop and support his leadership of the Diocese.

Amir and I thank each of you for a marvellous run over these last eight years. The race is not over yet. We will continue by God’s grace to run alongside you to usher in God’s radiant glory on this side of eternity, and finally to assemblewith you onthe other shore to sing God’s eternal praise.

“Now to Him who sits on the throne, and the Lamb in the midst of the throne and the Spirit who proceeds from the throne, be blessing, honour and glory now and evermore. Amen.”

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D I O C E S E O F S I N G A P O R E

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