Dear BPCWAians, Today, we will be having our Triennial election and Annual Congregational Meeting. It is a time to give glory and thanks to God for His mercy upon BPCWA and also to recommit our obedience to Him as a church family. In other years, we have probably taken much of this for granted, assuming that it’ll happen next year just as it has happened every other year. History must teach us not to take things for granted. This has not been a typical year. And it will not be a typical ACM either. There are several difficulties that are unique to this year which I’d like to share with you. I hope that when you realise it, you too will be grateful for God’s help in working things out.

Be thankful we can have an ACM in church. The fact that we can gather in church and do not need to hold it online is already a very big plus. Most, if not all, of the other churches we are associated with, in Australia or overseas, are either deferring their ACMs or have held/will be holding it through online means. An online ACM certainly wouldn’t be the same, but that is the only available means for them in their various situations. Things are certainly not as usual because of COVID-19 seating arrangements. For this gathering, it is not as simple as in past years. This year, we need to plan for a smooth voting process while at the same time ensuring seating availability to voters. So, I hope none of us will grumble about things, but be thankful instead and understand that it is a complex situation. Even before we can decide whether to resume or hold any meetings in church, we have had to look thoroughly through the name lists of past attendances, count the family sizes, and see if the seating in church can accommodate for it based on the expected attendance. For starters, counting of communicant members in good standing had to be determined based on their attendance in the periods before and after the lockdown. After confirming the communicant members in good standing, we had to calculate their household size and then check if there are sufficient available seats in the respective areas to make it feasible and viable to have it held in person in church. My desire is always to have everyone seated in the main sanctuary and fellowship hall area. However, with the COVID-19 safety requirement for physically distanced seating, it is not possible to have all members and their households in this area. As such, some difficult decisions had to be made. Since this is an election year, we have had to prioritise for voting communicant members to be seated in these main areas. Associate members and family members of associate members will be seated in the upper fellowship hall. Since we anticipate that capacity would have been maxed out on the ground level with voting and associate members and their families, other members who are not eligible to vote (due to failing to meet the attendance requirements) inevitably need to be requested to join the ACM from the sanctuary upstairs. This is not ideal, but there is no other better choice because we need to facilitate conducting the voting briefing and assigning helpers to areas for the smooth collection of votes.

Also, as announced, we have had to do away with the lunch together after the ACM, as we cannot accommodate everyone sitting physically distanced over lunch. We also cannot have a combined worship service, as we do not have enough space to do so due to the COVID-19 seating arrangements. Hence, so as to allow for  sufficient time for the Triennial election and ACM to be conducted and for our Chinese brethren to have lunch outside before their worship service, the English Service has been brought forward by an hour while the Chinese Service has been pushed back by an hour. But, although things not what we are used to in past ACMs, let us give thanks and not complain about the inconveniences when other churches cannot even come together for their ACM.

Time to choose and remember to be thankful to God for His provisions for us. We must give thanks to God for His help with all the arrangements and His help throughout the year. This has been a tough year. As I mentioned in my earlier pastorals during the COVID-19 lockdown, it’s been almost like  having to start-   up the church from scratch, with all the new processes and changes that have been required. But the fact that we are where we are now, by God’s help alone, is something that we must be grateful for because even many churches in Perth have not resumed full worship in church without rostering. Our Sovereign God has permitted it, that He may make known to His church His Hand of help and protection. Each Sunday when we come to worship, let us come with anticipation, remembering that joyful return to church that week when some of us could be rostered to return in person after livestreaming for several months. When God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, they instead yearned for the flesh pots and bread (Ex 16:3), fish… cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick (Num 11:5) that they had left behind, despising the manna that God was graciously providing for them. After having studied Exodus and Numbers over the past years, let us not be like those that “forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt… despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD” (Ps 106:21,24,25). Sadly, we might have forgotten about the lockdown. We forgot about the time without worship in church, and missing fellowship with God’s people. The fact that things are different from what we’re used to or how we’d like to have it, there is a great temptation for us to be discontented and complain. We can choose to be unhappy about not having what we used to have, or we can instead choose to give thanks. Instead, let us say, “Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. 48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD” (Ps 106:47- 48).

Time to make God’s goodness and greatness known. God has given us in our generation a unique situation to learn of Him. We have seen His evident Hand upon us in BPCWA. With all that we’ve witnessed and lived through, our charge is to pass stir one other to seek after our Lord, make Him known to those around us, and ensure that the generations after us know of His goodness and mercy. How should we do so? BPCWAians, let us forward His work here by making the best use of God’s goodness by gratefully worshipping, growing spiritually, and inviting people to come to church to know God, and to serve Him with all our strength.

Ps 78:4-6 We will not hide themfrom their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

Yours in our Lord’s service,

Pastor