CHAPLAINS' CONFERENCE 2016

20 Sep, 2016

Sailors' Society's Regional Development Manager, Gavin Lim (front), writes about the recent chaplains' conference

This year’s regional chaplains’ conference was held at Singapore's YWCA Fort Canning Lodge. Everyone was excited, as it was a time to come together for fellowship, to learn, strengthen friendships and make new friendships as many new chaplains came on board in 2016.

Last year, we had one chaplain in India, this year we have seven! The Society also has new chaplains in Myanmar and Indonesia.

In all, 17 chaplains and six non-chaplaincy staff attended the conference; the main theme of which was crisis response. Training on how to support traumatised seafarers was provided by Alexander Dimitrevich, from the Society’s Crisis Response Centre in Ukraine. Information came thick and fast with enough time for everyone to digest and discuss knowledge.

Reverend Sebastian Chua, the former Chairman of the Singapore Baptist Convention, was our guest speaker on the second day. He has spent the last 20 years teaching and helping local pastors advance their ministries by providing mentoring and leadership training in Myanmar.

There are now 20 churches and three orphanages that have been directly or indirectly started by Reverend Chua and his team. His message was for our chaplains to be brave and strong in the face of difficulties and adversity, it was truly inspirational. The two and a half days of the conference went very quickly, it seems like everyone has known each other for years and was good to see such camaraderie. I guess it was due to us having the same faith and serving the same mission. Until next year!

Share this article: