Basel Christian Church of Malaysia Has a New Bishop - Bishop Thomas Tsen

Basel Christian Church of Malaysia (BCCM) has just elected a new bishop to succeed Bishop Voo Thien Fui. The responsibility now rests on the shoulders of Rev. Dr. Thomas Tsen, the father of Irene Tsen.

Like many other denominations, Basel Church has been yearning for renewal. Both clergy and lay members have long desired a more open and tolerant church leadership - one that is less rigid and more receptive to the movement of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church.

It is perhaps unsurprising that the newly elected bishop is not one of the “pastoral” pastors who have served directly within the Chinese or English congregations. Over the years, many of those leaders became seen as “controversial” figures, unable to gain widespread acceptance. Instead, the task has now fallen to Rev. Dr. Tsen, whose background as a lecturer at Sabah Theological Seminary (STS) positions him as a less divisive, more unifying choice.

One of his notable strengths is his command of languages - being trilingual in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, and English. This ability gives him a unique advantage in bridging cultural and linguistic divides within the Basel community. His English, in particular, has improved significantly since his return from the United States, enabling him to connect more effectively with the diverse membership of the church.

I believe Basel Church is poised for change under his leadership - perhaps not a sweeping transformation overnight, but a steady and thoughtful journey towards renewal.

"Stay-in Patient"

On 22 Nov 2007, I was admitted to the hospital (SMC) for a procedure. Frankly, that was the first time in my life as a "stay-in patient". I had actually stayed and slept in hospital before, they were however for accompanying family members rather than for myself.

Lately, I have been experiencing "muffled" or minor but persistent abdominal pain. The doctor recommended that I go through this scanning of both the stomach and intestine to find out the cause. I gladly agreed because I also took it as a good time for a medical check-up of this part of my body.

Based on the images, the doctor was of the opinion that I was having some kind of infection in the system. Biopsy was taken to verify his suspicion.

Malaysian Wine

Something caught our attention when we were doing our marketing at the Lido Wet Market on Saturday morning. Malaysia-made wine!

At first, we were wondering since when Malaysia could grow enough grapes to produce wine. At closer look, we discovered it was wine made from the red pitaya (loong chu kuo).

Aborted Trip to Singapore

My trip to Singapore scheduled in early November to watch David Copperfield Live failed to materialise because the magician's trip to Asia had to be aborted due to his being investigated for a rape allegation.

That also robbed me the chance of seeing Sam Live!

Taking Advantage of The Charity of Christian Brotherly and/or Sisterly Love

Lately, we have been talking about specific individuals both man and woman in the church borrowing money from other non-suspecting members.

Case 1: This man was once a church leader and even a school board member. He has been fond of approaching church friends to borrow money. He even has the gut of signing an agreement for such a "loan". Later on when it's time for repayment, he would just simply apply the delaying tactic until you just get tired of asking. You discover later on that he was in fact declared a bankrupt some 10 years ago! Legally speaking, there is almost nil chance of getting your money back. The sad thing is - he is still happily engaging this "business" with unsuspecting members as of today.

Case 2: This is a female who joined a church as a "young" believer. Not long after joining, she began approaching church members for money citing this and that. Many kind-hearted people responded favourably to her requests. When it's time for repayments, she would give thousand of reasons to decline paying. Finally, she disappeared from the church totally.

Lesson: Never give in to this kind of request for money or loan from people both in and out of the church, even to some so-called close friends! If there is a need for help, find out the real source of the problem and help to tackle from the source. Never pass the money direct to the one asking for it. Chances are, you will never see your money again! But beware, the "borrower" and the "source" may team up to con you !

There are many reasons why people come to the church. Some for genuine reasons. Many for business contacts and for widening their sale market. Some come to cheat! I am speaking from experience because I am one of the victims. So Beware !