Walkathon Raises S$900K for Methodist Schools

Friday, Jun. 12, 2009 Posted: 12:03:53AM HKT

Left to Right: Bishop Dr Solomon, RAdm (NS) Lui, Mrs Joni Ong, Ms Mary Gan, Principal of the Methodist School of Music and the Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup, President of Trinity Annual Conference (not in picture). (Photo: Methodist Message / Daniel Lie)

Nine out of ten parts of a million dollars were added to the funds of the 16 Methodist schools in Singapore through a recent walkathon.

Methodist Walk, a biennial fund-raising event for the denomination’s mission schools, saw more than 5,000 students and church members gathered at the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) campus on March 28 to walk distances of either 2.4 km or 4.3 km for the donation drive, wrote Joni Ong, the Chairman of the Methodist Schools’ Foundation, for Methodist Message.

Fund-raising was merely one of the numerous purposes of the denomination-wide campaign, as Methodist bishop Dr Robert M Solomon had informed the large turnout.

According to him, the walkathon was not only an opportunity to better one’s health, it was also an opportune time to reflect on one’s spiritual life and how one lives his or her life and a good chance to bring mutual encouragement to one another and strengthening of the Methodist identity, common purposes and mission by coming together as a church and school.

In his closing exhortation he urged the participants to choose to walk with God, and as His children walk in truth in the company of the wise and as His children of love walk with the poor and needy with compassion and care, the Methodist Schools’ Foundation leader wrote.

The major fund-raising effort certainly turned out to be a boon for community life, with the sheer volume of social interaction that took place.

Not only did Methodist Walk succeed in raising funds for the denomination’s educational institutions, which includes twelve primary and secondary schools, a junior college, two private schools and a school of music, it brought together the churches, schools and auxiliary organisations including The Boys’ Brigade and Red Cross in a united effort.

As a result of sponsorship on the part of Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church, underwriting all the expenses for the event, the Methodist schools got to keep every cent of the $900,000 raised. Wesley Methodist Church had sponsored the last Methodist Walk in 2007.

Methodist Walk was organised by the Methodist Schools’ Foundation. Senior Minister of State for Education and for Information, Communications and the Arts, Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, was present at the event as the Guest-of-Honour.

The Methodist Church in Singapore has 44 churches and six preaching points with more than 34,000 full members and is the largest mainstream Protestant denomination in Singapore. Its educational institutions served 22,803 students and boasted a faculty of 1,362, according to the latest directory of churches and Christian organisations published by the National Council of Churches of Singapore.

Nathanael Ng
Christian Post Reporter