Council Chair of the Church of Southeast Asia Elected
Diocesan Press Service. February 27, 1970 [84-13]
NEW YORK, N. Y. -- The Rt. Rev. Chiu Ban It, Bishop of Singapore, has been elected chairman of the Council of the Church of Southeast Asia, succeeding the Rt. Rev. James Wong, Bishop of Taiwan. Bishop Chiu will serve for five years.
The Rt. Rev. Basil Temengong, Bishop of Kuching, was elected vice chairman.
The Southeast Asia Council was organized ten years ago and consists of the Anglican Dioceses of Rangoon, Sabah, Kuching, Singapore, West Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Seoul and Taejon (Korea) and the Philippine Independent Church.
The Diocese of West Malaysia, the newest member of the Council, was recently created out of a part of the former Diocese of Singapore and Malaya.
The Council by resolution urged canonical action by the member Churches for full communion with the Church of South India and heard reports of unity discussions with the Methodist Church in the Dioceses of Singapore and Hong Kong.
The Bishops also favored the licensing of women lay readers and a strengthening of the ministry of deacons and lay ministers through new styles of training and a permanent diaconate.
The Episcopal Church has funded the Council over the past ten years with $500, 000, expended over that period through grants of $50,000 annually.