Motions as proposed for All
Saints’ Cathedral AGM on 24th March, 2013 but aborted
Motion
3
We
call for a full review of the Diocesan Assessment for All Saints Cathedral in
the context of Biblical interpretation and administrative justice for God as
money or tithe collected by ASC to be largely retained in ASC and the Diocesan
Assessment in the transition be capped at RM500,000 per year to the Diocese of
Sabah which is not a church. Diocese of Sabah would be under a new structure and constitution
after the transition.
1.
Diocese
Assessment should not be there as it is NOT business of any church to pay any
taxes or dues to any one. You think the
church itself cannot manage its own affairs like there are so many independent
churches self financing.
2.
In
the transition towards the total abolition of the Diocese Assessment, it is
best to cap the ‘assessment’ or contribution to the Diocese at RM500,000 a year for ASC.
3.
I
believe if we cap it at RM500,000 for the transistion for the revamp of ADOS and
the PCC manages ASC well financially, the tithes and donation could more than
double in two years from now.
4.
As
the churches are the storehouse of God’s money, all the churches in Kota
Kinabalu with ASC as the mother church should form a working committee with fair
and proper representation to reap more harvest for God.
5.
With
regional zones based on the localities in Sabah,
the Synod could be more effective as a channel in the mission field rather than
what we observed in Synod 2012. Unity
for common purpose is better than the fragmentation of the illegal Synod 2012 which even approved a
very much questioned Financial accounts with misappropriation of over ten
million Ringgit.
6.
The
shortcomings in ADOS are mainly due to the structure of ADOS vis-à-vis churches
within the set up.
7.
Under
ASC Constitution Article XI Finance subclause 6 –The Council may seek discussion
with the Bishop on the matter of Parish assessment.
7.1
Does
the Constitution of ADOS mention Diocese Assessment? If not, where is the authority?
7.2
It
does not sound right when the receiver of money can dictate terms to the givers
especially when it is God’s money to be handle properly.
7.3
It
is further mindless that the receiver of God’s money can tell what the givers
have to do like the power of prerogative.
7.4
Should
we now not address the curse of ADOS or the Bishop of Sabah in this very basic
and fundamental matter as the best wine is last to emerge.
8.
ASC
being the mother church has contributed much more to the Diocese of Sabah
unrecorded.
9.
ADOS
is not properly managed financially.
According Malachi 3, ADOS/Bishop are robbing God.
10.
The purpose of tithes and donations in church
and usage thereof has been totally distorted by the ADOS as a management body. Hence a full review is desirable.
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Motion 2
We
demand for a full investigation of the performance of the acting Dean
since
2006 in ASC. An investigation committee be formed in this AGM to look into
all
aspects of ASC vis-à-vis ADOS to declare Datuk AV as unfit to remain as Bishop.
1.
Platform for appropriate corrective actions including restitution of losses
etc.
2.
To firm up misleading accusations as denied.
3.
For moral boosting, morale restoration and good practice.
4.
To implement the vote against AVCF as acting Dean in last AGM as he did not
resign
accordingly..
Proposed
by Joshua Y. C. Kong Supported by : Charlie Fu
Dated:
7th March, 2013
More
comments ---
1.
We
have massive deficits as a sign of mismanagement of God’s money especially in
the Jubilee year lacking in the true spirit of humility resulting in attention
diverted to mega projects and mega spending so unnecessary causing massive
profligacy in great departure from the purpose of tithes and donations.
2.
The
massive mismanagement of 6 years has been fully exposed in at least three
massive blogs and finally the Church of England’s newspaper stated that the
bishop had committed financial misconduct.
3.
The
local newspapers have covered this malpractice on 17th July, 2012
and the high profile Civil Court
case from 25th July, to December 17, 2012.
4.
The
more the bishop and acting dean denied on the mismanagement and do nothing
about that with known and unknown reasons, the more there is a need to conduct
a full investigation as there is nothing to fear if no wrong doings had
occurred.
5.
The
fact that AVCF was voted out as acting Dean and yet he remained as acting Dean
until December 2012 gives the impression of his hidden agenda which should now
be scrutinized by a full investigation.
6.
A
full internal investigation would provide the platform for the facilitator
Bishop Moses Tay to act accordingly to enhance the ASC vis-à-vis ADOS as the
Anglican church in Sabah.
7.
A
full internal investigation if conducted properly would allow the amendments of
the ASC Constitution to be more focused as far as it is related to the
Constitution of ADOS.
8.
A
full internal investigation would end the present impasse of brokenness in the
Diocese and ASC with what next to be in the revamp programme.
9.
To
interprete what the Dean shares in his brief Report, I strongly believe this
investigation would
9.1
Connect
us to the right thing and put the wrong doings in proper perspective to nuture
unity
9.2
Commit
honour when the wrong doings of AVCF as acting Dean have been properly
identified and not deemed as lies by the Bishop hence we rest in the full
knowledge of what went wrong.
9.3
Continue
encouragement is a two way traffic and such encouragement cannot prevail when
the many suspected wrong doings are swept under the carpet.
9.4
Connect
with God in crisis is desirable when the wrong doings are investigated
conclusively.
10. We need to move this motion forward to
resolve the Crisis promptly.
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Motions as proposed for All
Saints’ Cathedral AGM on 24th March, 2013
Motion 1. All Saints’
Cathedral members would urge the Dean and the PCC to appeal to the Bishop of
Sabah to amend the following matters in the Constitutions that affect ASC in
good governance with a Constitutions’ Sub-Committee (CSC) comprising 50% of ASC
members and such amended Constitutions be in due process with the members of
ADOS apart from Synod based on a guideline of proceedings.
The
matters are as follows:-
1.1
Article XIII Cathedral Chapter of The Constitution of Diocese of Sabah in
sub section 3 as “In the event of the departure or transfer or retirement of
the Dean, the Bishop shall be the acting Dean until a suitable successor is
appointed” to be amended to ““In the event of the departure or transfer or
retirement of the Dean, the Bishop shall be the acting Dean until a suitable
successor is appointed AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE AND WITHIN one YEAR”
1.2
The Composition of the Council ---Under clause ( c ) of Article VIII
where “Any other clergy and lay workers licensed by the Bishop to serve in the
Parish” shall be observers status only and not part of the quorum.
1.3
In the Conduct of Annual General
Meeting
The
Motions and the audited accounts together with the previous AGM minutes and
Reports must be made available in hard copy one week before the AGM and issued
to those who are entitled to receive them.
The
AGM minutes must be ready within one month of the AGM as concluded. Such
minute must be verified within 45 days from date of AGM by a verification
committee consisting 2 member of clergy, 3 members of outgoing/incoming members
plus 5 ordinary members attending the AGM. The AGM’s minute must be fully
signed and confirmed as correct.
1.4
Major projects above RM30,000
Any
major projects above RM30,000 at any time in the basis year should be approved
by an EGM unless it was already approved at the previous AGM. A proper
project paper would be desirable at the EGM.
Rational:- 1. Norms for governance to be defined 2. To avoid conflict,
contradiction and selective applications.
3. Certainties of roles.
4. No profligacy of God’s money
derived from tithes and donations.
Proposed
by Joshua Y. C. Kong
seconded by Charlie Fu
Dated: 7th March, 2013
supporting arguments
Supporting argument for
motion 1
On 4th November, 2012, the rector wrote
“A committee will be formed to re-examine the church’s constitution and give
suitable suggestions according to the growth of the church.”
So far we do not know what is happening with this
Committee and the structure of this committee plus the processes of this review
of the church’s Constitution in line with recent development in ADOS vis-à-vis
ASC and other Anglican churches in Sabah and
beyond.
In prevailing situation we have come to the stage to
review all the constitutional aspects that would affect the lives of the
members and beneficiaries of the ASC. We
cannot leave it to chance or the prerogative of the Bishop. We should also examine all the constitutions
of the Diocese of Sabah that can affect the lives of members and beneficiaries
of the ASC. We cannot allow anyone or
any group to make new procedures in any situation without going through general
meeting of ASC.
Items in 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 are for good governance.
A Bishop and Dean performing dual roles for any
extended period is disastrous undesirable as the Diocese of Sabah is very big
with capable persons within and if not then engage someone outside with the
right experience on contract.
In item 1.2, with so many non elected members, any
PCC meeting could be conducted by their presence along as the quorum would be
no problem. These non elected members
could vote for their own projects as the number can be big in PCC. Such non elected members can be ‘loyal’ to
the Bishop and the Dean and no accountable to the ASC members for any decisions
as this was shared to us by Dr. James Chhoa in last year AGM in his motion on
this clause ( c ) of Article VIII .
In item 1.3, the procedures for proper AGM or EGM
should be introduced in writing and would encourage very good attendance. What have been done for some years have been
in disorder. I believe we have a good
office and good workers to comply with the time factor. The minutes and reports of 2011 and 2012 are
clearing lacking because we need the Constitution to discipline this
performance not only available one hour before the AGM.
In item 1.4, about the amount of RM30,000 per
project is a good indicator of self
regulatory that .we are conscious not to be wasteful or profligacy of the
public fund and in this case it is God’s money needed to be handle properly. To avoid reckless and improper unplanned
spending, RM30K is good level and to some RM50K or RM100K maybe still too low. If the PCC does its homework properly, any
major project should go through the budgetary process at the earliest AGM. We have this very sad episode of the House of
Celebration worth RM30m in ASC ground without any planning and yet ASC is
committed to RM18m namely 60% of the project.
Who actually approved that with one or two PCC meetings? We have seen how RM70k was given to Sulaman
Worship Centre under dubious circumstances.
