Apparently Tham Fuan was advised the LifeGate AGM could not be postponed due to CAV requirements.
Who advised him I wonder, and would he himself want to heed members’ request to postpone the AGM? If he himself doesnt want to, he actually did not need the advice.
If he wanted to, he could have asked if the person who gave the advice was sure.
The AGM can be postponed. The CAV allows it. One simply need ask.
Even if one of these “leaders” wants to hide behind formal laws, at least get it right.
As many have said in this saga, it’s a matter of what the leaders sincerely want to do. If they want to let members clear the air before charging ahead with the AGM, they simply need ask. Or simply google like so : http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=Associations+Incorporated+Reform+Act+2012+Section+104
If they are not interested in heeding members, then dont seek refuge under formal laws, especially when the laws permit the AGM to be postponed.
From: Teh, Ian
Sent: Tuesday, 14 May 2013 11:54 AM
To: ‘[ ]; [ ]; [ ]; [ ]; [ ]; [ ]; [ ]; [ ]; [ ]; [ ];
Subject: Next steps
Hi All
We have been through a topsy turvy journey lately. I have not set out to “fight” without a context. It was on account of what appears to have been gross injustice to Jason.
In the face of an ongoing struggle to extract the complete truth, I’m not sure what the next step should be. Yes, we can keep fighting. We ought to keep fighting if we want to see justice done to Jason.
For my part, I want to again think about what I heard last Sunday, when Theresa and I attended Bridge Church.
The sermon (Joel Holm) was about acting courageously. The courageous act I was challenged to undertake, is to return to Jesus. That was in the context of my journey (and also Theresa’s) to find a new church. I am now also asking if it can also apply in this situation. For someone who cannot sit still when confronted with injustice, it takes courage to not act as per usual – and turn to Jesus instead.
It goes against my inner being – my DNA – to stop fighting. It is a big struggle, especially when I see more and more wrongs being committed, and against a brother who is so dear to me (and all of us). A brother who has acted magnanimously on all fronts.
I am however, at this moment, inclined to respond to what I heard last Sunday in Bridge Church, by turning to Jesus. This time, I would not act unless He gives me a clear answer. I accept that this would probably mean I will do nothing anymore because I have not received a clear answer in most of the decisions I have had to make in my 48 years on this earth.
But faced with the constant and determined effort by the board and Tham Fuan to keep this injustice going, I feel I am no longer doing battle in the normal course of things. It feels as though this battle really belongs to the Lord and Him only.
What I can safely say is I have done all that I could. And I think all of you have done what you could. I have been encouraged by your sense of justice, your commitment and courage to step up, and your friendship and fellowship you have shown to Jason.
So [ ], I am sorry if this sounds like I am giving up. I really don’t want us all to continue in this frame of mind where we feel under siege, and feel as though we are struggling against leaders who should be serving and helping us instead of causing us so much agony. I think if we all turn to Jesus, and in spite of this injustice, do nothing more than just turn to Jesus, we may be able to see this differently.
Not differently in the sense of forgetting or ignoring this injustice, but differently in terms of rising above this injustice and carrying on in spite of the pain and hurt from this injustice. I don’t think we should forget though – because knowing what these leaders are culpable of, those who remain in LG must exercise ongoing vigilance and to call out wrong and to require right action even more.
Sorry for being so preachy, but I have been on a journey with all of you and I just can’t leave the ship without saying what is in my heart.
I hope we all find peace and rest in our Lord.
Regards
IAN TEH
T: 03 9200 4897
M: 0477 700 602
When I took the little fellow for a walk last night, it felt like winter has finally and truly arrived. It was chilly, dark and wet. My woolly jumper felt inadequate at the start of the walk. That fellow however, was excited as ever. He was just bobbing around and sniffing at everything. Occasionally I’d have my torchlight pointed at something he has his nose to, after I tugged the lead and he refuses to keep going.
I got home, watched some of Sir Alex Ferguson’s show on the EPL highlights program, and thought about reading when the Four Corners show came on. It was an intriguing mixture of a kid fraught with developmental issues, social adaptability, change, and a mother who in struggling to bring up a child with these challenges had a curious affinity for guns.
I sat enthralled as I hear the American journalist talk to friends of Nancy Lanza, the mother. She appeared to have been a normal devoted mother. She wanted what was best for Adam Lanza and did all she could for him. Adam had trouble adapting to his environment and was clearly having issues dealing with people around him. Yet, in spite of her recognition of Adam’s needs and challenges, she saw no issues with introducing him to firearms and even encouraged his interest in it.
Adam Lanza appeared to be a young man with a long history of psychological and even possibly mental challenges. Arm such a person with firearms and you have a very good recipe for unmitigated disaster. Adam as we all know, ended up shooting and killing 26 people including Nancy his own mother and many young children.
As I get ready for bed after that, I thought about the consequences of arming ill-equipped leaders with power and authority. I thought what a disaster – what carnage – this combination brings. The damage ill equipped leaders can bring is fearful.
With a possible longish Sunday looming and my (sort of) promise to Kiddo to visit one of the churches she recommended, I decided not to watch the FA Cup final between Man City and Wigan. I was fully expecting Man City to win anyway so it was an easy decision to not watch the match.
I was up early on Sunday and what a surprise. Wigan had won by an injury time goal! I was thinking of the Wimbeldon Crazy Gand’s exploits in a final many years ago – with Lawrie Sanchez scoring the winning goal – against the might of Liverpool. This was in the 80’s when Liverpool had not yet been knocked off their proverbial perch.
And so, although it was very early for a Sunday morning and I have had a late night, I got up and watched the reply on ESPN, which was screening (milking) the event on a rolling basis. Until recent years, I had associated Wigan with rugby and didn’t realise they have a football team of premier league standards. But like I said in a previous entry, I get Wigan. The underdog over achiever of a survivor… I sincerely hope they survive the drop. They would have to beat Arsenal but other than I have a small soft spot for Spurs, watching Wigan claw their way out of relegation after winning the FA Cup would be absolutely thrilling.
I was at a non-work/community volunteer type of training in the city on Sat. It was supposed to go on till 4 but there was a birthday party on, near home. A gorgeous little princess was turning 3 – a precocious little thing whose love for people around her (and food…) is so magnetic that it was hard to even be late for the party, let alone miss it.
And so I left the training soon after lunch, and came home in time to get to the party with Tress.
Later that night, I started to think about what I thought might happen the next day.
Some thought there was going to be a question and answer session in LifeGate church that arvo. I said to my mate that if he wanted to be present to say something, I would be with him.
I wanted to be there and stand with him. In the same way I was there and stood with Lim Kit Siang on the night his son, Lim Guan Eng was sentenced to jail, back in Malaysia in the 1990’s.
I have always believed a wrong need to be called out, and efforts to fix the wrong must be made. No one can and should think of carrying on as though life goes on, by simply discarding the wrong. Justice I think is front and centre of Christianity.
In particular, if a church has committed a wrong, so much more it needs to fix the wrong before it can move on. To move on without fixing the wrong is to betray what a church is all about. It isn’t just about coming together. It is coming together in truth, sharing in a righteousness won for us by our God, who “stopped” to fix our problems before “moving on”. Righteousness is perhaps together with justice at the front and centre of Christianity.
Anyway, as it turned out the fabled question and answer fizzled out into a non-event.
I had in any event, thought about being at the Q&A, to be with my brother – as he responds to misleading and dishonest things said about him. In thinking about how the session may pan out, one of the scenarios played out in my mind was one of reconciliation.
I was preparing to contemplate the prospect of reconciliation, should the Q&A elicit answers and responses that lead to a genuine step to fix things. That then would have truly constituted thoughts, feelings and actions that accompany responses to what God has initiated. That was a prospect in my mind because I believe that is what God wants. God does not want us to forget things in a hurry. He wants us to deal with things. Moving forward can only be meaningful, and therefore fruitful, if it is done in a way which doesn’t sacrifice the elements of truth, justice and righteousness.
Alas, the prospect of substantive reconciliation dissipated and the spectre of moving forward with unholy haste and of lies, deceit and bad faith continue to hang over LifeGate Church.
26.38. By itself it looks good. In fact I might have had a car with a plate bearing those numbers. Chinese love these numbers. Loosely it may be read to sound like “easy path bears prosperity”. Silly perhaps but in a community where one goes out every day to scrap to earn a living and provide for the family, every little bit helps – even loose numerology of some sort.
Those numbers were in reference to Sir Alex Ferguson of course.
26 years (and a bit) bearing 38 trophies.
The match last night was due to start 12.45am and I have a (another) busy week so I hadn’t planned to watch it. I did however set up the hard disk recorder. Hopefully I got the programming right and hopefully I had it recording long enough to include all post match activities. I’d find out tonight…
Again, “Thank You”, Sir Alex. Your hard work and dedication meant so much to so many.
The message that Jason has missed board meetings for a number of months and is therefore justifiably removed from the church board, is a wrong one.
The leaders know it is a misleading message and it is dishonest for them to use it. It is bad faith approach to leadership. Or simply incompetent.
Jason missed meetings because he had a specific injury (not general health issues) and because of probity reasons. That stretched over a period which included 2-3 months of summer holidays where people were away and travelling. To use the overall period in the message without detailing the particulars is misleading and dishonest. It is mischievous.
Even if that is to be a bona fide basis for their misconceived action, the leaders ought to have given Jason notice that they were going down that path. To deny him natural justice is not just illegal and subject to challenge under the law of this land, it is also downright unbecoming of church leaders.
When will they start to act correctly and honourably?
Again, after all that Jason has done for this church, is this how he should be treated. Hang in shame.
First they lock out discussions about Jason’s exit. Now they appear to be locking out people from the AGM.
Members from the Chinese congregation, who have been attending the church for a number of years, find themselves in the process of being excluded from the AGM. These are members who have raised questions about what has happened to Jason.
If they are not careful, the Department of Justice may take an interest in this approach of keeping things private and behind closed doors, excluding parties who have been part of this organisation for a long time.
An injunction from the Supreme Court may well succeed, to prevent the AGM from proceeding. A mandamus may also succeed, to seek redress of Jason’s situation.
If they want to go down the legalistic path by excluding members from AGM simply because of membership roll hygiene, they should be ready for the spectre of a legal action for administrative recourse such as injunction and mandamus. Together with a certiorari of course – to declare their act against Jason to be wrong at law.
Chances are no one wants to go down that path. And that is a good thing. I am just seeing this legalistic approach to doing church, by excluding long-time members from AGM simply because of membership roll hygiene as a wrong and dangerous one.
And then there’s the tribal instinct kicking in. “I support Tham Fuan because…” shows this instinct clearly. “Dichotomy of (sic – between?) this group and that group” I wasn’t talking about either of those matters. I don’t subscribe to such tribal views of matters.
I have stood on the other side of the fence against Jason before. A number of times.
It isn’t about being on the side of Jason or Tham Fuan.
It is about whether what the leaders (including Tham Fuan) have done was right or wrong. Talking in terms of being on the side of Jason or Tham Fuan is being tribal. Being objective to see what the leaders have done is a better option. But no – the discussion has been shut down. Rally together and forge ahead. Stick to your tribe.
Being tribal means you follow and do whatever your tribe leaders say. You don’t think for yourself. You don’t see what has happened. You see what the tribe leaders want you to see. If these leaders forge ahead leaving questions unanswered you are ok because you are part of the tribe and sticking together as a tribe is important. More important than seeing whether what these leaders have done is right or wrong.
If the church is to be built on legalism and tribalism, then certainly they need to be fasting and praying.
“I believe it is now time to put aside all differences (also put aside a very badly treated leader) and ill feelings (dont feel bad – even if your fellow board members knife you in the back) and work towards building the church (built on shaming your leaders) that would bring glory and honour to His name (gotta pray very hard).”
Ante 