By Rev. Dr. John Kao

The year AD 2000 is to lead us stride over the threshold into the next millennium. As well, it is the year that is the milestone of ours – 25th anniversary of ACEM. We, as a constituent of ACEM churches, have to be in one heart with a Christian spirit of solidarity in order to welcome this important date with an attitude of thanksgiving. It is by pleasing the Lord that we bring our church onto the new millennium with newness. To this end, I have the following four areas to share with you, my dear brothers and sisters:

1) Mission & Aim: Precise and Concise

Let us once again reiterate the vision and mission of ACEM churches, and the priority with which we devote ourselves to:

• First: we want to be a community of love and unity;

• Second: we want to be a community of discipleship training;

• Third: We want to be a community of church planting;

• Fourth: We want to be a community of world missions;

• Fifth: We want to be a community of social concern.

2) ACEM and member churches: Operation in Clarity & individuality

To be able to move forward, an organization must gradually deter from individualistic leadership to corporate visionary and missionary leadership. This (the latter) kind of leadership is usually provided by an organization’s constitution and by-laws.

Our initial constitution was drafted when we registered with the government in 1976. At that time, our church comprised of mostly students; whereas now, we have developed into a 7 congregating member church body of Christ, mostly of families. Therefore, our church organization and operation need overhauling so as to meet the changes generated by our development.

Then in 1985, in order to apply to be incorporated, ACME’s constitution was quickly done by our accounting firm. As a result, there are a number of points regarding the organization layout and operation procedures that have not been submitted to the congregation for reviewing and regulating. But because by now, ACEM and all her member churches are taking sound shapes, we encourage all of you to freely voice your opinions and to express suggestions toward revising the constitution. This is to catalyze the much-needed correction of our weaknesses and on the other hand to expound on our strengths. Only through this can we hope to consolidate into a more solidified organization. Let us be marshaled by the Lord to accomplish the tasks ahead!

3) Government Registration: ACEM Status Proper

Through the past 25 years, whenever there was the need to ordain our pastors, the ceremony had to be performed under the auspices of People Church of Toronto. This is simply because ACEM as yet had to acquire the 25 years of history as a church entity to satisfy the government prerequisite before being qualified and conferred with privilege of ordaining our pastors.

Next year will the 25th anniversary of the establishment of ACEM. We hope to obtain authorization of ordination from the government. Concurrent with this, we have to bring our constitution up-to-date for filing with the government. Achieving church ministry goals depends very much on the precision and clarity of mission and aim. In 1994, our leaders delineated the “Ministry Goals for Y2K”:

a) Yardstick for Love & Unity: Our leaders have committed to a ratio of 75% in fellowship and worship attendance.

b) Target for Discipleship Training: We hope to increase pastoral staff to 30. Comparing to 1994, we hope to double our deacons, Sunday school teachers and Growth Group leaders by Y2K.

c) Target for Church Planting Growth: We hope to have 10 member churches with a total worshiping congregation of 6,000.

d) Target for World Missions: Pray that we will have $800,000 in Faith-Promise offering; 10 career missionaries and 100 short-term missionaries.

e) Target for Social Concern: It is our hope to have 3 day-care centres, 1 youth centre, and 1 counseling centre. Jointly operating a centre for seniors with the government is also part of our long-term goal.

For some target we are on-track; for others we still have a long way to go. Therefore, we must take out our spirit of unity to propel us unrelentingly toward the New Millennium. What we need is to fervently pray together, unreservedly commit together, and follow the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, so that we may be enabled to accomplish the mission incumbent on us!

*translated by Albert Wai