Kota Kinabalu: The installation service of Bishop of Sabah Rev Datuk Melter Jiki Tais as the Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church in Southeast Asia will be conducted at All Saints’ Cathedral, here, tomorrow (Sunday).
Melter is the first Bumiputera from Sabah who will be installed as an Archbishop in the Anglican Communion, and not least, as the Archbishop of the Province of South East Asia.
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He was also the first indigenous Bishop of Sabah, having been installed as the 6th Diocesan Bishop on May 19, 2015 to lead the 90,000-strong Anglican community in Sabah and Labuan.
“The Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia was inaugurated on Feb 2, 1996 as the 37th province of the Anglican Communion,” according to a statement, Friday.
“As a province, it is a fully autonomous part of the Anglican Communion – consisting of the Dioceses of Kuching, Sabah, Singapore and West Malaysia.
“At the Extraordinary meeting of the Provincial Synod held in Kuching, Sarawak on Sept 24, 2019, The Rt Rev Datuk Melter Jiki Tais, Bishop of Sabah was elected the 6th Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia.
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“His term of office will run from Feb 2020 to Feb 2024.”
Melter will succeed the Most Rev Datuk Ng Moon Hing who will continue serving as Bishop of West Malaysia until his retirement in November 2020.
“Throughout the election process, the Synod has taken into consideration of the needs of the Province and the long-term challenges the Province faces in her mission,” it said.
Hailing from Kampung Nangoh in Beluran, Melter was ordained as a priest in 1993 following theological studies at the Malaysia Evangelical Seminary, Miri and the Malaysia Bible Seminary, Selangor.
Prior to becoming diocesan bishop, Melter served as the Archdeacon of the Central Archdeaconry (2007-2009), an Assistant Bishop of Sabah (2009-2015), and the Vicar General of Sabah (2014-2015).
He has more than two decades of experience in parish ministry, having been in charge of parishes in Keningau, Lahad Datu, and Telupid.
Melter has also served in several ecumenical roles, including as the President of the Sabah Council of Churches (2017-2019), and is presently the Deputy President of the Council of Churches Malaysia (2019-2022).
He is also a member of the Design Group Committee for the 2020 Lambeth Conference, an assembly of Anglican bishops from around the world which takes place about once a decade.
He is married to Angeline, and they have five children, namely Ivy, Melvin, Myra, Marvin, and Melody.
The installation service will commence at 4pm, and thereafter, a thanksgiving dinner will be held at the Hakka Association Hall, here, at 8pm, the same evening.
The service will also be broadcast live on the official Facebook page of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah.
