Anglican Diocese of Sabah 60th Anniversary
"The Present"

Today, 24th July is the 60th Anniversary of the inauguration of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah. It is indeed a joyous occasion as all our churches throughout Sabah including FCC Sunway, Thailand and Indonesia hold a special Thanksgiving Service in their own locality.   

It is a day to remember and give thanks to the Lord for the works of the early missionaries and pioneers – the seeds of the Gospel that they had lovingly sown through toil and labour in unimaginable tough conditions especially in the interior of Sabah. Lives were risked and lost. But nothing could stop their passion for the spread of the gospel. And we see the faithfulness of God in the growth, both spiritual and numerical, of the Diocese.   

We must echo as the psalmist did, “We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” Psalm 78:4. We must take on this task to tell the younger generation of what the Lord has done in the Diocese – how He used unassuming ordinary people like you and me to build His church here in Sabah. Everyone, both young and old has a place and purpose in the Diocese and we must seek to fulfil it. 

The theme of the 60th Anniversary is “THE PRESENT” which carries a dual meaning of “the gift” and ‘now”. The present which is the gift of the Gospel is to be passed to the younger generation so that the spread of the gospel here in Sabah will continue. Now is the time to invest in the younger generation. Now is the time to nurture them and help them to see their place and role in the Diocese.  I want to take this opportunity to challenge all the young people in our Diocese that now is the time to rise up and get into the position that God has destined for you so that you can take hold of the baton tightly when it is passed to you so that you will continue the work and lead the Diocese forward in the future.   

I want to thank everyone, past and present, for your labour of love in the Lord’s vineyard and God has richly blessed the Diocese through each one of you.   

As we reflect with thanksgiving of what the Lord has done for the past 60 years, let the chorus of this timeless hymn rise from our hearts to God.  

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! 
Morning by morning new mercies I see; 
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided 
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

The Most Reverend Datuk Melter J Tais 
Archbishop of the Province of Southeast Asia 
Bishop of Sabah