The Most Reverend Datuk Yong Ping Chung, 2nd Archbishop of the Province of South East Asia
Bishop Datuk Yong Ping Chung, a Malaysian of Hakka descent, was born on 20th February 1941, the 2nd son in a family of 4 brothers. One of his brothers is also in the ministry. He is a convert from a Chinese traditional family. He has held the distinction of being the youngest member ever elected to the Diocesan Standing Committee when the Diocese of Sabah was inaugurated in 1963 while he was still a high school student in All Saints' Secondary School. In 1964, he left Sabah for Newfoundland Canada where he pursued his theological education, and graduated from Memorial University with a B. A. and Queen's College with a L.Th.
In May 1969, at the request of the Bishop of Sabah, he was ordained as a deacon by the Bishop of Newfoundland and upon returning to Sabah he was priested in March 1970. He was appointed a Canon of All Saints' Cathedral in 1976 and became the Archdeacon of Sabah a year later. As an Archdeacon and the Chairman he contributed significantly to the development and growth of the Sabah Anglican Interior Mission (SAIM), a body constituted to spearhead Mission serving the people of the Interior of Sabah in 1958. As a Bishop he went on to form the Sabah Anglican Urban Mission (SAUM) in 1994, to bring into the Mission Focus work in the urban areas of Sabah. He has challenged the Diocese of Sabah to further develop spiritual growth and harvest, for discipleship and for wider mission, and to be a new people for a new millennium. As a result of these challenges, the average Sunday attendance in the Diocese has doubled from 1990 to 1999. He is a firm advocate of team ministry, a ministry based on trust, love and mutual submission among the Bishops, clergy and laity working and serving together joyfully for the Anglican churches and Christianity.
Bishop Datuk Yong has tremendous parish ministry background having served as a Rector of the St. Michael's Church, Sandakan, the oldest church in the Diocese of Sabah established in 1888 from 1973 to 1985. He was also the priest in charge of the Church of the Good Shepherd, a daughter church planted by St. Michael's Church in 1984. From Sandakan he moved on to St. Patrick's Church, Tawau where he served till 1990 when he was consecrated and installed as the 4th Bishop of Sabah on 25th September, succeeding the Rt Revd Datuk Luke Chhoa. In 1993, in recognition of his service and contribution to community and society, the State Government of Sabah conferred on him the title of "Datukship", PGDK.
At the extraordinary meeting of the Synod of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia held in Singapore on 26th and 27th of November, 1999, The Rt Rev Datuk Yong Ping Chung, the Bishop of the Diocese of Sabah, was unanimously elected as the 2nd Archbishop of the Province.
The Province of South East Asia, inaugurated in February 1996, covers the four Dioceses of Kuching, Singapore, West Malaysia and Sabah with more than 200,000 Anglicans members in the countries under its jurisdiction encompassing Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and Nepal. This province endeavours to serve a population of more than 360 million people in education, medical, social and moral aspects of nation building.
Bishop Datuk Yong Ping Chung will be installed as the 2nd Archbishop at a Special Installation Service in All Saints' Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu on 22nd February 2000 for a four year-term period, succeeding The Most Rev Dr Moses Tay of the Diocese of Singapore who is retiring as the Diocesan Bishop of Singapore on 1st April 2000. After the installation, he shall be addressed as "Archbishop Yong". His official duties shall carry him to visit and give pastoral support to the Anglican Dioceses in South East Asia Region under his jurisdiction and to represent the Province at the Anglican Worldwide Primates' Meeting. The next Primates' meeting will be held in Portugal March 23 - 28, 2000. He will also attend other Anglican related meetings from time to time. It will be an honour to Malaysia and Sabah.
He is a well-known leader in the Christian community and has served in various capacities in the worldwide Anglican Communion and also the ecumenical movement in South East Asia and Malaysia. He was Chairman of the Anglican Consultative Council 1984 - 1990 and Chairman of the Council of Churches of East Asia 1996 - 1999. He is currently Presidents of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, Council of Churches of Malaysia and Sabah Council of Churches. He is the first Malaysian and Sabahan to hold such a high office of "Archbishop" in South East Asia Region.
He is strongly rooted in the word of God and has often been invited to address Christian Conferences and Church Meetings in Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada, United States, Africa and within Asia.
Bishop Datuk and his wife Julia have two grown up daughters, Sarah who is working in Singapore as a speech therapist and Lois and son-in-law Alex Koh, who are in United States pursuing a Master Degree. Julia is very supportive of the ministry of her husband and accompany him in his Episcopal visits to all the churches and parishes throughout the length and breath of Sabah. In her own rights she is a musician and also very active especially in Bible studies, counseling and ministry among the women. Bishop Datuk Yong and his wife enjoy reading and music for relaxation or to take a quiet walk in the garden. They both accepted the appointment as God's calling and humbly requested all church members and friends to pray for them as they take up this heavy responsibility as a husband and wife team.
Bishop Datuk Yong Ping Chung is also deeply grateful to the first Archbishop, The Most Rev Dr Moses Tay of Singapore, who has laid a strong foundation for the Province of South East-Asia. The Most Rev Datuk Yong Ping Chung hopes that he will further strengthen the Province during his next four years' term.
FootnoteThe Anglican Consultative Council is the global Anglican Network with a following of 70-80 million Anglicans worldwide.
The Council of Churches of East Asia is Regional Anglican Council in East Asia consisting 20 Dioceses including Myanmar, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. Bishop Datuk Yong Ping Chung became its Chairman in 1996 - 1999. During his term of office, he tried to bring about closer relationship through a proper consultative process.
The Council of Churches of Malaysia is the national body that unites the churches in Malaysia and represents the welfare of the churches to the Government of Malaysia. During his 2 terms as President, the Archbishop's timelessly promoted greater contribution of the Malaysian Churches to nation building and national identity building closer rapport with the national leadership.