Institution and Induction of a Vicar

On 15 February 2014, Archdeacon Wong Tak Meng was inducted as the 18th Vicar of St Hilda’s Church.

The ceremony was well attended. Over 200 guests from the Diocese, sister churches in the east, partner organisations, St Hilda’s lay leaders and members were seated in the Sanctuary, which was built in 1949. At the same time, in the larger and newer Bethel Hall, well over 300 members from both St Hilda’s English and Chinese congregations came together to prayerfully follow the proceedings in the Sanctuary.

After the induction, Bishop Ponniah and Archdeacon Wong, accompanied by our external guests and lay leaders, proceeded to plant two olive trees close to the main gate of the church, as a testimony of God’s faithfulness and enabling presence.

Helping them to plant the trees were eight church members who represented a cross-section of St Hilda’s Church in age – from the young to the elderly. They were Hannah Cheong, aged 11; Kyle Koh, in his teens, and Sonia Yap, a young adult; Ivan Cai and Suan Phay Ling in their 30s and 40s respectively; Patricia Ow, in her 50s; Chan Tong, in his 70s; and Grace Boon, in her 80s.