25.03.2009
Malaysian Bishop Rajah Prioritizes Interreligious Tolerance
At his installation as the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia (ELCM), Bishop Dr Solomon Rajah promised to forge greater inter-religious tolerance and understanding between the different faiths in the country."I not only want to serve the church, people and the Lord, I want to foster greater unity among Malaysians," said the new ELCM bishop during his 21 February consecration ceremony at the Zion Cathedral in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Rajah, 53, spoke of plans to initiate various social services activities to help the less fortunate, ensure church credibility in society, and build self-reliance.
Former Church of Sweden Archbishop Dr Karl Gustav Hammar presided the consecration which was attended by hundreds of church members and other guests, including leaders of Malaysia's Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches, representatives from India, and senior government officials.
Rajah succeeds Bishop Julius D. Paul, who died in a boating accident in Guatemala last November. Paul was a member of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council and chairperson of the LWF Standing Committee for World Service.
Ordained in 1986, Rajah joined the pastoral ministry in 1975 as a parish assistant. In addition to serving the church in Malaysia, he worked as a coordinator of youth ministries in India's Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church and Arcot Lutheran Church.
Rajah is married to Daisy Stella John and they have three children.
The 3,000-member ELCM joined the LWF in 1968. (239 words)
(A contribution by Asia Lutheran News)
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