Monte and I have been serving the Lord together since 1999. God has been faithfully leading and guiding us to love and serve Him in ways that we could never imagined. God has place the PHD aspiration in Monte's heart for the past three decades.
The following is a write up on this aspiration:
"Dear Friends, and Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Through the Spirit of God who proclaims the healing of Jesus to all creation— grace, peace, and joy be yours in increasing fullness!
MOVING FORWARD 2017
· March 2017 USA trip for SPS paper presentation.
· PhD proposal approved / invitation to application process
PhD proposal approved for Centre of Pentecostal & Charismatic Studies (Bangor University, Wales) / Invitation to application process / Aspiring to start in 2017.
· Prayer requests / how you can help.
· My vision and passion.
· Conclusion.
As most of you may be thinking, this email is marking a yearly pattern. To those who have prayed or generously helped over the past few years, please know again: Jee Fong and I are indebted to you. Once again let me say: at the very least, what we seek is from a posture of gratefulness before God and you who have helped us in the past— faithfulness to His Word over us. Faithfulness to God’s Word, as we discern His will, moving forward from now to the future.
So again I write that I may enlist your prayer and involvement via however God prompts you— for the up-building of the Church, the coming Kingdom, and the greater glory of God.
MARCH 2017 USA TRIP FOR SPS PAPER PRESENTATION
2017 Society for Pentecostal Studies (SPS) Meeting (9–11 March)
Please read this point in context of the following discussion (Bangor PhD programme). SPS has again approved my paper proposal for the 2017 SPS conference. This meeting will be held at Urshan College / Urshan Graduate School of Theology, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. You can learn more about this by visiting the SPS website (http://www.sps-usa.org).
As next year’s theme is “Pentecostalism and Culture,” my topic is, “Towards a Pentecostal Conscientizing Praxis of Mass Culture Engagement.” Recognising the role Pentecostalism plays towards shaping culture, I will be suggesting from the wells of pentecostal theology, constructive ways for doing so, in dialogue with Roman Catholic approaches. God willing, this will be my fifth presented paper in six consecutive SPS annual meetings. Through four points, let me further share on the aims of my role in the 2016 SPS meeting:
Through four points, let me share the aims of my role in the 2016 SPS meeting:
1. Shaping world Pentecostal theology and spirituality
Through this global-influencing platform, I am again participating in the shaping of world Pentecostal theology.
2. Ecumenical dialogue on relations between Pentecostalism and culture
This will be my third year of involvement with the Ecumenical Interest Group, which involves representatives from varied Christian traditions, including Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and other Protestant traditions. These conversations help foster bridge building between Pentecostalism and other traditions.
3. Linking our local setting to important global conversations
I am linking my setting (here in Singapore and Southeast Asia), to conversations occurring amongst this international fellowship of ministry leaders, pastors, theologians, and scholars, on the role of Pentecostalism towards shaping local and global culture.
4. Meeting the doctoral supervisor for beginning the targeted 2017 PhD programme.
Let me clarify this in the next section.
PhD PROPOSAL APPROVED / INVITATION TO APPLICATION PROCESS
PhD proposal approved for Centre of Pentecostal & Charismatic Studies (Bangor University, Wales)
Last July through prayer, discerning confirmation, and encouraging counsel to resolutely move forward— I formally proposed a PhD research proposal to Rev Dr. Frank Macchia, one of the Directors for the Centre of Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies at Bangor University School of Theology and Religious Studies (Wales, UK). I did so, stating I am to begin in 2017.
As some of you may know, Dr Macchia is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God (USA), based at Vanguard University in Southern California, and respectfully known across Christian traditions as a world-class Pentecostal theologian. Many recognise his past work as evidencing a deep passion towards fusing grassroots pentecostal experience, worship, mission, and theologising— into one seamlessly practiced way of life.
After several email exchanges and revisions to the draft, on 23 August Dr Macchia approved the proposal. He added, “this proposal is good. . . . I believe that you can make a worthy contribution to pentecostal scholarship.” So to those who prayed for me as I worked on the draft, let me say, thank you. I have titled the proposal, “Towards a Pentecostal Theological-Aesthetic and Practice of Sacred Time.” The project will research how “sacred time” is understood, practiced, and being theologically developed within pentecostal spirituality. So the project will focus on worship and liturgy, recognising that pentecostal liturgy is foremost oral rather than print-based, and that is crucial to its giftedness as a Christian tradition.
Invitation to application process / Aspiring to start in 2017.
On 25 August I received an email from Dr Eryl W Davies, head of the Bangor, School of Philosophy and Religion. He mentioned that Dr Macchia had been in touch with him about me, and advised me to now start the application process and forms. This will be a five year doctoral programme. Yet as a supervisor-directed pure research programme (no course work), it can be pursued anywhere in the world. It only requires an on-site meeting with my supervisor (Dr Macchia) once year. Moving forward, this meeting now becomes a key purpose to my ongoing involvement with the annual SPS conference, at least for the next several years. What I understand is that this would coincide with the annual SPS meetings, probably with a batch of other Bangor PhD students. God willing, presuming that the PhD programme miraculously begins, meeting Dr Macchia at the SPS meeting next March will comprise a key purpose to my trip.
PRAYER REQUESTS / HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. March 2017 USA trip for SPS paper presentation
As in these past years, my attendance next March depends on coming to God in prayer for all necessary expenses (plane fare, hotel accommodations, conference fees, etc). It remains a big faith venture, wholly dependent on God’s miraculous provision for that which is beyond our present capacity.
Please note the following time-expedient items:
Conference registration fees.
By 1 November, conference participants are required to have their registration and membership fees covered (which can be done after 1 October).
Airfare.
It would be best if I could secure airfare soon as possible (September-November), to avoid rising costs/limited seat challenges as we move closer to March 2017.
Your prayer towards these items is appreciated. And if you are able to financially help, just let me know and we can arrange in ways that get the funds directly to these items. I do immediately need help in meeting the conference registration fees.
2. Bangor application process, final approval, and long-term funding.
Application process.
First, please pray for God’s hand on the application process.
Long-term tuition funding: Concerning the long-term costs involved, that would take a real big miracle. Please pray for that miracle. The cost is far beyond our social-economic reach. So this is the only way it can happen.
Meeting the yearly tuition costs
The basic tuition costs would be about US$8,000 per year; so, about US$40,000 over five years. This would require access to things like scholarships, grants, and just plain miraculous funding. A stronger family income would also help. Several months ago, I was linked up to a local scholarship foundation who expressed interest in my potential programme. They advised that once I have an “official acceptance letter” from Bangor, that I should apply for their scholarship. So once that happens, I will follow through with that.
As I shall stress below, we recognise that to moving forward towards these aims, requires readiness to go forward wherever this may take us, to maximise their purpose and potential outcomes for the good of the global Pentecostal tradition, and the worldwide Church of God. Therefore, also pray towards:
1. Funding that can initiate this PhD venture.
2. Long-term strategies for meeting the yearly PhD expenses.
3. Any new ministerial, church, organisational, or collaborative relations that may also help towards the short or long-term funding of this venture.
MY VISION AND PASSION
As I have stressed in previous updates, let me again frame these endeavours within the vision and passion that I find defining my greater sense of mission as an ecumenically minded Pentecostal: to preach the Gospel for all creation, fostering pentecostal spirituality and its theological tradition worldwide— for the unifying renewal of the global Church.
Let me also again stress, I am pursuing both the March 2017 SPS trip and the Bangor PhD programme, in ecumenical service to the greater global Church. And as best both my wife Jee Fong and I discern, we are pursuing this with full openness to God and His whole world, willing to go wherever the Lord may send us in convergence to this project’s purpose and outcomes for:
· The global renewing of pentecostal spirituality.
· The growing renaissance of this tradition’s theological tradition.
· In ecumenical service for the unifying renewal of the Church of God worldwide and the greater glory of God.
CONCLUSION
Believing God has both impassions and wills us towards this journey, both Jee Fong and I pray that you may find motive towards aiding these endeavours. This may be through intentional prayer, financial support, involved strategic planing or networking, or facilitating new ministerial platforms in convergence to this venture.
May God guide your involvement in these ventures. May the Lord prosper you with renewed passion for God’s coming kingdom, good health, and overflowing abundance.
The peace of Christ be yours through the power of God’s Spirit,
Monte
monteleerice.wordpress.com
sg.linkedin.com/in/monterice
academia.edu/MonteRice
Curricular Vitae: https://app.box.com/files/0/f/57952994/1/f_554694150
Ministry Profile: https://app.box.com/files/0/f/57952994/1/f_554691848
monterice@gmail.com
For the healing of our Father’s world,
May we of many tongues
Through Pentecost—
Be made one
In Christ.
Before God: Practice mercy, cause justice, heal the world.
Let us tarry for Heaven's surprises
Where in waiting hearts
Hope surprises with
More than enough
Love to pass
On the way
Of faith."
We are thankful for the opportunity for Monte to serve through this platform that the Lord had sovereignly opened. On the other hand, we do not have the funds to do this. Over dinner this evening, I told Monte that God is going to provide for the upcoming SPS conference. God has challenged us to believe even when we do not see with our natural eyes. He has performed one miracle after another. He shows us that nothing is impossible for Him. This trip is not possible in the natural but God will do a supernatural work.
We marvel at His greatness and providence. As we step out in faith to believe, the Lord reminds us that all we have to offer Him is our five loaves and two fishes and He will multiply. He has blown our minds so many times that our hearts would leap with joy. We serve a mighty God. He knows no bounds. He is limitless, matchless and awesome. As God begins to work, we see our vulnerability and frailty in the light of His greatness. The Lord is greatly to be praised.
God has shown us that there is absolutely nothing He cannot do. We step out in faith only to find out that He has paved the way for us way in advance. He is a miracle working God. We can only bow in humble adoration for He is greatly to be praised and worshiped.
