wfn.org | Malaysian churchman appointed to head WMC Geneva office

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

July 3, 2001 News media contact: Thomas S. McAnally·(615)742-5470·Nashville,
Tenn.     10-71BP{303}

NOTE:  A photo is available for use with this story. 

By United Methodist News Service

The appointment of the Rev. Denis C. Dutton, a Malaysian,  as Geneva
Secretary for the World Methodist Council, is expected to be confirmed when
the council meets in Brighton, England, July 23-25. He will succeed Ralph C.
Young, a member of the Uniting Church of Canada, who joined the staff in
1983.

After service in Singapore, Dutton served for 20 years as pastor of the
Wesley Methodist Church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  From this historic
downtown church in the capital city, Dutton was elected a bishop of the
Methodist Church in Malaysia.  He served as staff executive for the Council
of Churches in Malaysia for 10 years and for five years was the council's
president. He has served as one of 16 regional secretaries of the World
Methodist Council's program of world evangelism. Recently, he has served as
pastor of churches in Kansas.

Dutton's ecumenical credentials include participation in World Council of
Churches assemblies, membership on the General Committee of the Christian
Conference of Asia, extensive work with the Council of Churches of Malaysia,
and presidential leadership of the Consultative Council of Buddhism,
Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism.  He was given the title of Datuk, the
highest honor his nation offers. He and his wife Emme Kwan have four
children and two grandchildren. 

Members of the council meeting in Brighton will also elect a new top staff
executive whose offices will be in Lake Junaluska, N.C.  Nominated is the
Rev. George H. Freeman of Virginia.  He will succeed the Rev. Joe Hale who
has served as general secretary for more than 25 years. Frances Alguire, a
United  Methodist from New Buffalo, Mich.,  will complete her five-year term
as council president during the Brighton meeting. 

#  #  #

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org