THE METHODIST CHURCH IN MALAYSIA

69 Jalan 5/31, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 03-7541811      Fax: 03-7541788
 
RESIDENT BISHOP
Bishop Dr. Peter Chio Sing Ching
 
 

HISTORY

1885 Missionaries, James M. Thoburn and William F. Oldham arrived in Singapore. 

The text of the first sermon preached was, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." 

The mission work was under the Burmah District and a part of the South Indian Conference
1888 Thoburn was elected missionary Bishop for the region stretching from Karachi to Singapore. This work was under the administration of the Mission society and seperated from the South India Conference.Work was done in English, Tamil, Chinese and Malay, on the Peninsular and adjacent islands.
1899 Mission work began in the Philippines and in 1904 the Philippines Mission Conference was formed.This was associated with the work in Malaya. Bishop Edwin F. Lee was the presiding Bishop of the Singapore-Manila area from 1928 - 1942.
1901 Methodism came to Sarawak with the arrival of Methodists from Foochow, China.
1903 Missionaries went to Sarawak and work began among the Ibans in 1937. The work developed into the Sarawak Mission in 1947, the Sarawak Provisional Annual Conference in 1952, the Sarawak Annual Conferencein 1960. The Sarawak Iban Provisional Annual Conference was organised in 1962
1905 Work began in Java and Sumatra. Work ceased in Java but in Sumatra it grew to be the Sumatra Mission in 1922 and became the autonomous Methodist Church in 1964.
1936 The Malaya Chinese Annual Conference was formed. It brought together the Chinese speaking churches of the Malaya Annual Conference.
1950 The various annual conferences in the area, namely, the Malaya Annual Conference, the Malaya Chinese Annual Conference, the Sarawak Annual Conference, the Sumatra Annual Conference and the Burma Annual Conference became the South-eastern Asia Central Conference.The Bishops were: Raymond L. Archer 1950 -1956; and Horbart B. Amstutz 1956 - 1964.
1964 The South-eastern Asia Central Conference was renamed the Malaysia Central Conference. Robert F. Lundy was elected Bishop.
1965 Singapore became an independent Republic in 1965. The year also saw the constituting of the Affiliated autonomous Methodist Church in Burma.
1968 An enabling Act was granted by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church in the U.S.A. meeting in Dallas, Texas. This paved the way for the Annual Conferences in Malaysia to become an Affiliated Autonomous Methodist Church which was duly constituted and Bishop Yap Kim Hao was elected the first Bishop of the autonomous church. 

In the same year the Tamil Provisional Annual Conference was constituted.
1976 The Methodist Church in Malaysia and Singapore was restructured into two Methodist Churches, the Methodist Church in Malaysia and the Methodist Church in Singapore.
NOTES