Methodist Church in Malaysia

The Methodist Church in Malaysia is a body within the

Methodist Church in
Methodist tradition in Malaysia. With approximately 200,000
members in more than 1034 congregations (local and Malaysia
preaching points), it is the second largest Protestant
denomination in the country after Sidang Injil Borneo.[2] The
current bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia is the Rev.
Dr. T. Jeyakumar.

The other body of Methodists in Malaysia is the Free Classification Protestant

Methodist Church in Malaysia,[3] founded in 2002.[4]
Orientation Methodist
Polity Connexional
History Leader Rev. Jeyakumar

The church shares part of its heritage with the Methodist Associations World Methodist
Church in Singapore as both the territories shared a similar Council,
political history. Christian
Federation of
The history of the Methodist Church in Malaysia began Malaysia,
following a decision taken at the South India Conference held
Council of
in Hyderabad in 1884, when William Oldham was appointed
as a missionary to Singapore in 1885. Churches of
Malaysia,
The Tamil work started with the coming of a Ceylon Tamil, Christian
Mr Underwood. In 1894 the Tamil work was started in Penang Conference of
by the Pyketts, and in Kuala Lumpur by the Kensetts and was Asia, World
continued by Rev. S Abraham from Ceylon in 1899. Council of
Churches
Methodism came to Sarawak in the year 1900 when a group of
immigrants came from Fuzhou in mainland China. Region Malaysia
Missionaries came in 1903 in the persons of J.M Hoover and Origin 1976
G.V Summers. Methodism grew rapidly in the town of Sibu
and a solid foundation was laid. Branched from United Methodist
Church
The work among the indigenous people, the Ibans, began in Congregations 400, (634
1937 with pioneers like Lucius D. Mamora and Paul H. preaching
Schmuker who took the Gospel to the longhouses. The work
points)
amongst the Sengoi community in Pahang was started in 1930
with the help of missionaries from Sumatra, Indonesia. Members 114,065[1]
Ministers 552
Missionaries 54
Primary schools 42
Secondary schools 32
Tertiary institutions 1
The Methodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia became a Official website www
self-governing body in 1968. After the separation of Singapore .methodistchurch
from Malaysia, the Methodist Church in Malaysia became .org.my (http://w
autonomous in 1976. ww.methodistchu
rch.org.my)
Beliefs and practices
The Methodist Church in Malaysia declares itself to be part of the holy catholic church and affirms the
historic ecumenical creeds, which are used frequently in its liturgy and services of worship.[5]

Additionally, the Methodist Church in Malaysia affirms the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church as
its doctrinal statement and adopts the General Rules of the Methodist Societies as a doctrinal standard.

Membership
The composition church reflects the racial composition of Malaysia. There are 400 churches and 634
preaching points with 552 pastors. The total membership of the Methodist church consists of 114,065
confirmed members, 63,396 preparatory members and 26,482 baptized, above 16 and not confirmed
members. There are more than 80,624 weekly worshipers in all the churches.[2]

Organisation

Governance

There are six conferences under General Conference of The Methodist Church in Malaysia. The annual
conferences were traditionally organised along linguistic and ethnic lines but the present day constituent
congregations of the various annual conferences tend to be multi-lingual and multi-ethnic:[6]

Chinese Annual Conference (CAC)

Chinese language congregations in Peninsular Malaysia

Tamil Annual Conference (TAC)

Tamil language congregations in Peninsular Malaysia

Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC)

English language congregations in Peninsular Malaysia

Sengoi Mission Conference (SMC)

Sengoi congregations in Peninsular Malaysia

Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC)

Chinese, English and Malay language congregations in Sarawak

Sarawak Iban Annual Conference (SIAC)

 Iban congregations in Sarawak
(including 1 congregation in Johor Bahru, Johor)

Sabah Provisional Annual Conference (SPAC)

Chinese, English and Malay language congregations in Sabah

Education

Education has been a vital aspect of the work of the Methodist Church in Malaysia from the very
beginning. Today, a total of 83 schools and colleges throughout Malaysia are affiliated with the Church.
Management and development of these institutions are coordinated by the Methodist Council of
Education.[7]

These include 2 institutions of higher learning, the Methodist Pilley Institute in Sibu, Sarawak and the
Methodist College Kuala Lumpur in Kuala Lumpur, 6 private schools, and the rest being government aided
schools.[8]

See also
Christianity in Malaysia
Sabah Methodist Church
Status of religious freedom in Malaysia

External links
Methodist Church in Malaysia (http://www.methodistchurch.org.my) - official website
Chinese Annual Conference Methodist Church Malaysia (http://methodist.org.my) - official
website
Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (http://www.mckl.edu.my) - official website

References
1. Note about membership: 97,197 confirmed; 58,315 preparatory; source: World Council of
Churches (http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/malaysia/methodist
-church-in-malaysia.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20080709041834/http://ww
w.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/malaysia/methodist-church-in-malaysia.
html) 9 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
2. Methodist Church in Malaysia : Statistics (http://www.methodistchurch.org.my/Statistics.htm)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20060619060547/http://methodistchurch.org.my/Statis
tics.htm) 19 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 June 2006
3. Free Methodist Board of Bishops : State of the Work Report (PDF) (http://www.freemethodist
church.org/PDF%20Files/Leadership/Bishops/State%20of%20the%20Work%202001.pdf)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20060529070037/http://www.freemethodistchurch.org/
PDF%20Files/Leadership/Bishops/State%20of%20the%20Work%202001.pdf) 29 May 2006
at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 June 2006
4. Free Methodist World Missions : Malaysia (http://www.fmwm.org/countries/asia/malaysia.ph
p) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20051217072720/http://www.fmwm.org/countries/a
sia/malaysia.php) 17 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 June 2006
 5. The Book of Discipline of the Methodist Church in Malaysia
6. Methodist Church in Malaysia : Organisation Chart (http://www.methodistchurch.org.my/Org_
chart.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20070401085001/http://www.methodistchur
ch.org.my/Org_chart.htm) 1 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
7. "What We Do" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120425122351/http://www.methodisteducatio
n.edu.my/main.php?choice=101). Methodist Council of Education. The Methodist Church in
Malaysia. Archived from the original (http://www.methodisteducation.edu.my/main.php?choic
e=101) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
8. "Our Schools and Colleges" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120425122554/http://www.meth
odisteducation.edu.my/main.php?choice=201). Methodist Council of Education. Methodist
Church in Malaysia. Archived from the original (http://www.methodisteducation.edu.my/main.
php?choice=201) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2011.

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