Presbyterian Church in Malaysia
Encyclopedia
The Presbyterian Church in Malaysia or GPM is a Christian
church in Malaysia. Established as an independent synod
in 1974, it currently has approximately 7,000 members in 100 congregations nationwide .
The current Moderator
of the GPM is the Rev. Chua Hua Peng.
was through the Dutch control
of the Portuguese Malacca
in 1641. The staunchly Reformed Protestant
Dutch banned the practice of Roman Catholicism in Malacca and converted all existing churches in Malacca for Dutch Reformed use. The main church used was the old St. Paul's Church (renamed as the Bovenkerk by the Dutch) built by the Portuguese in 1521 as the Nosa Senhora chapel on the summit of St. Paul's Hill.
Construction of a new church started in 1741 to replace the aging Bovenkerk and was completed in 1753. This church reflects distinctive Dutch Presbyterian traditions within its interior architecture and continues to be used for Christian worship today.
When control of Malacca
passed on to the British as a result of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
, the church was re-consecrated according to the rites of the Church of England
by the Anglican Bishop of Calcutta
in 1838 and renamed Christ Church
..
(LMS) such as William Milne who arrived in Malacca in 1815 were from Presbyterian or Reformed backgrounds and many LMS missionaries assisted in the providing spiritual nurture to the Scots
community in Penang
and Singapore
along with chaplains of the East India Company
who conducted worship for Church of England
members.
With the departure of LMS missionaries to China after the Treaty of Nanking
in 1842, the local Scottish communities took steps to call their own ministers. This led to the arrival of Charles Moir in Penang in 1851 followed by Thomas McKenzie Fraser in Singapore in 1856.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
church in Malaysia. Established as an independent synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
in 1974, it currently has approximately 7,000 members in 100 congregations nationwide .
The current Moderator
Moderator of the General Assembly
The Moderator of the General Assembly is the chairperson of a General Assembly, the highest court of a presbyterian or reformed church. Kirk Sessions and Presbyteries may also style the chairperson as moderator....
of the GPM is the Rev. Chua Hua Peng.
Early developments
The earliest contact with the PresbyterianismPresbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
was through the Dutch control
Dutch Malacca
Dutch Malacca was the longest period of Malacca under foreign control. The Dutch ruled for almost 183 years with intermittent British occupation during the Napoleonic Wars . This era saw relative peace with little serious interruption from the Malay kingdoms due to the understanding earlier on...
of the Portuguese Malacca
Portuguese Malacca
Portuguese Malacca was the territory of Malacca that, for 130 years , was a Portuguese colony.- History :From the writing of the Portuguese historian Emanuel Godinho de Erédia in the middle of the 16th century, the site of the old city of Malacca was named after the Myrobalans, fruit-bearing trees...
in 1641. The staunchly Reformed Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Dutch banned the practice of Roman Catholicism in Malacca and converted all existing churches in Malacca for Dutch Reformed use. The main church used was the old St. Paul's Church (renamed as the Bovenkerk by the Dutch) built by the Portuguese in 1521 as the Nosa Senhora chapel on the summit of St. Paul's Hill.
Construction of a new church started in 1741 to replace the aging Bovenkerk and was completed in 1753. This church reflects distinctive Dutch Presbyterian traditions within its interior architecture and continues to be used for Christian worship today.
When control of Malacca
Straits Settlement of Malacca
The Straits Settlement of Malacca was a colony within the British Empire from 1825 to 1946 when it joined the Malayan Union. The colony was established by the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, and during World War II it was under Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945.It became the British Settlement of...
passed on to the British as a result of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814...
, the church was re-consecrated according to the rites of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
by the Anglican Bishop of Calcutta
Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta
Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta , born in Spitalfields, London, 2 July 1778, died in Calcutta, 2 January 1858.He was educated at St Edmund Hall, Oxford ; was ordained, and became curate of Richard Cecil at Cobham and Bisley in Surrey, where he developed into a strong Evangelical preacher; was...
in 1838 and renamed Christ Church
Christ Church, Melaka
Christ Church is an 18th century Protestant church in the city of Malacca, Malaysia. It is the oldest functioning Protestant church in Malaysia and is within the jurisdiction of the Lower Central Archdeaconry of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia ....
..
Ministry to expatriates
Many early missionaries from the London Missionary SocietyLondon Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
(LMS) such as William Milne who arrived in Malacca in 1815 were from Presbyterian or Reformed backgrounds and many LMS missionaries assisted in the providing spiritual nurture to the Scots
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
community in Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
along with chaplains of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
who conducted worship for Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
members.
With the departure of LMS missionaries to China after the Treaty of Nanking
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was signed on 29 August 1842 to mark the end of the First Opium War between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing Dynasty of China...
in 1842, the local Scottish communities took steps to call their own ministers. This led to the arrival of Charles Moir in Penang in 1851 followed by Thomas McKenzie Fraser in Singapore in 1856.