Council of Churches of Malaysia

The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) is an ecumenical fellowship of Churches and Christian organisations in Malaysia. It is one of the three constituent members of the Christian Federation of Malaysia.

It is affiliated with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches and a member of the Christian Conference of Asia. It also participates in the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism as part of the Christian Federation of Malaysia.

History

In 1947, the Malayan Christian Council was mooted and officially inaugurated on 9 January 1948 under the leadership of John Leonard Wilson, the Anglican Bishop of Singapore, with Hobart Baumann Amstutz of the Methodist Church acting as General Secretary to promote Christian unity among the Churches and Christian organisations in Malaya and Singapore.

Despite the 1963 federation of the British Crown Colonies of Singapore, North Borneo, and Sarawak with the Federation of Malaya into the new nation of Malaysia, the Malayan Christian Council continued to function using the old name. In 1967, the Malayan Christian Council was renamed the Council of Churches of Malaysia and Singapore. In view of Malaysia and Singapore having separated and become independent sovereign nations, it was considered desirable to have separate Councils of Churches for each nation, therefore, the Council was divided into 2 national organisations; the current Council of Churches of Malaysia and the National Council of Churches of Singapore in 1975.

Basis and objectives

Basis

The Council is founded

  • on a common belief that God has revealed His eternal purpose for mankind in His Son Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. Its members accept the scriptures of Old and New Testaments as the supreme standard of faith and practice, and confess their common faith as expressed in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds
  • on the acceptance of the principal that the Church is in the Christian enterprise that the local congregation is basic to its life and witness, and that evangelism is its primary task
  • as an association of Churches, and other Christian organisations, each believing that it is Christ's will that His Body, the Church should again be visibly one and each desiring to work towards this end
  • as an association of co-operating members, each of which determines its own policy and action

Objectives

The objectives of the Council are

  • to offer itself as an instrument or agency to the Churches in Malaysia whereby they can more and more do together everything except what irreconcilable differences of sincere conviction compel them to do separately
  • to show forth among its members that Christian unity which is God's gift to His people in Jesus Christ, and by common prayer, study, consultation and action, promote the Church's mission in Malaysia and the World
  • through common consultation and action to form Christian public opinion and bring it to bear on the moral, social, national and international problems of the day, particularly those affecting the life and welfare of the peoples of Malaysia
  • to promote discussion and action among Churches in Malaysia towards Church union
  • to provide an agency through which governments in Malaysia both federal and state, may consult with member-churches and organisations on matters of common concern to all member bodies of the Council
  • to maintain fellowship with other Christian Councils or Council of Churches of other countries and with such ecumenical bodies as the Council may decide, and in particular to fulfil its obligations as an affiliated member of the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia

Constituents

Member Churches

Member Church Head of Church
Anglican Diocese of KuchingBishop: Rt Rev Bolly Lapok
Anglican Diocese of SabahBishop: Rt Rev Albert Vun Cheong Fui
Anglican Diocese of West MalaysiaBishop: Rt Rev Ng Moon Hing
Basel Christian Church of MalaysiaBishop Dr.Thomas Tsen
Evangelical Lutheran Church in MalaysiaBishop Dr. Solomon Rajah
Lutheran Church in Malaysia and SingaporeBishop Philip Lok Oi Peng
Mar Thoma Syrian Church in MalaysiaDr Thomas Philips
Methodist Church in Malaysia
  • Chinese Annual Conference
  • Sabah Provisional Annual Conference
  • Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference
  • Sarawak Iban Annual Conference
  • Tamil Annual Conference
  • Trinity Annual Conference
Bishop: Rev Hwa Yung
  • Rev Boh Che Suan
  • Ling Heu Uh
  • Dr Su Chi Ann
  • James Puang
  • P Tevaraji
  • Ong Hwai Teik
Orthodox Syrian Church in MalaysiaCor Episcopa Philip Thomas
Presbyterian Church in MalaysiaRev Dr Yeo Sim Sek
Protestant Church in SabahSopirid Masandu
Salvation Army in Malaysia Lt Colonel David Bringans
  • Major Lim Teck Fung

Associate Members

Organisation Head of Organisation
Bible Society of MalaysiaKong Yeng Phooi, President
Boys' Brigade in MalaysiaMichael Moorthy, Brigade President
Girls' Brigade in MalaysiaTnay Yong Hua, President
Malaysian Christian Association for ReliefWong Young Soon, Executive Director
National Council of YMCAsGeh Thing Lok, Executive Director
Young Women's Christian Association of MalaysiaLoius Bong, President
Seminari Theoloji MalaysiaDr Ezra Kok, Principal
Sabah Theological SeminaryDr Thu En Yu, Principal
Mobilisation Fellowship MalaysiaChoong Wye Choon, National Director
Interserve MalaysiaPhilip Chang, Chairman
Prison Fellowship Malaysia Dr. Tan Kah Hock, Chairman

Affiliate Members

Organisation Head of Organisation
Coptic Orthodox Church in Malaysia Fr Joseph Sim, Representative

Leadership

Presidents

Period Name Denomination
2003 - Dr Thomas PhilipsMar Thoma Syrian Church in Malaysia
2001 - 2003Julius D. PaulEvangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia
1995 - 2000Yong Ping ChungAnglican Diocese of West Malaysia
1989 - 1994Dr Denis C. DuttonMethodist Church in Malaysia
1987 - 1988E.B. MuthusamiEvangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia
1983 - 1986George VergisMar Thoma Syrian Church in Malaysia
1979 - 1982John Gurubatham SavarimuthuAnglican Diocese of West Malaysia
1977 - 1978E.B. MuthusamiEvangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia
1975 - 1976C.N. FangMethodist Church in Malaysia
1972 - 1974Basil TemenggongAnglican Diocese of Kuching
1970 - 1971V.E. ThomasMar Thoma Syrian Church in Malaysia
1968 - 1969Roland Koh Peck ChiangAnglican Diocese of Sabah
1966 - 1967Robert F. LundyMethodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia
1964 - 1965R.M. Greer?
1963Dr Ho Seng OngMethodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia
1962Roland Koh Peck ChiangAnglican Diocese of Jesselton (Sabah)
1958 - 1961J.R. Fleming?
1947 - 1957RLeonard WilsonAnglican Diocese of Singapore

General Secretaries

Period Name
1998 -Dr Hermen Shastri
1995 - 1997Dr Hermen Shastri (Honorary)
1989 - 1994Varghese George (Honorary)
1975 - 1988Dr Denis C. Dutton (Honorary)
1973 - 1974V.D.P. Pillai
1972R. Chelladurai
1967 - 1971Wong Hoon Hee
1958 - 1966Chung Chi-an
1952 - 1957J.R. Fleming
1947 - 1951Hobart B. Amstutz (Honorary)

See also

External links