- Council of Churches of Malaysia
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The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) is an ecumenical fellowship of Churches and Christian organizations 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.
Contents
History
In 1947, the Malayan Christian Council was mooted and officially inaugurated on January 9, 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 organizations in Malaya and Singapore.
Despite the 1963 federation of the British Crown Colonies of Singapore, British 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 organizations; the current Council of Churches of Malaysia and the National Council of Churches of Singapore in 1975.
Basis & 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 organizations, 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 cooperating 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 Kuching Bishop: Rt Rev Bolly Lapok Anglican Diocese of Sabah Bishop: Rt Rev Albert Vun Cheong Fui Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia Bishop: Rt Rev Ng Moon Hing Basel Christian Church of Malaysia Bishop Dr.Thomas Tsen Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia Bishop Dr. Solomon Rajah Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore Bishop Philip Lok Oi Peng Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Malaysia Dr 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 Malaysia Cor Episcopa Philip Thomas Presbyterian Church in Malaysia Wong Fong Yang Protestant Church in Sabah Sopirid Masandu Salvation Army in Malaysia Lt Colonel David Bringans -
- Major Lim Teck Fung
Associate Members
Organisation Head of Organisation Bible Society of Malaysia Kong Yeng Phooi, President Boys' Brigade in Malaysia Michael Moorthy, Brigade President Girls' Brigade in Malaysia Tnay Yong Hua, President Malaysian Christian Association for Relief Wong Young Soon, Executive Director National Council of YMCAs Geh Thing Lok, Executive Director Young Women's Christian Association of Malaysia Loius Bong, President Seminari Theoloji Malaysia Dr Ezra Kok, Principal Sabah Theological Seminary Dr Thu En Yu, Principal Mobilisation Fellowship Malaysia Choong Wye Choon, National Director Interserve Malaysia Philip Chang, Chairman Prison Fellowship Malaysia Mark Matthew, Chairman Affiliate Members
Organisation Head of Organisation Coptic Orthodox Church in Malaysia Fr Joseph Sim, Representative Leadership
Presidents
Period Name Denomination 2003 - Dr Thomas Philips Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Malaysia 2001 - 2003 Julius D. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia 1995 - 2000 Yong Ping Chung Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia 1989 - 1994 Dr Denis C. Dutton Methodist Church in Malaysia 1987 - 1988 E.B. Muthusami Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia 1983 - 1986 George Vergis Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Malaysia 1979 - 1982 John Gurubatham Savarimuthu Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia 1977 - 1978 E.B. Muthusami Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia 1975 - 1976 C.N. Fang Methodist Church in Malaysia 1972 - 1974 Basil Temenggong Anglican Diocese of Kuching 1970 - 1971 V.E. Thomas Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Malaysia 1968 - 1969 Roland Koh Peck Chiang Anglican Diocese of Sabah 1966 - 1967 Robert F. Lundy Methodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia 1964 - 1965 R.M. Greer ? 1963 Dr Ho Seng Ong Methodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia 1962 Roland Koh Peck Chiang Anglican Diocese of Jesselton (Sabah) 1958 - 1961 J.R. Fleming ? 1947 - 1957 RLeonard Wilson Anglican Diocese of Singapore General Secretaries
Period Name 1998 - Dr Hermen Shastri 1995 - 1997 Dr Hermen Shastri (Honorary) 1989 - 1994 Varghese George (Honorary) 1975 - 1988 Dr Denis C. Dutton (Honorary) 1973 - 1974 V.D.P. Pillai 1972 R. Chelladurai 1967 - 1971 Wong Hoon Hee 1958 - 1966 Chung Chi-an 1952 - 1957 J.R. Fleming 1947 - 1951 Hobart B. Amstutz (Honorary) See also
External links
Categories:- Christianity in Malaysia
- Christianity in Singapore
- Christian ecumenism
- National councils of churches
- Religious organizations established in the 1940s
- Christian denominations, unions, and movements established in the 20th century
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