Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia
Encyclopedia
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia or ELCM is one of the four Lutheran bodies in Malaysia. It currently has 21 congregations nationwide with a total of 3,650 members .
The current bishop of the ELCM is the Rt Rev Solomon Rajah.
speaking areas of India
from the 19th to 20th century to British Malaya
as cheap laborers in plantation
s. Among the many migrants were Tamil
Lutheran Chrstians from churches started by the work of the Danish-Halle Mission and Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg .
By 1900, missionaries from the India based Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran Mission who visited Penang
had found 315 Tamil Lutherans and by 1907, the first congregation was organised in Brickfields
, Kuala Lumpur
through the effort of the Rev T. Joseph, a pastor from the church that was later organised as the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church
(TELC) .
Early efforts to organise and build up the pastoral care of the Tamil Lutherans in Malaya were spearheaded by missionaries from the TELC and the Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran Mission. By 1922, the organised congregations were divided into two regional circles of the TELC; the Northern Malaya District and the Southern Malaya District; centred in Penang and Kuala Lumpur respectively .
(CSM) and with the impending independence of Malaya
in 1957, effort was made towards establishing a national church .
In 1962, at the initiative of Rev Bertil Envall of the Swedish Mission, representatives of the CSM and the Administrative Council of the American Lutheran mission to Chinese Lutherans in Malaya
met for negotiations in a Joint Constitution Committee to set up a national Lutheran Church for Malaya. Representatives from the Batak
Lutheran community supported by the Huria Kristen Batak Protestant
were also invited but declined to participate .
Despite agreeing on organisation and stewardship in general, disagreements arose upon the form of church government for the proposed national church. While the Swedish mission and the TELC order was partial to an episcopal polity
, it was not accepted by the American missionaries who felt that the local Chinese Lutherans would not be familiar with that form of government. There were also disagreements on the nature of apostolic succession
as well as the significant differences in the culture, language and origins between the Tamils and Chinese who were ministered by the respective missions, the former consisting mainly of established Tamil Lutheran families while the latter consisted mainly of congregations of young individual Chinese who were first generation Christians .
or LCMS) a year later on 3 August 1963 In 1966, the Rt Rev Bertil Envall was consecrated as the first Bishop of the ELCMS .
On 31 October 1976, the Rt Rev E.B. Muthusami was consecrated as the first Bishop of Malaysian descent . In 1994, due to the changes in legislation, congregations of the ELCMS in Singapore
were separated and joined the Southern District of the LCMS to form the Lutheran Church in Singapore. The ELCMS was then renamed the ELCM .
, Myanmar
, Indonesia
and India
. The ELCM pioneered work among people suffering from epilepsy
when it set up a training centre for epileptic children in Hutan Melintang
, Perak
known as Bethany Home in the 1966.
, a communion of Lutheran Churches throughout the world. As a Church in the Lutheran tradition, it accepts and confesses the teachings found in the unaltered Augsburg Confession
, Luther's Small Catechism
and the other confessional articles and symbols of the Book of Concord
.
and English
remains the primary language of ministry and liturgy in the church, but the use of Malay
has been increased over the last decade.
is elected for life by the Diocesan Assembly which meets annually to decide on policy matters and elect a Diocesan Council chaired by the Bishop.
The ELCM is further divided into 3 geographical districts for administrative purposes.
The ELCM also works in partnership with:
The current bishop of the ELCM is the Rt Rev Solomon Rajah.
Early history
The history of the ELCM can be traced back to the large scale immigration of Indians from the TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
speaking areas of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from the 19th to 20th century to British Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
as cheap laborers in plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s. Among the many migrants were Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
Lutheran Chrstians from churches started by the work of the Danish-Halle Mission and Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg .
By 1900, missionaries from the India based Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran Mission who visited 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...
had found 315 Tamil Lutherans and by 1907, the first congregation was organised in Brickfields
Brickfields
Brickfields is a small to medium-sized town and residential neighbourhood located just outside central Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is known as Kuala Lumpur's Little India due to the high percentage of Indian residents and businesses.- History :In 1881, a flood swept through Kuala Lumpur following...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
through the effort of the Rev T. Joseph, a pastor from the church that was later organised as the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church
Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church
Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in south India. It has been established in 1919.Its headquarters is in Tamil Nadu. It has about 100,000 members.. The bishops has the title "Bishop of Tranquebar". It belongs to the Lutheran World Federation...
(TELC) .
Early efforts to organise and build up the pastoral care of the Tamil Lutherans in Malaya were spearheaded by missionaries from the TELC and the Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran Mission. By 1922, the organised congregations were divided into two regional circles of the TELC; the Northern Malaya District and the Southern Malaya District; centred in Penang and Kuala Lumpur respectively .
Attempts to establish a national church
After the Second World War, missionary work among the Tamil Lutherans in Malaya was supplemented by workers from the Church of Sweden MissionSwedish Evangelical Mission
The Swedish Evangelical Mission is an independent organisation within the Church of Sweden. SEM cooperates with independent churches, Christian councils and other partners in Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Malawi, the Sudan and Tanzania...
(CSM) and with the impending independence of Malaya
Hari Merdeka
Hari Merdeka is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957, celebrated on August 31 each year. It is not to be confused with the formation of Malaysia...
in 1957, effort was made towards establishing a national church .
In 1962, at the initiative of Rev Bertil Envall of the Swedish Mission, representatives of the CSM and the Administrative Council of the American Lutheran mission to Chinese Lutherans in Malaya
Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore
The Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore or LCMS is one of four Lutheran bodies in Malaysia. It currently has 52 congregations nationwide with a total of 8,453 baptized members and is the largest entirely Lutheran body in the country....
met for negotiations in a Joint Constitution Committee to set up a national Lutheran Church for Malaya. Representatives from the Batak
Batak (Indonesia)
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The term is used to include the Toba, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing, each of which are distinct but related groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and...
Lutheran community supported by the Huria Kristen Batak Protestant
Huria Kristen Batak Protestant
The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan , which translates into the Batak Christian Protestant Church, is the largest Protestant denomination in Indonesia, with a baptized membership of 4,178,256. Its present leader is the Ephorus Rev. Dr...
were also invited but declined to participate .
Despite agreeing on organisation and stewardship in general, disagreements arose upon the form of church government for the proposed national church. While the Swedish mission and the TELC order was partial to an episcopal polity
Episcopal polity
Episcopal polity is a form of church governance that is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop...
, it was not accepted by the American missionaries who felt that the local Chinese Lutherans would not be familiar with that form of government. There were also disagreements on the nature of apostolic succession
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
as well as the significant differences in the culture, language and origins between the Tamils and Chinese who were ministered by the respective missions, the former consisting mainly of established Tamil Lutheran families while the latter consisted mainly of congregations of young individual Chinese who were first generation Christians .
Establishment of the ELCM
As a result, two Lutheran church bodies were established in Malaya; the TELC districts in Malaya were reconstituted as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore (ELCMS) on 13 August 1962 whereas the mainly Chinese congregations of the American Mission was organised the Lutheran Church in Malaysia (later the Lutheran Church in Malaysia and SingaporeLutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore
The Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore or LCMS is one of four Lutheran bodies in Malaysia. It currently has 52 congregations nationwide with a total of 8,453 baptized members and is the largest entirely Lutheran body in the country....
or LCMS) a year later on 3 August 1963 In 1966, the Rt Rev Bertil Envall was consecrated as the first Bishop of the ELCMS .
On 31 October 1976, the Rt Rev E.B. Muthusami was consecrated as the first Bishop of Malaysian descent . In 1994, due to the changes in legislation, congregations of the ELCMS in 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...
were separated and joined the Southern District of the LCMS to form the Lutheran Church in Singapore. The ELCMS was then renamed the ELCM .
Missions and social work
The ELCM actively supports local mission work as well as overseas mission work in BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The ELCM pioneered work among people suffering from epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
when it set up a training centre for epileptic children in Hutan Melintang
Hutan Melintang
Hutan Melintang is a small town in Hilir Perak district, Perak, Malaysia. The town is located next to the Strait of Malacca.Although the word 'hutan' is there but it does not mean that it is a jungle. Hutan Melintang is a developed place and it has a 2-storey supermarket located in this town....
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
known as Bethany Home in the 1966.
Beliefs and practices
The ELCM is a member church of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
, a communion of Lutheran Churches throughout the world. As a Church in the Lutheran tradition, it accepts and confesses the teachings found in the unaltered Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
, Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews The Ten Commandments, The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, The Office of the Keys & Confession, and The Sacrament of the...
and the other confessional articles and symbols of the Book of Concord
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
.
Languages in use
Due to the historical heritage of the ELCM, TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
remains the primary language of ministry and liturgy in the church, but the use of Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
has been increased over the last decade.
Overview
The polity of the ELCM is episcopal in structure. A BishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
is elected for life by the Diocesan Assembly which meets annually to decide on policy matters and elect a Diocesan Council chaired by the Bishop.
The ELCM is further divided into 3 geographical districts for administrative purposes.
Districts of the ELCM
- Northern District
- Congregations in the states of PenangPenangPenang 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 PerakPerakPerak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
- Central District
- Congregations in the state of SelangorSelangorSelangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
and the Federal Territory of Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
- Southern District
- Congregations in the states of Negeri SembilanNegeri SembilanNegeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
and JohorJohorJohor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
Bishops of the ELCM
The current Bishop, the Rt Rev Dr Solomon Rajah, is the fourth bishop of the ELCM and is responsible for the day to day administration, doctrinal, ministerial, pastoral, liturgical, ecclesiological, legislative and administrative matters of the church.- 1966-1976
- Rt Rev Bertil Envall
- 1976-1988
- Rt Rev E. B. Muthusami
- 1988-2009
- Rt Rev Julius Paul
- 2009-present
- Rt Rev Dr Solomon Rajah
Schools and colleges
ELCM congregations have been centres for pre-school education since the beginning and was a founding member of the governing council of Seminari Theologi Malaysia.Affiliations
The ELCM participates actively in ecumenical relationships through:- Council of Churches of MalaysiaCouncil of Churches of MalaysiaThe Council of Churches of Malaysia 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....
link- Christian Federation of MalaysiaChristian Federation of MalaysiaThe Christian Federation of Malaysia is an ecumenical umbrella body in Malaysia that comprises the Council of Churches of Malaysia , National Evangelical Christian Fellowship and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia...
- Christian Conference of AsiaChristian Conference of AsiaThe Christian Conference of Asia is a regional ecumenical organisation representing 17 National Councils and 100 denominations in 21 countries:- Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan,...
- World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of ChurchesThe World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
- Christian Federation of Malaysia
- Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Malaysia & Singapore link
- Basel Christian Church of MalaysiaBasel Christian Church of MalaysiaThe Basel Christian Church of Malaysia or BCCM is one of the four Lutheran bodies in Malaysia. It currently has 112 congregations nationwide and 59,500 baptized members.The current bishop of the Basel Christian Church in Malaysia is the Rev. Dr...
- Lutheran Church in Malaysia and SingaporeLutheran Church in Malaysia and SingaporeThe Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore or LCMS is one of four Lutheran bodies in Malaysia. It currently has 52 congregations nationwide with a total of 8,453 baptized members and is the largest entirely Lutheran body in the country....
- Lutheran Church in Singapore
- Protestant Church in SabahProtestant Church in SabahThe Protestant Church in Sabah or PCS is one of the four Lutheran World Federation member churches in Malaysia. It currently has 322 congregations nationwide in 21 parishes with a total of 32,000 baptized members, making the PCS the second largest of the four Lutheran body in the country...
- Basel Christian Church of Malaysia
- Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
- Asia Lutheran Communion link
- Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and TaoismMalaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and TaoismThe Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism is a non-profit interfaith organization in Malaysia...
The ELCM also works in partnership with:
- Church of SwedenChurch of SwedenThe Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...