Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore
Encyclopedia
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.
The current bishop of the Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore is the Rt. Rev. Philip Lok Oi Peng, first elected in 2005.
Taiping Rebellion
refugees from China
closely linked to Theodore Hamberg
and Rudolph Lechler of the Basel Mission Society
. While it is not certain when they first arrived in British North Borneo, there was already a significant Chinese presence at the founding of the town of Sandakan
in 1874. These refugees eventually organised themselves into what is today known as the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia
..
The LCMS traces its history to the eviction of foreign Christian missionaries from mainland China in 1953 after the establishment of the People's Republic of China
. Some missionaries from the United Lutheran Church in America
were stationed to northern Malaya
and worked among the ethnic Chinese community that were relocated to the New Villages as part of an attempt to stem the influence of the Communist Party of Malaya during the Malayan Emergency
.
and soon afterwards to Singapore
, which was then considered part of Malaya. The LCMS was formally established in 1963 with two districts in Peninsular Malaysia
and one district encompassing Singapore. By 1978, all established congregations were financially self-supporting and together assumed support for the administrative budget of the LCMS central office..
In August 1996 the Singapore District separated from the LCMS and was gazetted as the independent Lutheran Church in Singapore to reflect the fact that Malaysia and Singapore had been separate countries politically since 1965. LCMS continues to retain the word "Singapore" in its name for legal purposes.
and Jahai
people of West Malaysia and overseas mission work in Kyrgyztan and Myanmar
(in partnership with the Myanmar Lutheran Church)..
, Myanmar
. Eleven people were killed in the attack, and among the 162 people that were injured was a member of the LCMS mission team to Myanmar.
, a communion of Lutheran Churches throughout the world. As a church in the Lutheran
tradition, it accepts the teachings found in the Augsburg Confession
, Luther's Small Catechism
and other confessional articles and symbols of the Book of Concord
.
The LCMS accepts the ordination of women as co-workers and pastors in the denomination, and a significant percentage of their full-time workers are women. To date no women bishops have been selected.
and the other Chinese dialects
commonly spoken in West Malaysia like Hokkien
and Cantonese
. English language
services are becoming increasingly common, with some congregations using English exclusively, and some congregations have started Malay
and Tamil
services. Senoi
language services are conducted almost exclusively with the Senoi congregations.
: Lutheran identity, Unity in ministry, Transformation of lives, Human resource development, Expansion in mission, and Renewal of structure.
(President until 1974). While the Biennial Convention is in recess, authority is delegated to the Executive Council.
The LCMS is divided into three full regional districts and one provisional district headed by a dean. The districts of the LCMS act as the middle judicatory
of the church. Specialized subcommittees and divisions include structures to support missions, education, social concerns, youth ministries and Orang Asli
ministries.
The Ministerium, consisting of the ordained pastors of the church, attends to matters of doctrine, nurture and spiritual care. On the local congregation level, local church councils run the various LCMS congregations. All properties of the local congregations are owned by the LCMS.
.
The LCMS also works in partnership with:
The current bishop of the Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore is the Rt. Rev. Philip Lok Oi Peng, first elected in 2005.
Early history
The first Lutherans to arrive in what is now Malaysia were HakkaHakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
Taiping Rebellion
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...
refugees from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
closely linked to Theodore Hamberg
Theodore Hamberg
Theodore Hamberg , was a Swedish missionary and author active in China. He is known for his role in having authored an important account on the early Taiping rebellion and for his role in establishing Christian missions in Guangdong province. He also laid the foundations for the study of the Hakka...
and Rudolph Lechler of the Basel Mission Society
Basel Mission
The Basel Mission is a Christian missionary society active from 1815 to 2001, when it was merged into Mission 21, the successor organization of Kooperation Evangelischer Kirchen und Missione founded in 2001....
. While it is not certain when they first arrived in British North Borneo, there was already a significant Chinese presence at the founding of the town of Sandakan
Sandakan
Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
in 1874. These refugees eventually organised themselves into what is today known as the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia
Basel Christian Church of Malaysia
The 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...
..
The LCMS traces its history to the eviction of foreign Christian missionaries from mainland China in 1953 after the establishment of the People's Republic of China
History of the People's Republic of China
The history of the People's Republic of China details the history of mainland China since October 1, 1949, when, after a near complete victory by the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil War, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China from atop Tiananmen...
. Some missionaries from the United Lutheran Church in America
United Lutheran Church in America
The United Lutheran Church in America was established in 1918 with the merger of three independent German-language synods: the General Synod , the General Council and the United Synod of the South . The Slovak Zion Synod joined the United Lutheran Church in America in 1920...
were stationed to northern Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
and worked among the ethnic Chinese community that were relocated to the New Villages as part of an attempt to stem the influence of the Communist Party of Malaya during the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
.
Establishment of the LCMS
Mission work extended southwards; first towards Kuala LumpurKuala 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...
and soon afterwards to 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...
, which was then considered part of Malaya. The LCMS was formally established in 1963 with two districts in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
and one district encompassing Singapore. By 1978, all established congregations were financially self-supporting and together assumed support for the administrative budget of the LCMS central office..
In August 1996 the Singapore District separated from the LCMS and was gazetted as the independent Lutheran Church in Singapore to reflect the fact that Malaysia and Singapore had been separate countries politically since 1965. LCMS continues to retain the word "Singapore" in its name for legal purposes.
Missions
The LCMS has seen steady growth over the years with a 10.8% growth in membership recorded in 2006 and also actively supports mission work among the SenoiSenoi
The Senoi are a set of Malaysian hunting and gathering Orang Asli peoples.-Demography:The Senoi tribes live in the central part of the Malaya peninsula, and consist of five different groups, the Semai, Temiar, Mah Meri, Jah Hut, Sema Berisi and the Che Wong, all of who speak Senoic languages and...
and Jahai
Semang
The Semang are a Negrito ethnic group of the Malay Peninsula. Lowland Semang tribes are also known as Sakai, although this term is considered to be derogatory by the Semang people. They are probably the indigenous peoples of this area. They have been recorded to have lived here since before the...
people of West Malaysia and overseas mission work in Kyrgyztan and 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....
(in partnership with the Myanmar Lutheran Church)..
Bombing in Myanmar
On 7 May 2005, a series of coordinated bombings occurred in the city of YangonYangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
, 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....
. Eleven people were killed in the attack, and among the 162 people that were injured was a member of the LCMS mission team to Myanmar.
Beliefs and practices
The LCMS 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
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
tradition, it accepts the teachings found in the 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 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...
.
The LCMS accepts the ordination of women as co-workers and pastors in the denomination, and a significant percentage of their full-time workers are women. To date no women bishops have been selected.
Languages in use
Most services conducted by the LCMS congregations are in MandarinStandard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
and the other Chinese dialects
Spoken Chinese
Chinese comprises many regional language varieties sometimes grouped together as the Chinese dialects, the primary ones being Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese, and Min. These are not mutually intelligible, and even many of the regional varieties are themselves composed of a number of...
commonly spoken in West Malaysia like Hokkien
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
and Cantonese
Standard Cantonese
Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
. English language
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...
services are becoming increasingly common, with some congregations using English exclusively, and some congregations have started Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
and Tamil
Tamil 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...
services. Senoi
Senoi
The Senoi are a set of Malaysian hunting and gathering Orang Asli peoples.-Demography:The Senoi tribes live in the central part of the Malaya peninsula, and consist of five different groups, the Semai, Temiar, Mah Meri, Jah Hut, Sema Berisi and the Che Wong, all of who speak Senoic languages and...
language services are conducted almost exclusively with the Senoi congregations.
The LUTHER Plan
In 2006, the LCMS adopted a four-year ministry development plan dubbed the LUTHER Plan that seeks to chart the development of "the spiritual and material aspects of the Church, and also her contribution to the society." It has a sixfold focus based on an acronym formed by the name of Martin LutherMartin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
: Lutheran identity, Unity in ministry, Transformation of lives, Human resource development, Expansion in mission, and Renewal of structure.
Overview
The highest decision-making body of the LCMS is the Biennial Convention (formally known as the "Church in Convention"), a group of of elected lay and ordained voting members from each congregation which meets every two years and elects an Executive Council headed by 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...
(President until 1974). While the Biennial Convention is in recess, authority is delegated to the Executive Council.
The LCMS is divided into three full regional districts and one provisional district headed by a dean. The districts of the LCMS act as the middle judicatory
Middle judicatory
A middle judicatory is an administrative structure or organization found in a religious denominations between the local congregation and the widest or highest national or international level...
of the church. Specialized subcommittees and divisions include structures to support missions, education, social concerns, youth ministries and Orang Asli
Orang Asli
Orang Asli , is a generic Malaysian term used for people indigenous to Peninsular Malaysia...
ministries.
The Ministerium, consisting of the ordained pastors of the church, attends to matters of doctrine, nurture and spiritual care. On the local congregation level, local church councils run the various LCMS congregations. All properties of the local congregations are owned by the LCMS.
List of Districts and Provisional Districts
- Northern district
- Dean: Rev Peter Khoo
- Congregations in the states of KedahKedahKedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
, 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...
- Selangor district
- Dean: Rev Foo Sin Leong
- 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...
- Kuala Lumpur district
- Dean: Rev Sivin Kit
- Congregations in 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...
and the state of SarawakSarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
- Provisional Southern district
- Dean: Rev N. Devadasan
- Congregations in the states of Melaka 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...
Presidents & Bishops of the LCMS
When the LCMS was constituted in 1963, the title of the head of the Executive Council was President. The title was changed to Bishop in 1974. As the LCMS is a not organized with an episcopal polity, retiring Bishops are not granted the title Bishop Emeritus automatically. Instead the title is conferred by the Biennial Convention.- 1963-1964
- Rev Paul Alberti
- 1964-1969
- Rev Ray Nyce
- 1969-1977
- Rev. Dr Carl Fisher
- Title changed to Bishop in 1974
- Bishop Emeritus since 2005
- 1977-1985
- Rev Peter Foong Siew Kong
- Bishop Emeritus since 2005
- 1985-1993
- Rev Daniel Chong Hoi Khen
- Bishop Emeritus since 2005
- 1993-2005
- Rev Gideon Chang (Teo King Chew)
- Bishop Emeritus since 2005
- 2005–present
- Rev Philip Lok Oi Peng
Schools and colleges
The LCMS operates the Lutheran Bible Training Institute in Kuala Lumpur and is also a participating member in the governing councils of Seminari Theoloji Malaysia and the Sabah Theological SeminarySabah Theological Seminary
Sabah Theological Seminary is an interdenominational Protestant seminary located in the town of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Established in 1988, STS is accredited by the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia and a participating school of the South East Asia Graduate School...
.
Affiliations
The LCMS 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....
- 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
- 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...
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in MalaysiaEvangelical Lutheran Church in MalaysiaThe 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.-Early history:...
- 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
- 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 LCMS also works in partnership with:
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaEvangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
, Southeastern Synod - Evangelical Lutheran Church in BavariaEvangelical Lutheran Church in BavariaThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria is a Protestant church in the German state of Bavaria. The seat of the church is in Munich....
- Lutheran Church in Singapore
- Myanmar Lutheran Church