Protestant Church in Sabah
Encyclopedia
The 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. The PCS' membership is primarily made up of the indigenous peoples of Sabah
.
The current president of the Protestant Church in Sabah is the Rev. Jimmy Ojlim Assam.
in the beginning of the 20th century. The PCS itself was established with the first synod on April 20, 1966 and registered with the Sabah government in 1967 out of the missionary work of the Basel Mission amongst the Rungus, started in December 1952. Already in 1951, the Borneo Basel Self Established Church renamed later Basel Christian Church
(BCCM) which had been established much earlier (1924) among the immigrant Chinese community in Sabah
sought the help of Hans Bienz, the sixth and last BMS advisor to the BCC, to tour Rungus villages such as Kimihang, Lajong, Handal, Angkob and Rondomon in early 1952. He asked the Basel Mission to send Heinrich Honegger. In December 1952 the mission work amongst Rungus began with the assembly of 45 Rungus headmen, some BCC members and both missionaries Bienz and Honegger T.A. Forschner: "The History of the Protestant Church in Sabah" (English translation of "Usuran do Gorija Protestan sid Sabah, 1993" http://www.gpcs.com.my/faq/usuran-gorija.html (URL last accessed March 26, 2010). In 1965, the constitution of the PCS was drafted by church elders and missionaries, and the formation of the PCS was officially initiated by a first synod on April 20, 1966 and registered as a legal entity in 1967 .
on 9 - 13 May, 1969 and was also joined by the Lutheran Church in America
. However, the merger discussions did not reach an agreement due to concerns that the better organized and financially stable Basel churches may dominate the new body. Further discussions were planned but had to be shelved when crisis hit the Christian community of Sabah as a result of a policy change by the United Sabah National Organization
(USNO) led state government to suspend the renewal of missionary visas as part of the administration's Islamization campaign. .
.
to minister to the growing migrant worker
population in those territories from Sabah .
Rev. T.A. Forschner
Rev. Otto Dilger
Patrick Manjil Madalag
Rev. Masandu Majupi
Rev. Hendry Ogodong Dangki
Rev. Sopirid Masandu
Rev. Jimmy Ojlim Assam
schools :
relationships through:
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
.
The current president of the Protestant Church in Sabah is the Rev. Jimmy Ojlim Assam.
History
The roots of the Protestant Church in Sabah goes back to German missionary work in KudatKudat
Kudat is a town in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the northern tip of Borneo island. It serves as the administrative center for the Kudat Division, which includes the towns of Kudat, Pitas, Kota Marudu, and some offshore islands....
in the beginning of the 20th century. The PCS itself was established with the first synod on April 20, 1966 and registered with the Sabah government in 1967 out of the missionary work of the Basel Mission amongst the Rungus, started in December 1952. Already in 1951, the Borneo Basel Self Established Church renamed later Basel Christian Church
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...
(BCCM) which had been established much earlier (1924) among the immigrant Chinese community in Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
sought the help of Hans Bienz, the sixth and last BMS advisor to the BCC, to tour Rungus villages such as Kimihang, Lajong, Handal, Angkob and Rondomon in early 1952. He asked the Basel Mission to send Heinrich Honegger. In December 1952 the mission work amongst Rungus began with the assembly of 45 Rungus headmen, some BCC members and both missionaries Bienz and Honegger T.A. Forschner: "The History of the Protestant Church in Sabah" (English translation of "Usuran do Gorija Protestan sid Sabah, 1993" http://www.gpcs.com.my/faq/usuran-gorija.html (URL last accessed March 26, 2010). In 1965, the constitution of the PCS was drafted by church elders and missionaries, and the formation of the PCS was officially initiated by a first synod on April 20, 1966 and registered as a legal entity in 1967 .
Merger attempt with the Basel Church
On January 23, 1968, the Basel Missionary Society started advocating a merger of both their Sabah affiliates; the BCC and PCS. A joint mission consultation was held in Kota KinabaluKota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
on 9 - 13 May, 1969 and was also joined by the Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Church in America
The Lutheran Church in America was a U.S. and Canadian Lutheran church body that existed from 1962 to 1987. It was headquartered in New York City and its publishing house was Fortress Press....
. However, the merger discussions did not reach an agreement due to concerns that the better organized and financially stable Basel churches may dominate the new body. Further discussions were planned but had to be shelved when crisis hit the Christian community of Sabah as a result of a policy change by the United Sabah National Organization
United Sabah National Organization
United Sabah National Organization was a political party based in Sabah, Malaysia. The party was founded by Tun Mustapha, the third Chief Minister of Sabah. The party came into power after winning the 1967 state election...
(USNO) led state government to suspend the renewal of missionary visas as part of the administration's Islamization campaign. .
Consolidation
By 1973, the departure of foreign missionaries saw the BCC playing a more direct role in providing support for the PCS. Training of local workers was prioritized while contacts were developed between the PCS and other churches in Malaysia . In 1975, the PCS became a member of the World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of Churches
The 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...
.
Expansion beyond Sabah
In 1996, congregations were established in West Malaysia and SingaporeSingapore
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...
to minister to the growing migrant worker
Migrant worker
The term migrant worker has different official meanings and connotations in different parts of the world. The United Nations' definition is broad, including any people working outside of their home country...
population in those territories from Sabah .
Leadership
Since the PCS was organised in 1965, the head of the Executive Council is known as the President. The current president, Rev. Jimmy Ojlim Assam is the seventh president of the PCS .- 1964-1967
Rev. T.A. Forschner
- 1967-1970
Rev. Otto Dilger
- 1970-1976
Patrick Manjil Madalag
- 1976-1992
Rev. Masandu Majupi
- 1992-2000
Rev. Hendry Ogodong Dangki
- 2000-2008
Rev. Sopirid Masandu
- 2008-present
Rev. Jimmy Ojlim Assam
Theological training
In 1956, a Bible school was established in the Tinangol near Kudat and continued to operate until 1973 when the USNO led Islamization campaign in the state of Sabah was at its height. The institution was re-opened in 1976 after the fall of the USNO-led administration as the Tinangol Bible Training Centre .Vocational training
An agricultural school was established in Sikuati. The school was relocated to Timangol in 1965 and is currently known as the Women's Development Centre .Academic
In 1964, the Basel Mission established three primary schools known as Native Voluntary Schools in the vicinity of Kudat. These were handed over to the PCS when the mission withdrew from Sabah and are currently operating as grant-in-aidGrant-in-aid
A grant-in-aid is money coming from central government for a specific project. This kind of funding is usually used when the government and parliament have decided that the recipient should be publicly funded but operate with reasonable independence from the state.In the United Kingdom, most bodies...
schools :
- SRK Tinangol
- SRK Lodung
- SRK Lajung
Affiliations
The PCS participates in ecumenicalEcumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
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...
- 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...
- 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....
- 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
- 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