A handbook of councils and churches profiles of ecumenical relationships
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*Council of Churches of Malaysia Founded in 1947 as the Malayan Christian Council, which became the Council of Churches in Malaysia and Singapore in 1948. In 1975 this Council split into two, one of them the Council of Churches of Malaysia. Mission statement: Called into unity by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we seek to be the salt of the earth and light to the nation through the servant ministry of Christ. Member churches: Diocese of Kuching (Anglican Church) Diocese of Sabah (Anglican Church) Diocese of West Malaysia (Anglican Church) Basel Christian Church of Malaysia Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Malaysia Methodist Church (Chinese Annual Conference) Malaysia Methodist Church (Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference) Malaysia Methodist Church (Sarawak Iban Annual Conference) Malaysia Methodist Church (Tamil Annual Conference) Malaysia Methodist Church (Trinity Annual Conference) Malaysia Orthodox Syrian Church in Malaysia Presbyterian Church in Malaysia Protestant Church in Sabah Salvation Army in Malaysia and Singapore Associated organizations: Bible Society of Malaysia Boys’ Brigade in Malaysia Girls’ Brigade in Malaysia Malaysian Christian Association for Relief (Malaysian Care) National Council of YMCA Malaysia Young Women’s Christian Association of Malaysia Seminari Theoloji Malaysia Sabah Theological Seminary Mobilization Fellowship of Malaysia Intercare Malaysia The Council of Churches of Malaysia is affiliated with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches. Website: www.ccmalaysia.org
Founded in 1986. Mission statement: We, who are Christians belonging to different Christian churches, denominations and organizations but professing the same Christian faith, have resolved to form the Christian Federation of Malaysia through which we, as a community, shall endeavour, together with other religious communities, to play our part as loyal and useful citizens of our nation. Members: Council of Churches of Malaysia National Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia National Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Malaysia
Church Family: Methodist Membership: 97,197 confirmed; 58,315 preparatory Congregations: 573 Pastors: 387 Member of: WCC (1977) – CCA – CCM – WMC Methodist work began in Malaysia with the arrival of William F. Oldham in Singapore in 1855. The work of the mission grew in several directions. Singapore and Malaysia Methodists formed the Southeastern Asia Central Conference, along with the Methodists in Indonesia and Burma, in 1950. This general conference was an integral part of the General Conference of the Methodist Church (USA). In 1968, the general conference granted an enabling act for the annual conferences to constitute the affiliated autonomous Methodist Church in Malaysia and Singapore. In 1976 the Methodist Church in Malaysia and Singapore separated into two churches following national boundaries. Now each church has its own bishop. The MCM is no more a mission of the United Methodist Church in the USA. It is now a community of those who are committed to give according to their ability. The general conference of the MCM is composed of six annual conferences formed on linguistic and cultural bases. In Peninsular Malaysia there are the Trinity Annual Conference (English-speaking), the Chinese Annual Conference (Chi-nese-speaking), and the Tamil Annual Conference (Tamil-speaking). In Sarawak, there are the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (Chinese-speaking), the Sarawak Iban Annual Conference (Iban-speaking) and the Sabah Provisional Annual Conference (Chinese-speaking). This is due to the church’s complex social composition and particular needs. The Trinity Annual Conference sponsors a Sengoi Methodist Mission Conference. This mission conference consists of indigenous people who are natives of Peninsular Malaysia. Protestant Church in Sabah Church Family: Lutheran Membership: 30,000 Congregations: 307 Pastors: 144 Full time workers: 56 Member of: WCC (1975) – CCA – CCM – LWF Asia
The roots of the Protestant Church in Sabah go back to German missionary work in Kudat in the beginning of the 20th century. But the PCS was founded in 1952 when the Basel Mission began to work among the Rungus people. The first converts were baptized in December 1952. In the years following, several villages embraced Christianity. Meetings of the headmen of the tribes were organized in order to facilitate evangelization. Another important factor was the training of lay people, not only biblical teaching but also language (Malay) and mathematics. The number of persons following the training was small but grew steadily. Gradually the Momogun people (one of the Rungus tribes) began to respond to the gospel. They noticed the difference between their way of life and that of the missionaries and the converts. They saw that the Christians among them were no longer bound by the traditional fears of evil spirits and other superstitions. Many sought to embrace the new faith. Today a truly indigenous church, the PCS consists of many indigenous tribes such as Rungus, Tobonuvo, Kimaragang, Garo and others. It has a Bible seminary with a four-year course for the training of pastors and a Bible school for shorter courses of one or two years. Since 1976 more than 200 people have been trained but not all serve full-time in the church. In 1965 the constitution of the church was drafted and in 1967 it received official approval by the Basel Mission and the government of Malaysia. With the departure of the foreign missionaries in 1973, the Basel Christian Church in Malaysia (BCCM) came to support the church, and contacts were established with other Malaysian churches. From 1996, the PCS began to establish local congregations in the Peninsula (Western Malaysia) as well as in Singapore. It has also developed relationships with sister churches in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. The PCS acknowledges the holy scriptures – namely the Old and New Testaments – as the only basis of faith, with the Apostles’ Creed as the safeguard of the faith. Each member is urged to take up the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel and witnessing to Christ.
Population: 50,695,720 Surface area: 676,600 sq.km Capital: Yangon GDP per capita: 1,700 US$ Classification: Least developed country Languages: Burmese, English, other Religions: Buddhist 73%; Ethnic 13%; Christian 8%; Muslim 2%; Hindu 2% Christianity: Protestants 2,792,120; Catholics 650,000; Anglicans 66,000; Independent 651,920 The name of the country was changed in 1989 from Union of Burma to Myanmar. The first Burmese empire was founded in the 11th century. It was invaded by the British in the 19th century. After the Japanese occupation during World War II, the country became sovereign in 1948. From 1962 to 1990 it was ruled by a military dictator, and subsequently a military-controlled government was formed. Mass protests in 1988 were violently repressed, but did result in democratic elections in 1990, which were won by the National League for Democracy (NLD). The military refused to step down and since then have kept tight control of the country. The leader of the NLD, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has been under house arrest most of the time. The population of Myanmar is made up of many different ethnic groups. In the north, armed oppostion to the central government has been going on for decades. The military were accused of imposing forced labour and committing many other human rights violations. Myanmar’s economy is based on agriculture, gems, timber and oil. The majority of the population are poor peasants and workers. Catholic missionaries entered the area in the 16th century and Protestant missions began in the 19th century. The largest church is the Myanmar Baptist Convention. The Assemblies of God and numerous other Pentecostal and Evangelical churches are active and growing. The Myanmar Council of Churches is the ecumenical body. There is an Evangelical Christian Fellowship, affiliated with the WEA. *Myanmar Council of Churches Founded in 1949 as Burma Christian Council, which became Burma Council of Churches in 1972 and was renamed Myanmar Council of Churches in 1989 (forerunner: the Burma Regional Council under the National Christian Council of India, Burma & Ceylon founded in 1914). Basis: To be a member, a church must believe in the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as being testified by the holy scriptures, the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, and believe that the Bible gives the way to salvation for all humankind. Member churches: Church of the Province of Myanmar Evangelical Free Church of Myanmar Independent Presbyterian Church of Myanmar Lisu Christian Church of Myanmar Lutheran Bethlehem Church
Methodist Church, Lower Myanmar Methodist Church, Upper Myanmar Myanmar Baptist Convention Presbyterian Church of Myanmar Salvation Army, Myanmar Command Self-supporting Kayin Baptist Mission Society St Gabriel’s Congregational Union Church Co-operating bodies: Association for Theological Education in Myanmar Bible Society of Myanmar Christian Literature Society of Myanmar Myanmar Christian Health Workers’ Service Association Myanmar Youth for Christ National Christian Leprosy Mission Board National Council of YMCAs of Myanmar National ECLOF of Myanmar National YWCA of Myanmar There are more than thirty regional and local councils of churches in seven states and seven divisions throughout the country. The Myanmar Council of Churches is affiliated with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches. Asia
Church of the Province of Myanmar Church Family: Anglican Membership: 62,000 Parishes: 300 Priests: 125 Member of: WCC (1971) – CCA – MCC – ACC Periodical: Monthly Newsletter (in Myanmar) The Anglican Church was established in today’s Myanmar by British army chaplains on the west coast around 1825. It was only in 1853 that the first missionaries arrived. The diocese of Calcutta had pastoral and administrative oversight over the church in Burma. In 1877 the diocese of Rangoon was inaugurated. After World War II, no foreign missions which were not already operating in the country before the war were allowed to enter. The last missionaries were asked to leave the country in 1966. The early emphasis on a trained leadership, lay and ordained, as well as on an educated laity in general has proved an invaluable asset to the church. The Province of Burma was formed in 1970 with four dioceses; there are now six. The church is not involved in social work as this field of action is totally taken over by the government. In times of catastrophes affecting the country the church provides relief aid. The primary concerns of the church are evangelism, the training of clergy evangelists and the improvement of teaching programmes. The Church of the Province of Myanmar is actively involved with other member churches in the Myanmar Council of Churches.
Church Family: Reformed Membership: 19,810 Congregations: 97 Pastors: 50 Member of: WCC (2001) – CCA – MCC – WARC The Mara people (formerly known as Lakher) are an ethnic group whose territory is situated on both sides of the border between India and Myanmar. In 1907 a British missionary couple began working among the Mara. Through their efforts and through the work of local evangelists and a series of revivals the entire Mara people were Christianized by 1960. At the independence of India and Burma the Mara were separated in two groups. In 1967 the church was also organized in two entities: the Evangelical Church of Maraland in India (the larger one), and the Mara Independent Evangelical Church in Burma (now Myanmar). In 1970 a split occurred in the latter, which lasted sixteen years. The break was healed in 1987, with the pastoral help of the Myanmar Council of Churches. The two parts adopted a new name, Mara Evangelical Church, to signify their unity. The church “holds the faith in Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the world and worships one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. It is evangelical in outlook and strongly committed to a holistic ministry combining evangelism and fullness of life. The church is sending evangelists to work among neighbouring ethnic groups. The MEC is ordered according to presbyterian principles. The ministries of elder and pastor have been traditionally reserved for men, but the church is now also encouraging women to assume these responsibilities. For about ten years now several pastors of the MEC have been able to study in India, the UK and at the WCC’s Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. These contacts have led to a strong desire to be part of the ecumenical movement. The leaders wish to break the isolation of the church, partly caused by its geographical location.
Church Family: Methodist Membership: 27,543 Circuits: 45 Districts: 8 Congregations: 184 Pastors : 65 Deaconesses: 4 Member of: WCC (1987) – CCA – MCC – WMC The Methodist mission began in Upper Myanmar (formerly Upper Burma) in 1887, by the British Methodist Missionary Society. The basis was Mandalay. From there Methodism spread not only in the plains but also to the hill region. The Methodist Church (Upper Myanmar) became an autonomous church in 1964 because the government did not allow foreign missionaries to stay in the country. The Centenary thanks-giving service was celebrated in 1987. The missionaries had established a Bible training school which became the Theological Training Institution in 1937. The TTI was changed to Myanmar Theological College (MTC) in 1987 and was upgraded to offer a degree programme. The college is approaching its 75th jubilee in 2012, and is aiming at beginning an MD programme on that occasion. The church founded another college in Tahan District called Tahan Institute of Theology, which is affiliated with MTC. The Methodist Church has gone through hardship and great distress during the past years but the storms are over and all the districts are doing their best to grow and strengthen the Christian community. The Tahan District established a clinic in 1987 where there are now 103 workers. A new branch was opened in 2004 in Letpanchaung District. The clinic conducts a “Community Sick Helper training” one-year course and training for HIV/AIDS care and counselling. By the grace of God, the Methodist Church, Upper Myanmar is planning to celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2012.
Church Family: Baptist Membership: 650,293 baptized; 618,588 non-baptized Local churches: 3944 Pastors: 2544 Unordained pastors: 6483 Member of: WCC (1957) – CCA – MCC – BWA – ABF Periodical: Myitta Taman Magazine (monthly, in Myanmar) The first Christian mission to arrive in present-day Myanmar was the Roman Catholic Barnabite Mission in 1722. In 1807 the English Baptists opened a mission but the first permanent Baptist Evangelists and mission came in 1813 from Asia
America, under Adoniram Judson. During his life time, only the Burman, Mon and Karen ethnic groups responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ. At his death in 1850, there were 74 churches and 7904 baptized members. Gradually the Baptist mission spread out to all the peoples in Myanmar. In 1865, the Baptist churches in Burma organized themselves under the name “Burma Baptist Missionary Convention”. In 1954, the name was changed to Burma Baptist Convention. Today, the Myanmar Baptist Convention represents all Baptists in the country. Its beliefs and practices are according to the Baptist principles and polity in general. The main purposes of the MBC are: a) to preach and propagate the good news of Jesus Christ in Myanmar and throughout the whole world; b) to abide in Baptist faith and practice; c) to educate its members for Christian maturity and discipleship; d) to be united with other Christians in Christ for mission and service; and e) to be good citizens of the country. Myanmar (Burma) has a population of over 50 million. Buddhism is the majority religion, Christians form a minority. The Baptists are the largest protestant denomination in the country. All the Baptist churches aim to be self-supporting and holistic in development, and the members are called to identify themselves as Christians and good citizens. The MBC has undertaken the “Golden Myanmar Baptist Mission” which aims at evangelizing the majority of people of the country for the transformation and betterment of the society. The MBC has taken an active part in the Myanmar Council of Churches from the beginning. Politically Myanmar is heading towards a democratic government and to a market economy and it is one of the ASEAN countries. NEPAL National Council of Churches of Nepal Founded in 1999. Mission statement: To unite the Christian community in Nepal, equip them spiritually; encourage them to be involved in social issues and work for the betterment of society. Vision: We envision a better society with peace, justice, equality, religious harmony, faith in God and fullness of life for all. Basis of membership: Any individual or church or organization which subscribes to the objectives of the NCCN. Member churches: The NCCN is establishing a process for the membership of churches. It has been working on the basis of issues. More than 700 church leaders representing over 100 churches have participated in the capacity-building programmes organized by the NCCN. Website: www.nccnepal.org PAKISTAN Population: 161,150,580 Surface area: 796,100 sq.km Capital: Islamabad GNI per capita: 600 US$ Classification: Developing economy Languages: Urdu, English, other Religions: Muslim 96%; Christian 3%; other 1% Christianity: Protestants 1,976,640; Catholics 1,450,000; Independent 805,510 The region of today’s Pakistan has been the site of the Indus Valley civilization, and has been occupied by the Aryans, Persians, Greeks, and later the Arabs, Turks, and Moghuls. With the Arabs came Islamization, and the foundation of Islamic rule. The territory was colonized by the British in the 19th century and became part of British India. The independence of India in 1947, and the partition of the sub-continent that followed, resulted in the creation of Pakistan consisting of two parts, on the western and eastern sides of India. In 1971, Eastern Pakistan separated and became Bangladesh. Pakistan has been ruled by both democratic and military governments. Relationships with India have always been tense, because of the unresolved problem of the Punjab. Pakistan has traditionally been allied with the West, and has supported the USA in their fight against the Talibans and terrorism, but is facing internal problems with radical Islamic movements. The economy is based on agriculture and manufacturing industry. The majority of the population depends on subsistence farming and is poor. Pakistan is an Islamic Republic since 1956. The Christians are a small minority. Christianity reached the area as early as the 8th century, but churches were not established until Catholic and Protestant missions arrived in the 19th century. In 1970 the Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, and part of the Presbyterians, united to form the Church of Pakistan. There are several Presbyterian, Evangelical and Pentecostal churches. The National Council of Churches is the ecumenical body, the Evangelical Fellowship is affiliated with the WEA.
Founded in 1948 as the West Pakistan Christian Council, which became the National Council of Churches in Pakistan in 1975 (forerunner: the North West India Christian Council). Basis of membership: The council is the representative organization of the Protestant churches and missions working in Pakistan, and which hold the following faith of confession: “We hold the faith that the Church has ever held in Jesus Christ, the redeemer of the world, in whom men and women are saved by grace through faith, in accordance with the revelation of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We accept the holy scripture of the New and Old Testament as containing all things necessary to salvation, as the ultimate standard of faith.” Member churches: Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church Church of Pakistan (all 8 dioceses) Presbyterian Church of Pakistan Salvation Army Associate members: ABADAT
Adult Basic Education Society Asia
Christian Study Centre Church World Service – Pakistan Gujranwala Theological Seminary Pakistan Bible Society Pakistan Campus Crusade for Christ Pakistan Christian Blind Society Punjab Religious Book Society. Student Christian Movement of Pakistan Technical Services Association Young Men Christian Association Young Women Christian Association The National Council of Churches in Pakistan is affiliated with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches. Church of Pakistan Church Family: United and Uniting Membership: 500,000 Dioceses: 8 Parishes: 460 Bishops: 8 Pastors: 600 Member of: WCC (1971) – CCA – NCCP – WARC – WMC – ACC The history of the churches in Pakistan is part of the history of Christianity in the Indian sub-continent. Their beginnings can be traced to the work of several Christian missions from the 16th century onwards. Pakistan came into existence when British rule ended on the sub-continent in 1947. The predominantly Muslim areas in the west and in the east became a separate state, with over a thousand miles of Indian territory in between. The eastern province broke away in 1971. The Church of Pakistan is the result of the union of four denominations: Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterian (Scottish), which took place in 1970. The United Presbyterian Church which had been involved in the negotiations did not join. Initially there were four dioceses in the Church of Pakistan, i.e. Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Sialkot, but in 1980, through a special resolution and for better ministerial work, four new dioceses were created: Hyderabad, Raiwind, Faisalabad and Peshawar. There are eight active diocesan bishops with an additional bishop for the Gulf Ministries. This appointment was made to take care of the pastoral and worship needs of Urdu-speaking workers in the Gulf. There is a presiding bishop for the Church of Pakistan who is known as the moderator and has responsibility for a three-year term. The United Church of Pakistan is the second largest church in the country after the Roman Catholic Church. Christians form two percent of the population of Pakistan, which is approximately 140 million; 97 percent are Muslims. Christian scholars, teachers, social workers and lawyers are appreciated for their contributions, but face problems of identity and full participation in the social and political life of the country. There is no legal bar to evangelistic work, but the propagation of the gospel is not always welcomed. Most of the educational institutions like colleges and schools have been nationalized and operate under the control and direction of the government. The Church of Pakistan has initiated some significant steps to continue its role in education in the light of the policy of nationalization. Schools that were nationalized in 1972 have been returned to the church. The largest, Forman Christian College Lahore, was given back to the Presbyterian Church in 2003. It is hoped that in due course other colleges will also be returned. Outstanding institutions include United Christian Hospital, Gujranwala Theological Seminary, St Thomas Theological College Karachi, Edwardes College Peshawar, Mission Hospital Sahiwal and Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore. |