Ecumenical Commitment
The MCS recognises the importance of working with other Christian denominations in as many ways as possible, in strengthening Christian witness in a multi-racial and multi-religious society. It is a member of the National Council of Churches of Singapore. The Methodist Church in Singapore is linked to the World Methodist Council, as well as several other international Methodist bodies . Singapore attracted world attention when it convened the 16th World Methodist Conference at the Westin Stamford from July 24 to 31, 1991. An expression of the continued commitment of the MCS to this vision is the support it gives to Trinity Theological College - a major theological seminary that has been serving the region since 1948. Beliefs
The Methodist church holds much in common with other Christians, the primacy of Scripture, the necessity of salvation by grace through faith, and the sovereign care of the Triune God for the created world. Its particular emphases can be understood in reference to John Wesley, an 18th century priest and reformer in the Church of England who became known as the father of Methodism. He developed a distinctive "method" for personal and social holiness. Click here for links to important doctrinal statements. Church structure reflects multiple ethnic groups
The MCS, which comprises the Chinese Annual Conference, Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference and Trinity Annual Conference, is headed by a Bishop, elected at its General Conference. Each of the Annual Conferences is headed by a President. Methodist churches, which number 43 churches with a membership of more than 33,000, represent one of the largest Protestant denominations and cater to all the languages used in the Republic: the vernaculars like Hokkien, Foochow, Hakka, Hinghwa,Teochew and Cantonese, as well as Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English, which is the language of choice. Click here for a structural chart. Mission Roots
The MCS derives its beginnings from a missionary initiative of the South India Conference led by Dr James Thoburn in 1885. Its early foundations were laid by the Rev Wiliam F Oldham, who established the Mission and its first English language boys' school in 1886. Together with two girls' schools begun in 1887 and 1888, the Mission developed linguistic ministries in nearly all the local vernaculars, a medical clinic, and school hostels for foreign boys and homeless girls. Thereafter, the Mission rapidly spread to the main towns of the Malayan Peninsula and Sarawak, where churches and schools that were twinned with them provided a base for missionary outreach in English and the vernacular languages. Like most other missions, the Methodist Mission in Singapore and Malaya expanded and matured - first becoming a Conference, then Conferences spanning South-east Asia, and the establishment of the South-east Asian Central Conference in 1950. The Malaysian and Singapore components became autonomous in 1968, and thus became an Asian church with a bishop that was elected from amongst its ministers. In 1976, the process was repeated when it was restructured into The Methodist Church in Singapore, and Malaysia, respectively. Earnest Lau, Archivist of The Methodist Church in Singapore, is also Associate Editor of Methodist Message. | 
