“ … In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
– Matthew 25:40.
THE MAIN EXHIBITION of the Methodist Heritage Day celebrations, held at the Old School at Mount Sophia on Oct 31 last year, has been set up on Level 3 of Methodist Centre at Barker Road.
Some 3,000 guests, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and church members, viewed the exhibition, which was organised to round off the 125th Anniversary celebrations of e Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) last year.
With the theme “Our Social Outreach – en & Now”, the exhibition portrays the social and community spirit of the MCS.
Those who missed viewing the exhibition can see it along the walls of the Heritage Walk (Level 3) of Methodist Centre from now until the end of 2011. e exhibition is open from Mondays to Fridays from 8.30 am to 7 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8.30 am to 3 pm.
There are three sections displaying the rich heritage and community work of the MCS through archival and current photographs. The three sections are:
Overview
– The Heritage (A short history of MCS),
– Three Pioneer Missionaries (Bishop James Thoburn, Bishop William Oldham and Miss Sophia Blackmore),
– Life on the Hill (Portraying what life was like in the old days at Mount Sophia),
– Our Present Structure (MCS organisational structure with brief descriptions of the different organisations and agencies of the church).
Social Outreach – Then
– Providing Medical Assistance (Among the poor, opium addicts and others who needed help),
– Elevating the Importance of Education (For boys and especially for girls),
– Dealing with Social Ills (Drinking, gambling, opium smoking),
– Social Work (Among children, “paupers and lepers” and doing “rescue” work).
Social Outreach – Now
– Our Special Interest (Our churches’ role in social concerns),
– Work of different Methodist Agencies,
– Work of Methodist Welfare Services (Helping and supporting the needy in Singapore),
– An Enriching Education (Methodist Schools’ contribution to social outreach).
The exhibition will also benefit our staff members and students of Methodist Schools and we will encourage them to visit the exhibition in organised groups. We also welcome other visitors to the exhibition to learn about the history and social mission of the MCS. For group visits of more than 15 people, please contact Jenny at tel; 6478-4775, or Annie at tel: 6478-4786.
Please email any enquiries you may have to archive.history@ methodist.org.sg
Jenny Ng is the Assistant Archivist of e Methodist Church in Singapore.