Barker Road Methodist Church (BRMC) is unique among churches in Singapore—it originated in a school music room, where 12 boys from The Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) started worshipping together regularly. This youth church, Barker Road Chapel, began to attract more students from ACS and within a year, in 1957, it was officially recognised as a Methodist church.
Today, BRMC has a membership of about 2800 members worshipping across 10 services. In keeping with our Wesleyan heritage, each member is encouraged to join one of our 78 small groups. In this season, the vision of the church is to be “Transformed by the Love of Christ”—a vision that emphasises being in a relationship with Jesus, rather than just doing things in His name.
Some distinctive ways BRMC contributes to the larger body include Oldham Hall, Prisons ministry, and the Future Generation Network (FGN).
ACS Oldham Hall is a boarding school that houses students from nations around the region. BRMC partners with Oldham Hall to witness to God’s love and extend pastoral care to its boarders. In addition to serving through Prison Fellowship Singapore, our Prisons ministry also works among detainees in the SAF Detention Barracks. Finally, the FGN was conceived with the goal of connecting our young to the church vision, and to instil in them a sense of belonging to BRMC. The FGN brings together the various stakeholders involved in ministry to our young—the Children’s and Youth Church School, ACS Christian Ministry, Young Adults Ministry, small groups and a worship service.
BRMC faces challenges similar to those of many churches in Singapore—in a world that inundates us with increasingly demanding commitments, it has been tough to encourage more among the congregation to serve in the many areas of ministry in the church.
It is timely then that God has been leading us to think deeper about what it means to build a rhythm of Christian living among our congregation. To be transformed by the love of Christ is to pause in the midst of busyness to behold and encounter the love of Jesus that prunes and shapes us towards perfection. Our sensing has thus been to increasingly create space for our people to meet with Jesus.
The Rev Benjamin Fong is an Assistant Pastor at Barker Road Methodist Church.
Photos courtesy of Barker Road Methodist Church