Did you know that the oldest Methodist church in Singapore, Wesley Methodist Church (WMC), did not have that name until 1910? That it was once known as The English Church and also the Methodist Episcopal Church before it officially acquired its present name?
Although the foundation stone of WMC’s church building at Fort Canning Road was laid on 12 December 1907 by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir John Anderson, the genesis of WMC goes back to 7 February 1885, the day when the SS Khandalia sailed into Singapore with four missionary passengers. Rev William Oldham, Rev Dr James Thoburn, Mrs Anne Thoburn and Miss Julia Battie lost no time in doing their duty: the very next day, they conducted the first- ever Methodist Sunday service at the Town Hall (now Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall) for about 150 people.
What has happened in the 141 years since then is well-documented in WMC’s Heritage Gallery, a treasure trove of murals, interpretive exhibits and historical displays lining the walls in the church sanctuary. The most poignant exhibits must be the memorial plaques honouring the young pioneering Wesleyans whose noble ambitions were short-lived, such as George E. Cooper, “six years organist of the church” who died on 16 February 1893 at age 26, and his wife Mary Ann who passed away two days later aged 25; and Rev Charles Avery Gray, a missionary teacher who died on 3 August 1889 at the age of 33, just over a month after his arrival in Singapore to work at Anglo-Chinese School.
Also on display are artefacts from various periods in the church’s history, such as one- half of a rickety wooden stepladder which led to an Upper Room in the Church Tower before being dismantled during upgrading works in 1977-1978, an “addressograph” machine that manually stamped addresses on envelopes before computers arrived and an architectural model of the church and parsonage in 1908.
The Heritage Gallery is included as the final stop in the 12-station Wesley Heritage Trail that was launched in January 2026.
Vision 2035: Gearing up for WMC’s 150th Anniversary
Last year, at its 140th anniversary, WMC’s Pastor-in-Charge Rev Raymond Fong announced Vision 2035, a mission to create and become “a welcoming church in the city”, breaking it down into making disciples, building godly families and nurturing caring communities to serve God’s mission to the least, last and lost within the next ten years. In short, the church aspires to live up to its initials, WMC—to be a Welcoming, Missional and Caring church.
One of the strategies for Vision 2035 focuses on Intentional Outreach through Social Concerns and Missions, the heart of our Methodist heritage. Envisage expanding from Jalan Berseh to Jalan Besar, serving wider marginalised communities, seniors, youth and children in collaboration with agencies and other churches. As a church, WMC wants to continue growing its missions work, raising missionaries and developing fields. Church redevelopment and space acquisition in Jalan Besar are crucial for its growth and require trusting in God’s provision.1
Over the decades, besides periodically renovating, altering and upgrading the buildings on its 4,147.4 sqm of land, WMC has had to find ways and means to accommodate its growth, including the long-term leasing of office space at YWCA Fort Canning Lodge since 2002. Space has always been a concern for WMC; in fact, the first major renovation of the church was carried out as early as 1926 when a social hall was constructed adjacent to the original church building and parsonage for the purposes of meetings, conferences and concerts.
The Wesley Heritage Trail takes the first step as an initiative for Vision 2035 which was set in motion last year.
Wesley Heritage Trail: Humble beginnings, lasting legacy
Did you know that a short walk away from WMC there used to be a prison for convicts? Have you heard of William Shellabear? Or Kunnuck Mistree? They won’t remain a mystery (pun intended) if you sign up for the Wesley Heritage Trail.
Called “Humble Beginnings, Lasting Legacy”, the Wesley Heritage Trail is a curated 12-station walk linking WMC and places of historical interest surrounding it. Concurrently, a new church ministry, the Wesley Docents programme, has been formed.
Some 48 Wesleyans have undergone the inaugural docent training programme.
The trail begins at the church atrium, from where visitors will walk to Fort Canning Hill, Fort Canning Green, Stamford Road and Bras Basah Road before circling back to WMC. At each stop, a docent will explain the site’s historical significance and contextualise it in a narrative of Singapore’s development. The docent’s guidance is crucial especially when not a trace of the old is left (like the said prison) and all a visitor has to rely on are a few blurry photographs and their own imagination!
Ho Yong Min, curator of the trail and the docents’ trainer, shared what inspired him. “This project is all about faith, service and memory. As a believer, what made it meaningful was that it wasn’t just about bricks and dates, it was about people who served with humility and left a spiritual and social legacy.”2
A light on a hill
WMC occupies what was, and still is, prime estate on Fort Canning Hill. It is very close to where Raffles’ residence, the Government House, stood before it was demolished in 1859 to make way for an Artillery Fort. For years Fort Canning was the seat of power; today, the buildings and structures that remain are just a museum of memories.
Beyond offering us historical insights, the Wesley Heritage Trail is a reminder that to avoid becoming a museum, or worse, vanishing altogether, the church must keep faith and worship alive so as to continue adding to its heritage daily. To do this requires wise leadership and the active support and participation of members.
As Kevyn Lai, a WMC Pastoral Team Member, puts it, “We are reminded that how we live our lives becomes part of our shared heritage with the church. While the church archives may lead us to know of the ministry and work of the pioneers in history, our heritage is alive in our lives as members of the church, telling a story of God’s love and faithfulness.”3
People come and go but WMC has remained unchanging in its nature and purpose for more than 140 years. May this light instituted by God on a hill keep shining brightly down the ages.
1 https://tidings.wesleymc.org/feature/looking-up-reaching-out-wmc-celebrates-140th-anniversary-unveils-vision-2035/)
2 Heritage Alive: Encountering God Through Time and Welcome—Wesley’s Inaugural Docent Training Programme, Wesley Tidings, published 3 December 2025
3 Heritage Alive: Encountering God Through Time and Welcome—Wesley’s Inaugural Docent Training Programme, Wesley Tidings, published 3 December 2025
Lucy Cheng is a volunteer Sub-Editor for Methodist Message. She worships at Wesley Methodist Church. / Photos courtesy of Wesley Methodist Church