CHRIST METHODIST CHURCH

OUR HISTORY

It is important for Christ Methodist Church (CMC) members to know our roots, and the way God has led us through the years. Most would already be familiar with the story of CMC’s origins – this is for those who aren’t.

CMC was born, back in 1930, as the Geylang English Methodist Church. For almost 30 years, the Geylang Methodist Church building along Aljunied Road was shared by three congregations – the Geylang Chinese Methodist Church, the Geylang Straits Chinese Methodist Church and ours. Sunday School lessons were held in the classrooms of the adjoining Geylang Methodist Girls’ School (MGS).

As God blessed each congregation and numbers grew, it became apparent that the premises could no longer be shared, especially for important occasions such as Watchnight and Easter Sunrise Services, when the privilege of using the church building for that particular service had to be rotated annually between the different congregations.

Matters came to a head in 1957, when there was a disagreement with the then Principal of Geylang MGS over the date of our annual Fun Fair. One of the other congregations was holding theirs three weeks before, and there was fear that ticket sales would be affected. It was decided then that new premises had to be found to house our congregation, even though the funds were not yet available.

In 1958, two sites were first looked at - a piece of land in Koon Seng Road (later bought by the Straits Chinese congregation and the church named, “Pentecost Methodist Church”), and a plot near the junction of Telok Kurau and East Coast Road. Then the Chairman of the Official Board (now known as the Local Church Executive Committee), Mr Yong Ngim Djin, spotted an advertisement for an auction of a 31,000 square-foot piece of land at 597 East Coast Road. He called for a meeting of the Board to authorise him and Vice-Chairman, Mr L C Loong, to bid for this piece of land up to $50,000. In a great step of faith and trusting in God to provide funds, our final bid was $51,000 and we won the auction!

The old parsonage (a two-storey terrace house in Upper Aljunied Road) was sold at a small loss, and the pastor (Rev Ong Chaik Ghee) and his family moved into the old but liveable bungalow at the new site. The cash needed to pay for the land was miraculously raised and paid within a month (which was the requirement under auction rules).

Work on the church building and parsonage was started in March 1960, and the church was officially opened by Bishop Hobart B Amstutz on 9 December 1960. The church was named, “Christ Methodist Church”, a name suggested by Mrs L C Loong and approved by the Official Board. After the opening ceremony, a grand dinner celebration was held in the church compound, with a tent erected for the occasion.

The Berckman Memorial Hall (named in memory of Rev J H H Berckman, a former Associate Pastor who served from 1958 until his death from cancer in 1963) was added later, followed by its wing and then the library extension. The parsonage was later demolished to make way for a new three-storey building which was dedicated in 1985 and named “Yong Ngim Djin Education Building” in honour of Mr Yong, who served the church for more than 30 years. The church sanctuary underwent a couple of renovations, then was completely rebuilt from the ground up, and rededicated on 29 August 1998.

Members of CMC can be justly proud of our church because it is unique. The idea of building our own church was conceived by our members (numbering about 300 at that time), brought to fruition by the same members, and fully financed by us all.

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