History
Milestones
Pastoral Roll

MILESTONES

Methodism – How it came about

The son of Rev Samuel Wesley and his wife Susannah, John Wesley (1703-1791) was saved as a boy from the burning parsonage. On 24th May 1738, at Aldersgate Street, a heart-warming experience filled him with conviction and zeal. With his younger brother, Charles, who wrote the hymns still sung today, he preached the gospel throughout England, and especially to the masses.

From 1769, representatives were sent to America, training thousands of preachers and laying the foundation for the American Methodist Church.

Methodism came to Singapore via India.

In 1883, Charles Phillips, a Christian elder serving in Singapore, wrote to James Thoburn, an acknowledged Methodist leader in India, to inform him of the need for a Methodist mission to Singapore. It was not until 7th Feb 1885 that a steamer sailed into New Harbour (now known as Keppel Harbour). On board were 4 Methodist missionaries. The very next day, services were held in the town hall. The first Methodist Episcopal Church was established in Coleman Street on 22nd Feb 1885. The first pastor, William F Oldham and his wife Marie had looked forward to starting Methodist schools in India. Now they set about doing just that in Singapore.

CMC Milestones

In the 1900's, Geylang was a collection of kampongs. In 1905, a handful of Christians living in the area established a Gospel House consisting of only eighteen members.

1930s

March 1930
Youth fellowship (known as the Epworth League) meetings were conducted in English in the Geylang Chinese Methodist Church.

Early 1931
A regular English Service started with the Epworth League forming the nucleus, and the older girls from Geylang MGS joining in.

1932
The English Service was approved as a Church by itself, though still using the Geylang premises.

“It was a rainy Sunday afternoon when about 25 members of the Epworth League met together for prayer and supplication in the Geylang Methodist Church. These young people were very keen. They kept meeting each Sunday afternoon and, in the following year, they organised themselves into a Quarterly Conference.”
Rev Ong Chaik Ghee

1940s

During the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, the church was used as an ammunition depot. An explosion in 1943 damaged the roof, the parsonage and the school. By God's grace, services continued uninterrupted throughout these perilous times. This was a migrant phase in which services were conducted first in St Andrew's Cathedral and then Hill Street Armenian Church.

“We returned to Geylang to find the church building damaged and equipment looted or burned. Our congregation was scattered and our primary task was to seek out our disrupted flock. The response was spontaneous...”
Rev E S Lau

Growth continued with the formation of the MYF, the Sunday School, the choir and the WSCS.

1950s

In 1958, the present site of 31,000 sq ft at East Coast Road was purchased for $51,000 at an auction attended by Mr Yong Ngim Djin and Mr L C Loong. The pastor and his family moved into the small bungalow already existing on the site. The church was conceived and brought to fruition by its own dedicated members numbering about 300 at that time. Rev Ong Chaik Ghee continued to be the pastor of the new church until 1965, and again from 1973-1975.

“A new church is being built at East Coast Road to cope with the rapid growth of the English Speaking Congregation of the Geylang Methodist Church.”
Singapore Free Press, 26 October 1960

1960s

March 1960
Construction work began for the church building and parsonage.

9 December 1960
Christ Methodist Church at 597, East Coast Road, was opened with a dedication service officiated by Bishop Hobart Amstutz.

“Rev James Hart Hoadly Berckmann and his wife, Ruth, came to Singapore from China in 1952. He served Christ Methodist Church from 1958 until his death in 1963. He had an undying love for Christ Methodist Church and he laboured sacrificially, served devotedly and lived a life that revealed the mind of Christ. No word is adequate to express what he has meant to us and our church.”
Rev Ong Chaik Ghee, 1963

1964
Work began to construct the Berckman Memorial Hall.

7 March 1965
A dedication service was held to mark the opening of the two-storeyed Education Centre in honour of Rev Berckman.

1969
A neon cross was set atop a tall pillar. It was a WSCS project.

1970s

The church focused on spiritual and membership growth.

The Senior Members' Fellowship took off, with members meeting every month.

1980s

June 1980
The renovation of the sanctuary commenced. The walls were replaced with folding doors to increase seating capacity.

April 1984
Work started on the new education building. The old parsonage was demolished to make way for a three-storey block to house a church office and Sunday School classrooms.

21 April 1985
An open air service marked the dedication of the Yong Ngim Djin Education Building, named to honour a leader who had served the church for more than thirty years.

By the mid eighties, it was the old, familiar story again. We were “bursting at the seams”. The membership was increasing. Praise God! However, many Sunday worshippers sitting in the corridors outside were precariously close to the narrow drains. They also had to contend with the heat and constant flow of traffic, both human and vehicular.

May 1987
The Berckman Hall and the sanctuary underwent renovation to install air-conditioning.

31 December 1988
The project was completed just in time to welcome in the New Year at the Watchnight Service.

March 1989
A Prayer and Praise Service took off, initially with a monthly evening worship.

1990s

April 1993
The Thursday evening Hokkien Service was a welcome addition. Members were able to bring their parents and other family members to hear the Word.

Praise God that CMC membership continued to grow, so that by 1995, it was again necessary to increase seating capacity in our sanctuary. This time even more reconstruction work was involved beginning with the Education Building, then the Berckman Auditorium. The small library was converted into a mezzanine floor at the back of the sanctuary. The Chancel was placed at the opposite end to its original position.

1995
Work commenced on the Additions and Alterations project.

September 1996

Going back to our roots, the Preaching Point in Geylang Methodist Primary and Secondary Schools was started.

10 May 1997
The Preaching Point boldly embarked on providing worship services in Mandarin.

April 1997
The first residents moved into Christalite Methodist Home at 51 Marsiling Drive.

26 July 1997
Our church members and residents of Christalite Methodist Home celebrated its official opening.

December 1997
Services resumed in the new sanctuary. The stained-glass window proclaimed His house to all who passed along East Coast Road.

January 1998
The Preaching Point at Geylang was renamed “Christalite Methodist Chapel”.

August 1998
Meeting the challenge to provide ever more opportunities to preach the Word, Christ Methodist Church launched a Sunday service in Cantonese.

2000s

August 2000
70th Anniversary was celebrated with a combined service held at the Kallang Theatre followed by lunch in the lobby.