The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) is an ecumenical fellowship of Churches and Christian organisations in Malaysia. It is one of the three constituent members of the Christian Federation of Malaysia. It is affiliated with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the

World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most jur ...

and a member of the

Christian Conference of Asia The Christian Conference of Asia is a regional ecumenical organisation representing 15 National Councils and over 100 denominations (churches) in New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, ...

. It also participates in the

Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism ( ms, Majlis Perundingan Malaysia Agama Buddha, Kristian, Hindu, Sikh dan Tao; abbrev: MCCBCHST) is a non-profit interfaith organization in Malaysia. ...

as part of the Christian Federation of Malaysia.

History

In 1947, the Malayan Christian Council was mooted and officially inaugurated on 9 January 1948 under the leadership of John Leonard Wilson, the Anglican

Bishop of Singapore A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

, with

Hobart Baumann Amstutz Hobart Baumann Amstutz (18 September 1896 – 26 February 1980) was a bishop of the American Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church, elected in 1956. Early years He was born in Henrietta, Ohio, United States. He graduated in 1915 ...

of the Methodist Church acting as General Secretary to promote Christian unity among the Churches and Christian organisations in Malaya and Singapore. Despite the 1963 federation of the British

Crown Colonies A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Council ...

of Singapore, North Borneo, and

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, K ...

with the

Federation of Malaya The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Straits Settlements, Penang and Malacca)''See'': ...

into the new nation of Malaysia, the Malayan Christian Council continued to function using the old name. In 1967, the Malayan Christian Council was renamed the Council of Churches of Malaysia and Singapore. In view of Malaysia and Singapore having separated and become independent sovereign nations, it was considered desirable to have separate Councils of Churches for each nation, therefore, the Council was divided into 2 national organisations; the current Council of Churches of Malaysia and the

National Council of Churches of Singapore The National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) is an ecumenical fellowship of Churches and Christian organisations in Singapore. This duty was initially carried out by the Malayan Christian Council which was then succeeded by the Council of ...

in 1975.

Basis and objectives

Basis

The Council is founded

* on a common belief that God has revealed His eternal purpose for mankind in His Son Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. Its members accept the scriptures of Old and New Testaments as the supreme standard of faith and practice, and confess their common faith as expressed in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds * on the acceptance of the principal that the Church is in the Christian enterprise that the local congregation is basic to its life and witness, and that evangelism is its primary task * as an association of Churches, and other Christian organisations, each believing that it is Christ's will that His Body, the Church should again be visibly one and each desiring to work towards this end * as an association of co-operating members, each of which determines its own policy and action

Objectives

The objectives of the Council are

* to offer itself as an instrument or agency to the Churches in Malaysia whereby they can more and more do together everything except what irreconcilable differences of sincere conviction compel them to do separately * to show forth among its members that Christian unity which is God's gift to His people in Jesus Christ, and by common prayer, study, consultation and action, promote the Church's mission in Malaysia and the World * through common consultation and action to form Christian public opinion and bring it to bear on the moral, social, national and international problems of the day, particularly those affecting the life and welfare of the peoples of Malaysia * to promote discussion and action among Churches in Malaysia towards Church union * to provide an agency through which governments in Malaysia both federal and state, may consult with member-churches and organisations on matters of common concern to all member bodies of the Council * to maintain fellowship with other Christian Councils or Council of Churches of other countries and with such ecumenical bodies as the Council may decide, and in particular to fulfil its obligations as an affiliated member of the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia

Constituents

Member Churches

Associate Members

Affiliate Members

Leadership

Presidents

General Secretaries

{, style="width:100%;border:0px;" class="wikitable" , - ! style="width:30%;" , Period ! style="width:70%;" , Name , - , , 1998 -, , Dr Hermen Shastri , - , , 1995 - 1997, , Dr Hermen Shastri (Honorary) , - , , 1989 - 1994, , Varghese George (Honorary) , - , , 1975 - 1988, , Dr Denis C. Dutton (Honorary) , - , , 1973 - 1974, , V.D.P. Pillai , - , , 1972, , R. Chelladurai , - , , 1967 - 1971, , Wong Hoon Hee , - , , 1958 - 1966, , Chung Chi-an , - , , 1952 - 1957, , J.R. Fleming , - , , 1947 - 1951, , Hobart B. Amstutz (Honorary)

External links

Council of Churches of Malaysia

Churches in Malaysia Christianity in Singapore Malaysia Malaysia Christian organizations established in 1948