Kampong Kapor Methodist Church (
Abbreviation
An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...
: KKMC) is located on Kampong Kapor Road in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
's
Little India
Little India or India Town (less commonly known as Indian Street or India Bazaar) is an Indian or Desi (South Asian) sociocultural environment outside India or the subcontinent. It especially refers to an area with Indian residences and a dive ...
district. The church is approximately 300 metres from
Jalan Besar MRT station
Jalan Besar MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit station on the Downtown Line in Rochor, Singapore. The station is located under Jalan Besar, at the junction with Weld Road, hence its name.
The station was first announced as Sungei ...
.
Founded in 1894, KKMC is one of the first
Peranakan
The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, th ...
churches and the fourth
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
church to be established in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. During its early years, the church catered to the
Peranakan
The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, th ...
or Straits-born Chinese, with services conducted in
Baba Malay
In addition to its classical and literary form, Malay had various regional dialects established after the rise of the Srivijaya empire in Sumatra, Indonesia. Also, Malay spread through interethnic contact and trade across the Malay Archi ...
in a building located on 155
Middle Road. In 1930, the church moved to its present site on 1 Kampong Kapor Road, where it now offers a variety of services to different ethnic groups.
The church building on Kampong Kapor Road was given conservation status by Singapore’s
Urban Redevelopment Authority
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore.
Mission
The authority was established on 1 Apri ...
in 1989; its earlier building on 155 Middle Road was awarded historic site status in 2000. The church celebrated its hundredth anniversary in January 1994.
History
Founded as a church in 1894, Kampong Kapor Methodist Church began its activities in November 1890, in the lower room of the Deaconess Home. Upon request, Miss
Sophia Blackmore
Sophia Blackmore (18 October 1857 – 3 July 1945) was an Australian Christian missionary. She founded the Fairfield Methodist Schools, and also Methodist Girls' School, Singapore, Methodist Girls' School in Singapore. She was the first woman miss ...
, a missionary to
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
(and also the founder of the
Fairfield Methodist Schools
Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) and Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) are two schools located on Dover Road. Founded in 1888 as the Anglo-Chinese Girls School, they are among the oldest primary and secondary schools in Singapore. Th ...
and the
Methodist Girls' School
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...
) started a Sunday
Malay language
Malay (; ms, Bahasa Melayu, links=no, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , Rejang script, Rencong: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language that is an official language of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and that is also spo ...
worship service. The group comprised 25 “native” girls from the mission hostel, boys from Epworth Home (precursor of the Methodist Youth Fellowship), Malay-speaking Christian workers from the nearby Mission Press and two missionaries.
![Sophia Blackmore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Sophia_Blackmore.jpg)
On 25 January 1894, this group moved to “The Christian Institute” located on 155
Middle Road to function as a church. At 7.30pm that evening, six full and 16 preparatory members were organised as the first Malay Quarterly Conference chaired by the presiding elder, Rev. R.W. Munson. The “Malay Church” was formed with Cpt. Rev.
William Shellabear
William Girdlestone Shellabear (1862–1947) was a "pioneer" scholar and missionary in British Malaya (today, part of Malaysia). He was known for both his appreciation of Muslim society and also his translation of the Bible into the Malay langua ...
undertaking pastoral charge. Three days later, the Sunday school was officially organised with about 40 students. “Sunday” school was also carried out on weekdays as well.
Rev.
Shellabear and about a dozen young men held street and
kampong
A kampong (''kampung'' in Malay and Indonesian) is the term for a village in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and a "port" in Cambodia. The term applies to traditional villages, especially of the indigenous people, and has also been used ...
meetings in
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
. Meanwhile, Miss
Blackmore
Blackmore is a village in Essex, England. It is located approximately 3 miles (5 km) east of Chipping Ongar and 4 miles (7 km) north of Brentwood. The village is in the parish of Blackmore, Hook End and Wyatts Green in the Brentwood ...
and her team of women as well as the women missionaries made a deep impression on
Nyonya
The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, t ...
women and their children as they distributed tracts, sang hymns, visited several hundred “native”
Straits-born Chinese women in their homes and held Sunday School for “native” children in their homes and along
five-foot way
A five-foot way (Malay/Indonesian: ''kaki lima'') is a roofed continuous walkway commonly found in front of shops in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia which may also be used for commercial activity. The name refers to the width of the passageway, ...
s.
The church soon outgrew its
Middle Road premises and a new building was constructed on Kampong Kapor Road. It was completed in 1930 and the church became known as The Straits Chinese Methodist Church (Bishop Bickley Memorial). This reflected the largely Chinese membership and the vast donations which the family and friends of Bishop
George Harvey Bickley made for the construction of the building.
In 1957, the Board of Stewards decided that since the church not only catered to the spiritual needs of the
Straits-born Chinese but also to the other ethnic groups as well, the church should be known as Kampong Kapor Methodist Church (Bishop Bickley Memorial). It has retained this name ever since.
Buildings
The building which was once occupied by the church on 155
Middle Road still exists to this day. It now houses
Objectifs
Objectifs is an independent non-profit visual arts space in Singapore that aims to cultivate original voices in visual storytelling, and to inspire and broaden perspectives through the power of images. It presents a year round programme of exhibiti ...
— the Centre for Photography and Films.
The present church building dates from 1929, and was designed by
Swan and Maclaren, the oldest architectural firm in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. Over the years, the church has undergone major renovation and rebuilding works to cater to the growing congregation without affecting the main features of the church. The church was recently renovated in 2000, when emergency structural works were necessary, as the construction of the nearby
North East MRT Line
The North East MRT line (NEL) is a high-capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore. Operated by SBS Transit, it is the shortest MRT line at . The line runs from HarbourFront station in southern Singapore to Punggol station in the n ...
caused the foundations of the building to shift, causing large cracks to appear on the walls of the sanctuary. The foundations of the sanctuary were underpinned, and the church also took the opportunity to renovate the education block, reconfiguring parts of it to create a new chapel and classrooms on the third floor. While the church was closed, worship services were held at the
Anglo-Chinese Primary School, Ah Hood Road (which was also at a temporary location, as the school's Barker Road campus was being rebuilt).
![Kampong Kapor Methodist Church](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Kampong_Kapor_Methodist_Church.jpg)
The present building is in a stripped-back
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
, incorporating elements from the earlier styles of
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...
, which is clearly seen in the
spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...
of the bell tower, as well as the
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
s that occur on all the original façades and tower. The ornamentation is simple but delicate, and is derived from the shape of the cross, with the
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
s, tower windows and exterior walls' ornament all derived from it. This
motif continues inside. The interior of the sanctuary is simple and elegant, with dark wooden
truss
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...
es springing gracefully from cross-shaped brackets on the walls between round
clerestory window
In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both.
Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
s. At the apex of the roof, a further
clerestory window
In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both.
Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
admits more daylight. Originally a single
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
with side aisles, the sanctuary is now L-shaped, incorporating a hall which was originally screened off by doors. The design of the
pew
A pew () is a long bench (furniture), bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating Member (local church), members of a Church (congregation), congregation or choir in a Church (building), church, synagogue or sometimes a courtroom.
Overview
...
s is based on the original rattan-backed
pew
A pew () is a long bench (furniture), bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating Member (local church), members of a Church (congregation), congregation or choir in a Church (building), church, synagogue or sometimes a courtroom.
Overview
...
s which they replaced.
![Kampong Kapor Methodist](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Kampong_Kapor_Methodist.jpg)
The
altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
and
pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
were originally in an
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
at the end of the church, surrounded by wood paneling on the walls, with a cross-shaped window above it and flanked by two arched windows, but this is now occupied by the
pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
which was introduced in 1936. Earlier designs for the church included a gallery and an enclosed organ chamber, but these were not included in the final design. The interior has undergone several renovations, including (a rather unsuccessful) one in the 1960s, when the entire
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
was screened off by a plasterboard wall. The changes from that renovation have all been since undone. The altar, ambo and font are now on a dais just in front of it, surrounded by a communion rail. The tower is eighty-eight feet tall, and contains four bells cast in the
Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry
Royal Eijsbouts ( nl, Koninklijke Eijsbouts) is a bell foundry located in Asten, Netherlands.
The workshop was founded in 1872 by Bonaventura Eijsbouts as a "factory for tower clocks." In 1893 Eijsbouts was joined by his 15-year-old son, Johan ...
, which are hung dead for stationary chiming.
![Kampong Kapor Methodist Church001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Kampong_Kapor_Methodist_Church001.jpg)
The street-facing façade of the
sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...
building originally had three portals: one at each aisle, and a central portal with a large
porte cochère
Porte may refer to:
*Sublime Porte, the central government of the Ottoman empire
*Porte, Piedmont, a municipality in the Piedmont region of Italy
*John Cyril Porte, British/Irish aviator
*Richie Porte, Australian professional cyclist who competes ...
, but none of these remain. It is unclear why the original
porte-cochère
A porte-cochère (; , late 17th century, literally 'coach gateway'; plural: porte-cochères, portes-cochères) is a doorway to a building or courtyard, "often very grand," through which vehicles can enter from the street or a covered porch-like ...
was demolished, but it is thought to be because the government intended to widen the road. In its place, the window over the central entrance has been enlarged and now contains stained glass, and the
sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...
is now access via the main entrance of the education block. The road widening clearly did not require the demolition of the
porte cochère
Porte may refer to:
*Sublime Porte, the central government of the Ottoman empire
*Porte, Piedmont, a municipality in the Piedmont region of Italy
*John Cyril Porte, British/Irish aviator
*Richie Porte, Australian professional cyclist who competes ...
, as the strip of land in front of the church was subsequently returned, unused, in the 2000s, but there are no plans to re-instate the original entrances. This strip is now enclosed by a fence, which the Church built in order to enclose the newly returned piece of land.
KKMC also owns a three-storey shophouse next to the church which is called The Unfailing Light. The place is used for the church's Youth, Seniors Ministries as well as the Homework Centre. Occasionally, it is also used for special sermons and courses.
Pipe Organ
The church is home to one of the few working
pipe organs
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks' ...
in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
,
and is the only Methodist Church in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
to have one. The organ was the gift of the Ladies’ Aid Society. It was built by Walker & Taylor, Lincoln, England, in 1936 and installed in the church in 1937.
The façade bears a strong resemblance to the organ in the chapel at
Orchard Road Presbyterian Church
The Orchard Road Presbyterian Church (ORPC), also known as Greja Kechil ("small church" in Malay) and the Scotch Church, is a Presbyterian church in Singapore. The church was completed in 1878, and it is the oldest Presbyterian church in Singapore ...
. The organ originally had tracker action and mechanical stop and coupler controls. In 1987, when the Education Block was constructed and the sanctuary was renovated, the organ was completely dismantled and stored in a warehouse. After the renovation, it was rebuilt and raised to its present height. A new console replaced the original, and the swell box was removed to accommodate more ranks. The action was also electrified to accommodate the enlargements to the organ. However, the organ's original slider wind chests were retained. In 1995, platforms were included on both sides of the organ to allow for more pipes to be added.
The new ranks of pipes that have been added over the years include the Great Mixture, mutations in the Swell, the reed stops (Trumpet 8' and Clarion 4') and the Subbass 16' in the Pedal. The organ continues to be integral with the music of the church, and is played during the Sunday morning services. Robert Navaratnam, at one time Singapore's only organ builder, has been responsible for the renovations, maintenance and tuning of the organ.
Organ Specification
![Schleiflade Tontraktur Animation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Schleiflade_Tontraktur_Animation.gif)
*Great
#Principal 8'
#Dulciana 8'
#Clarabel 8'
#Flute 8'
#Principal 4'
#Piccolo 2'
#Flute 4'
#Mixture 1 1/3'
#Trumpet 8'
#Glockenspiel (drawn by Pedal Flute 4 stop)
*Swell
Diapason 8'
Gedackt Flute 8'
Harmonic Flute 4'
Octave 4'
Nazard 2 2/3'
Terz 1 3/5'
Fifteenth 2'
Trumpet 8'
Harmonic Clairon 4'
*Pedal
Bourdon 16'
Subbass 16'
Gedackt 8'
Trumpet 8'
Trumpet 4'
Flute 4' (prepared)
Services
There are four services held each Sunday at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church. Two services are conducted in English at 8am and 10am with Holy Communion celebrated once a month. The 10am service is live-streamed.
The Mandarin and Tamil services are held at 2pm and 5.30pm respectively.The services are also live-streamed.
Services in Peranakan are at 11am on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month at the 3rd floor Chapel.
A Myanmar Fellowship meets at 1pm on the 3rd Sunday of each month, also at the 3rd floor Chapel.
The Children Sunday School is held at 9.45am every week except for the 1st Sunday each month for infants to 12-year old. The youths meet every week except for the 1st Sunday of each month at The Unfailing Light building next to the church at 9.30am.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
News articles
*
*
External links
Official website of Kampong Kapor Methodist ChurchOfficial website of the Methodist Church in Singapore
{{Authority control
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
20th-century Methodist church buildings
Methodist churches in Singapore
Churches completed in 1929
Rochor