Page 14 - Malayan Story
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MALAYAN STORY
CHAPTER 2 NEW VILLAGES OPEN TO MISSIONS
On 29 February 1952 General Templar called representatives of Churches, missionary bodies and
voluntary organisations to meet him in the capital of the Federation of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
Present were representatives of the Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance, Church Missionary Society,
Roman Catholic Church, Malayan Christian Council, Methodist Mission, Central Welfare Council,
Malayan Chinese Association and the Federation Boy Scouts Association. The High Commissioner
outlined his plan to this group. He stated that resettlement work had created an urgent need and a
great opportunity for welfare work. He was prepared to approach any organisation which might be
able to help in this work. He emphasized the need for missionaries with experience in China and
who spoke Chinese.
As a result of General Templar’s challenge, the Malayan Christian Council decided to form
themselves into a co-ordinating committee for work in new villages. The Council represented,
among other groups, the Methodists, Presbyterians and the Church of England, the three main
missionary bodies at work in Malaya, They invited the CIM to join them on this committee. It was
during the above meeting with the High Commissioner that Percy met a man who was to be a great
help to him during his time in Malaya.
“After the meeting was over” Percy said, “the Secretary of the conference took me to meet the big
man in the Government who is in charge of the affairs of missionaries in the villages. I was
introduced to him as ‘Mr Moore’ and found out that he is actually the Secretary to the Chief
Secretary. He turned to speak to the other missionary with me, and then suddenly turned back to me
and said, ‘Is your sister named Jessie Moore?’ When I told him that was my sister’s maiden name,
he said, ‘Your sister was school mother to my wife when she was at Chefoo.’ His wife’s maiden
name was Ferne King, daughter of Dr king of Kaifeng and Lanzhou, and she married Mr Geare and
was now living with him in Kuala Lumpur. From then on he kept talking to me and wanted me to go
home with him for the night, but I had an appointment and was not able to.”
The first meeting of the Co-ordinating Committee was held on 16 April and Percy was pleased with
the warm reception he received as CIM representative, from the other missions, all of whom had
been working in the towns of Malaya for many years. He felt they were prepared to trust the CIM to
work with them and not against them.
All matters referring to work in the new villages by any church organisation would in future be
referred to the Co-ordinating Committee as being the official body set up for this purpose by the
High Commissioner. CIM on principle would not be member of the Malayan Christian Council, but
we were willing to have a seat on this committee for the express purpose of having unworked
villages where we could pace workers ‘cleared’ by the Committee for us to enter. Even though it
had previously been in an area recognised as Methodist or Presbyterian, we would go in with a free
hand to build up an independent church with no allegiance to any particular denomination. If the
village happened to be in fairly close proximity to an existing denominational church, CIM workers
would explain to the Church in the village the different forms of Church government and let them
make their own choice as they developed. If they felt they wanted closer ties with the town Church
near them, that would certainly be encouraged.
It was at this first meeting of the Committee that Bishop Baines of Singapore spoke to Percy about
Church of England workers in the CIM and expressed his willingness to have them in Singapore and
Malaya. “After I had emphasized our CIM purpose, especially with regard to other Missions, Bishop
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CHAPTER 2 NEW VILLAGES OPEN TO MISSIONS
On 29 February 1952 General Templar called representatives of Churches, missionary bodies and
voluntary organisations to meet him in the capital of the Federation of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
Present were representatives of the Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance, Church Missionary Society,
Roman Catholic Church, Malayan Christian Council, Methodist Mission, Central Welfare Council,
Malayan Chinese Association and the Federation Boy Scouts Association. The High Commissioner
outlined his plan to this group. He stated that resettlement work had created an urgent need and a
great opportunity for welfare work. He was prepared to approach any organisation which might be
able to help in this work. He emphasized the need for missionaries with experience in China and
who spoke Chinese.
As a result of General Templar’s challenge, the Malayan Christian Council decided to form
themselves into a co-ordinating committee for work in new villages. The Council represented,
among other groups, the Methodists, Presbyterians and the Church of England, the three main
missionary bodies at work in Malaya, They invited the CIM to join them on this committee. It was
during the above meeting with the High Commissioner that Percy met a man who was to be a great
help to him during his time in Malaya.
“After the meeting was over” Percy said, “the Secretary of the conference took me to meet the big
man in the Government who is in charge of the affairs of missionaries in the villages. I was
introduced to him as ‘Mr Moore’ and found out that he is actually the Secretary to the Chief
Secretary. He turned to speak to the other missionary with me, and then suddenly turned back to me
and said, ‘Is your sister named Jessie Moore?’ When I told him that was my sister’s maiden name,
he said, ‘Your sister was school mother to my wife when she was at Chefoo.’ His wife’s maiden
name was Ferne King, daughter of Dr king of Kaifeng and Lanzhou, and she married Mr Geare and
was now living with him in Kuala Lumpur. From then on he kept talking to me and wanted me to go
home with him for the night, but I had an appointment and was not able to.”
The first meeting of the Co-ordinating Committee was held on 16 April and Percy was pleased with
the warm reception he received as CIM representative, from the other missions, all of whom had
been working in the towns of Malaya for many years. He felt they were prepared to trust the CIM to
work with them and not against them.
All matters referring to work in the new villages by any church organisation would in future be
referred to the Co-ordinating Committee as being the official body set up for this purpose by the
High Commissioner. CIM on principle would not be member of the Malayan Christian Council, but
we were willing to have a seat on this committee for the express purpose of having unworked
villages where we could pace workers ‘cleared’ by the Committee for us to enter. Even though it
had previously been in an area recognised as Methodist or Presbyterian, we would go in with a free
hand to build up an independent church with no allegiance to any particular denomination. If the
village happened to be in fairly close proximity to an existing denominational church, CIM workers
would explain to the Church in the village the different forms of Church government and let them
make their own choice as they developed. If they felt they wanted closer ties with the town Church
near them, that would certainly be encouraged.
It was at this first meeting of the Committee that Bishop Baines of Singapore spoke to Percy about
Church of England workers in the CIM and expressed his willingness to have them in Singapore and
Malaya. “After I had emphasized our CIM purpose, especially with regard to other Missions, Bishop
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