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TMC Penang 125th Quasquicentennial Anniversary Celebration Commemorative Book
A NEW VISION, AN INSPIRED HEART, A RENEWED CALL

"THEREFORE, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,

fore as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (I Corinthians 15:58).
.

This practice of careful record keeping is not only seen in Scripture but is also a hallmark of the People
called Methodists. As we examine the scriptural practice as well as our historical habits, we must realize that
record keeping has spiritual reasons and is spiritual in nature. In Ezra and Nehemiah, the numerous records

served, and continue to serve three functions; Firstly, they point to God as the Sovereign Lord who ruled and
supervised His people through all the changing circumstances. Secondly, they show the shortcomings and

failings of the people. Thirdly, the records enable us to express hope for the future.
As we trace history, we can see His story and His hand at work. Surely “the gracious hand of God was on us
Ezra 8:18”. Hallelujah!

Bishop Emeritus Dr. Robert Solomon
Excerpt from the Foreword,

40 Years of TAC, Rev. Victor J. Vethamani, A Historical Record of the Key Events of the Tamil Annual Confer-
ence (TAC) of the Methodist Church in Malaysia, 2016.

Early Indian Christians in Penang
The history of a church is the story of its people. In order to tell this story, we first need to explore the origins
of the community in which the church existed. Penang was a base for all early Indian Christians who came into
Malaya. This migration began with the establishment of the British Settlements in Penang in 1786. The Indians
who came into Penang worked as domestic servants and agricultural labourers. The need for labourers
increased when Singapore was founded in 1819. Along with Indians of other religious backgrounds came the
Christians. The majority of Indian Christians who came into Malaysia were teachers and estate conductors in
the early 1900. (“DIVERSITY AMONG INDIAN CHRISTIANS IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA BY Daniel J.
Rabindra” Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 65, no. 1 (262), 1992, pp. 71–88.)

OUR LEGACY BEGINS
The Formation Years (1834-1893)
Methodism came to Malaya when two gentlemen, Bishop William F. Oldham was appointed by the South India
Conference as missionary to Singapore. Bishop William F. Oldham and Bishop James M. Thoburn arrived in
Singapore on the 8th of February, 1885. However, before long, “The work being well established there (Singa-
pore), it was thought wise and desirable to spread the Gospel to other places in Malaya. This beautiful Island
of Penang, often called, ‘Emerald Isle of the East,’ was selected as one of the early centres of Methodism”
(Souvenir Magazine, A Short History of Our Church, Tamil Methodist Church, Penang, 75th Anniversary: 1893
– 1968, Penang: Tamil Methodist Church, Penang, 1968) When Bishop James Mills Thoburn was elected
Missionary Bishop of India and Malaysia, he appointed two Canadian clergies namely Rev. D.D. Moore and
Rev. B.H. Balderstone in April 1891 to spearhead the Methodist Mission in Penang. “On May 28, 1891, Rev.
B. H. Balderstone opened a school in Carnavon Street. Two years later, on the 6th of May, 1893, Rev. D. D.
Moore opened the Anglo Tamil School in three shop houses in Dato Kramat Road opposite the present Dato
Kramat Police Station (Nos. 625, 627 and 629)” (Rev. V. A. Subramaniam, Pastor, 1959) This, in essence,
formed the basis for Tamil work in Penang.

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