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TMC Penang 125th Quasquicentennial Anniversary Celebration Commemorative Book

The corner stone was laid by Bishop Lee on 3rd December 1934, and on Easter Sunday 1935, the
building was dedicated by him.” (Rev. V. A. Subramaniam, Pastor, 1959 Souvenir Magazine, Penang
Methodist Tamil Church, Silver Jubilee 1959)
And so after moving from Northam Road (1894-1896) to Datuk Kramat Road (1896 – 1933) and
finally to Perak Road (1934 until today), the Tamil Methodist Church Penang proudly set its roots as
the first Tamil Methodist Church in Malaysia. ALL GLORY AND HONOUR TO GOD!

With a new place, came a new hope. The church ministries thrived and prospered. The
Church School ministry received a special mention.

In 19 38, when Rev. Fred David was the pastor, the DS Rev. Dodsworth reported that in addition to
the Annual District Sunday School Rally held at the Penang Town Hall, a five day Religious Education
School was organised in Penang in November with a registration of 90. The pastors of the
Presbyterian and Anglican churches co-operated. Credit is due to Miss Dorothy Moreton for
organising this.

The Third Quarter (1944-1969) 75 years
The Church Celebrates its Silver Jubilee in 1959 (For the Perak Road Sanctuary)
The Church Celebrates its 75th Year in 1968 (Palladium Jubilee)

The time period from 1941 to 1957 proved to be a tumultuous time for TMC Penang. The
Japanese invasion affected the island and her people badly. Lack of food, shelter and medicine
abounded. The TMC Penang came to the fore and provided shelter especially to church goers and
those in the neighbourhood of Perak Road. “The church and the parsonage served as refuge for
those made homeless and those who feared the bombing raids on the City.” (A study of the Indian
Christian community in Peninsular Malaysia by J. Rabindra Daniel, University of Malaya, PhD
Theses, 1989) Pews were laid back as families grouped together to sleep. Rev. Fred David was the
pastor then (Jan 1938 – Aug 1946) He and the other church leaders helped to get food etc. rice and
sugar, to these families as most of the men were unemployed. (A study of the Indian Christian
community in Peninsular Malaysia by J. Rabindra Daniel, University of Malaya, PhD Theses, 1989)

The church was unable to observe its 50th year celebrations in 1944 in these difficult times.
Instead the pastors and the people focused on looking to the physical and spiritual needs of the
members and those in the surrounding areas.

In the 1955 MAC Journal p. 46 the District Superintendent reports:
“Our pastors on the Northern Malaya District have done their best under existing circumstances.
Brother E.J. Ponniah of the Penang Tamil Church teaches Tamil classes in the Penang A.C.S. and
also carries a full load of school work in the Methodist Afternoon School.”

Rev. Joseph Milton David served from January 1949 to February 1951. Many remember him
for his ‘thundering voice’ from the pulpit and he was quite the orator. He also played the trumpet and
the cornet well. Whilst in Penang, he was inspired to author the book ‘Malaysian David versus Four
Goliaths’ which he eventually published in 1973.

After the Japanese Occupation, the church revived its activities. Church attendance grew
steadily. The ministry continued to grow in number and diversity. In 1957, when Rev. V. A.
Subramaniam (January 1956 – December 1960) was the pastor-in-charge,

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