The Malayan Christian Council, which was established in 1948 to promote Christian unity among the Churches and Christian organizations in Malaya and Singapore, was succeeded in 1961 by the Council of Churches of Malaysia and Singapore.
Later, 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 and, therefore, the National Council of Churches of Singapore was duly constituted in Singapore on 24th July, 1974 to carry on and fulfill the vision and aspirations of the founders.
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In 1948, amidst the ashes and rubble of the Second World War, a vision was conceived among the expatriate leaders of the Anglican, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches who were interned in Changi Prison. The vision was to found a Christian council that would unite the churches of Singapore and Malaysia, with the goal of establishing and strengthening an indigenous national church. The result was the establishment, in January 1948, of the Malayan Christian Council (MCC) whose founding members were the Chinese and English Conferences of the Methodist Church, the Anglican Diocese of Singapore, and the Presbyterian churches of Singapore and Malaya. Several Christian organisations, such as the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), and the Bible Society, also joined the MCC. In addition, the Christian leaders in Changi prison also saw the importance of training Christian leaders for the ministry of the Church, a vision which led to the founding of the Trinity Theological College (TTC) on 4 October 1948.
In 1961, MCC changed its name to the Council of Churches in Malaysia and Singapore (CCMS) to reflect the political and social changes that were taking place. However, due to the separation of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965, the leaders of the churches considered it more appropriate and desirable for the two nations to each have their own church council. On 24th July 1974, the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) was constituted to continue the task of promoting Christian unity, but in a way that is relevant to and fitting for the newly independent Singapore. According to its Constitution, the objectives of the Council are:
- To maintain fellowship with other Christian councils or the Councils of Churches of other countries, and with such ecumenical bodies as the Council may decide.
- To offer itself as an instrument or agency to the churches and other Christian organisations in Singapore whereby they can cooperate and serve together, except for irreconcilable differences of sincere conviction that compel them to do separately.
- To show forth among its members Christian unity, which is God’s gift to His people in Jesus Christ by promoting discussion and action among churches in Singapore.
- To, by common prayer, study, consultation, and action, prompt the Church’s mission in Singapore and the world.
- Through mutual consultation and action to form Christian ethos and bring it to bear on the moral, social, national, and international issues of the day, particularly those that may affect the life and welfare of the people of Singapore.
- To provide an agency through which the Government of the Republic of Singapore may consult the Council on matters of common concern to its members.