About Church of the True Light
Church of the True Light is an Anglican church in the Little India of Singapore. The building is located at the junction of Perak Road and Dickson Road. It was completed in 1952, and considered a full-fledged Anglican Church in 1963. The architecture of the building reflects strong Chinese influences.
The history of the Church of the True Light goes back to 1911, when a missionary from the Church of England Zenanas Missionary Society, known only as Miss Apple, arrived in Singapore to conduct mission work among the Chinese population here, comprising mostly of Henghua and Hock Chew Chinese. She was aided by Guok Koh Muo, a 21-year-old journalist who started Bible classes at his friend's barber shop at Bencoolen Street. The number of Christian grew over time. They first used the name "Church of the True Light" when they moved from Bencoolen Street to another temporary premise, at a nunnery on Victoria Street. From they, the group continued to meet in different locations before settling at another premise at Jalan Besar.
The Church of the True Light has purchased a plot of land at the corner of Perak Road and Dickson Road, some time in the late 1930's, and was about to put up their church building, when the Second World War disrupted all activities, causing a delay in construction of about ten years. The church building at 25G Perak Road was only completed on 20 December 1952. At that time, it drew a congregation comprising mostly trishaw peddlers lviing in the vicinity. The church catered to their needs by offering free medical care and a kindergarten.
The Church was elevated to a full-fledged Anglican parish on 24 February 1963, with Guok Koh Muo recognized as its first vicar. Today it conducts services in English, Mandarin and Tamil to cater to its multi-lingual congregation. The church is only open on Saturdays and Sundays, from 9:00am to 1:00pm.
Contact
Church of the True Light
25G Perak Road, Singapore 208142
Tel/Hp : 62940797
Fax : 62955996
Email: truelite@singnet.com.sg
Getting there
You may visit this place as part of the Little India Walking Tour. To come here direct, the nearest MRT stations are the Bugis Station (EW12) and Little India Station (NE7).
Sights in Little India
These are all the sights I've grouped under Little India, listed in alphabetical order. I would recommend that you visit them together. See the Little India Walking Tour for a recommended walk of this area.
Abdul Gaffoor Mosque *
Angullia Mosque
Beo San Hood Chor Temple
Church of the True Light
Foochow Methodist Church
Hock Siew Tong Temple
Kampong Kapor Methodist Church
Leong San See Temple
Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hall
Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple (Temple of 1000 Lights) *
Shree Lakshminarayan Temple
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple *
Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple *
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple *
Shopping in Little India
The following are places where you can do a bit of shopping. These include places where the locals shop for their local items, but it provides an interesting glimpse of life in Singapore.
Little India Arcade
Mustafa Centre
Serangoon Plaza
Tekka Market
Where to stay
There is a wide selection of accommodation providers in Singapore. They range from budget inns and guesthouses to luxurious boutique hotels and branded chains. Your choice is entirely dependent on your budget and level of comfort expected. For mainstream hotels, check out hotels in Singapore for the best online prices, sourced from all the major providers. For guesthouses and other budget providers, check out hostels in Singapore for those with online booking facilities.
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Church of the True Light (10 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Location Map of Church of the True Light
Church of the True Light
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