About Foochow Methodist Church
Foochow Methodist Church is the second oldest Chinese-speaking Methodist church in Little India. It traces its history to December 1897, founded by etnic Foochow Chinese who were mostly rickshaw peddlars. Though they come from Foochow in China, they were Christians. Their endeavor to have a place for worship eventually lead to the establishment of the Foochow Methodist Church, with Reverend Ling Chin Mee as the first pastor of the assembly.
Between 1897 and 1937, the congregation of about one hundred members met at the shared church premises, initially at Middle Road, then at ACS building in Coleman Street, followed by at the Tamil Methodist Church in Short Street. After the many years of hardship and struggle, the Foochow Methodist Chinese in 1936 was finally able to pool their resources and bought a residential property at 90 Race Course Road, which was then converted to be their permanent premises.
During the Second World War, the Foochow Methodist Church building sustained some damage from bombing raids, necessitating renovation and rebuild after the war. Since then, the church had been able to embark on a series of expansion projects. In 1987, it bought a three-storey apartment block, which it then convert into the Christian Education Center. In 1995, another three-storey annex was constructed linking the main church building to the Christian Education Center.
In 2001, excavation work for the MRT line nearby caused some damage to the Christian Education Center, which required demolition and reconstruction. This resulted in a brand new four storey centre completed in November 2002.
Although the ministry started with a Foochow-speaking congregation, the demand for Mandarin and English speaking assemblies were met with services conducted in these two languages since the 1960's. Tamil worship services were also added in 1995. The church was successful in reaching out to the Indian foreign workers living in Little India.
Foochow Methodist Church established a new church in Toa Payoh in 1971. It was involved in establishing the House of Peace, a drug rehabilitation ministry, and supports Breakthrough Mission, a drug rehabilitation center.
Contact
Foochow Methodist Church
90 Race Course Road, Singapore 218577
Tel: (65) 6293 8757
Fax: (65) 6291 1412
Email: egan@pacific.net.sg
Official website: http://foochowmc.org.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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Location Map of Foochow Methodist Church
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