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Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church |
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The Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church is Singapore's one of the oldest Christian churches. The Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church is a Chinese Annual Conference Church. The Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church has 2 different locations; one is situated at the Telok Ayer Street in the Downtown Core close to the Chinatown and another one at the Telok Blangah Road. The main building of the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church was constructed in 1924 and the one at the Telok Blangah Road was built in the year 2004.
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History of the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church
The congregation of the church at first consisted of the Hokkien speakers. With the arrival of more immigrants from Foochow, Hockchia and Henghua which were the strongholds of the Methodists the Hokkien speakers began leaving the church. This led to the formation of the two Methodist churches, the Hokkien and the Foochow Methodist church. The Hokkien Church came to be known as the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church in 1906. A steward working at the church donated S$10,000 for the construction of a new building for the church. The church was able to procure the adjacent plot which was the property of the Chinese Free School and the Crown with the money given by the steward. Swan and Maclaren, the famous architectural firm was hired to design the building. The Bishop G.H. Bickley laid the foundation stone on 19th January, 1924. The Church was complete by the December of 1924. The Methodist Bishop, Titus Lowe consecrated the church on 11th January, 1925.
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Architectural Features of the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church
The Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church is Singapore's one of the oldest Christian churches. It differs significantly from the other traditional churches. It is directed westwards, owing to the odd positioning of the plot unlike the other churches which are skewed to the east. Secondly unlike other churches, this church does not exhibit a cruciform design but displays a Chinese ambience and reflects the period in which it was
established.
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The Church is an arch-shaped structure with large curved, quasi-Byzantine windows. It is capped with a flowing tiled-roof loggia. The pavilion roof over the building's last storey exhibits the Chinese style of architecture.
On the west the church has a 5-foot way which makes the church-building a portion of the adjoining street and is linked with the nearby shops of the Telok Ayer Street.
There is an interchanging sequence of columns and piers on the 5 foot stretch of the church-way.
There are 14 different types of vents and windows having various designs and sizes.
Another prominent feature of this church-building is 10 styles of doors.
There are 8 columns having a molded scroll-pattern at the column base and at the joint of the column beam on the first and second storied of the church.
The first floor named after Dr. Benjamin west is used as a multi-purpose room.
The second storey houses the church-sanctuary. Each side of the sanctuary is flanked by large arched windows.
The area within the pavilion is used for prayers.
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