Star Publication Article

[The following article was published by Star Publication (Malaysia) Berhad on May 27, 2005]

Brethren Assembly Turns 150
By EMMELINE TAN

THE Brethren Assembly, a Christian movement distinguished for having no church hierarchy, rituals, rites or vestments, will celebrate its 150 years of existence in Ma-laysia tomorrow(Saturday). Representatives from over 60 assemblies around Ma-laysia have been invited for the celebration to be held in Penang. A thanksgiving service will be held at Kompleks Masya-rakat Penyayang from 3pm to 5pm tomorrow while a thanksgiving dinner will be held the same day at Sri Tanjong Country Club at 7pm. The Christian movement first started in Penang when a Swiss missionary named Bausum initiated the Farquhar Street Mis-sion House and Chapel in 1855. The building, which is currently in ruins, stands opposite the E & O Hotel annexe next to the Lim Lean Teng Man-sions. Ung Kim Cheng, historical adviser for the celebrations, said he once spoke to heritage advocate Khoo Salma Nasution who expressed interest in conserving the building.

Adams speaking to the congregation at Coast Road (now Gurney Drive)in the 1960s with Mrs Tan Wah Kim, wife of a local missionary, at the organ.

“She said she could tell it was more than 100 years old from the Gothic architecture but had no idea about the history of the building,” he said.

Penang Heritage Trust manager Magdeline Ng said they had looked into obtaining the building to be used as their headquarters, among others, but found the price too steep. “It was about RM3mil to RM4mil and we couldn’t afford that as an NGO,” she said. The assembly, among others, helped out in prisons, in old folks homes and at the leper colony on Pulau Jerejak. The as-sembly, which also held open-air meetings, also cared for tu-berculosis patients after the Japanese Occupation In May 1938, the assembly at Farquhar Street shifted to Burma Road to occupy their new premises now called the Burmah Road Gospel Hall. Ung vividly remembers the days when he was involved in the various activities. “We used to rent sampans and set off for Pulau Jerejak from Sungai Nibong, which was a swamp back then. “The moment we arrived on the island, we would ring a bell at the jetty to let the lepers know we had arrived,” said Ung, 68, a retired teacher. While leprosy was treated at arms’ length in those days, Ung and other assembly members had been told that the disease was not communic-able but were advised not to have any open wounds. “It was my first time seeing people with no fingers or toes. I was very thrilled to see them at meetings we conducted. “I remember especially this guy playing a trumpet who only had stubs for his fingers,” he said. He said open-air services used to be held every second Saturday of the month at Coast Road, now called Gurney Drive. “A big wooden crate on the beach was covered with sand to form a pulpit and rows of sand pews were made. Pieces of cardboard were placed on these ‘pews’ for people to sit on during the services.

“There were also open-air Easter services at the Esplanade where British missionary A.E. Phillips spoke in Mandarin, Australian missionary Sidney S. Adams in Amoy Hokkien, In-dian doctor Dr Samuel from Kampar in Cantonese while local Penangnite Tan Wah Kim spoke in English,” he said.