Christians constituted approximately 14.6% of Singapore’s population, of which around 4.6% adhering to the Roman Catholic faith and the remaining 10% following other mostly Protestant denominations and traditions.

History

Christianity first arrived on Singapore’s shore soon after Stamford Raffles founded the promising trading post in 1819. Within half a year, the first Protestant missionary arrived to set up a local ministry and subsequently, the first Catholic priest came in 1822 to shepherd the growing Catholic community. While the colonial administration adopted an official neutral and non-interference policy regarding religion, missionaries establishes churches and Christian ministries on the island. They also set up welfare organisations and many missionary schools which are well regarded for their high quality education till this day.

Upon independence in 1965, local church leaders gradually took over the running of their ministries. Theological colleges were established to produce the next generation of leaders, more churches and Christian organisations were set up, resulting in an increase in the

Roman Catholicism

Main article: Roman Catholicism in Singapore

The Roman Catholic population in Singapore generally consist of Eurasians, Chinese (including Peranakans) and Indians. The majority of the Catholics, notably among the older generations, are noted for their preference of English customs and attending masses conducted in Latin. Younger generations tend to prefer a less serious form of worship similar to those of Protestants, and also prefer English masses. There are 30 Roman Catholic churches in Singapore, each administering to a particular district in Singapore.

Singapore has a Catholic Archdiocese headed by His Grace Archbishop Nicholas Chia who presides at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. Peranakan Catholics are generally concentrated in the Church of the Holy Family in Katong.

Various Roman Catholic churches in Singapore are actively involved in social services such as welfare homes, the opening of soup kitchens as well as missionary trips to place like Indonesia and the Philippines. They are also currently supporting the creation of Small Christian Communities (SCC) in order to organise and gather the Roman Catholic communities within their neighbourhoods.

Protestants

The majority of non-Catholic churches are under the National Council of Churches of Singapore umbrella. Most belong to Protestant traditions which consist of an array of denominations. The more

Although the churches seem divided along denomination lines, many Christian ministries and congregations often come together and co-ordinate activities and good works for both the Christian community and society at large. In addition, Singapore is considered a key base for missionary and humanitarian activities in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Beyond the churches, there are many Christian organisations engaging in activities like fund raising, healthcare for the needy, homes for the elderly, family service centres, youth development amongst others. These organisations include the Salvation Army, Fei Yue Family Centres, Teen Challenge and various community hospitals. The Christian community also get together to engage in fund raising activities like the LoveSingapore movement which organises walkathons and prayer sessions for those in need.

Recognising the multi-religious makeup of Singapore, the Christian community actively take part in inter-religious dialogue in the country and the National Council of Churches of Singapore was involved in the creation of the Declaration of Religious Harmony in 2001.

Other

Other Christian sects include the ancient Armenian Church and the Syrian Orthodox church which generally minister to the Armenian and Indian communities respectively. They constitute a small minority in the local Christian population and is largely followed by ethnic Indians and Eurasians.

Churches

Catholic

• List of Roman Catholic churches in Singapore

Non-Catholic

• Adam Road Presbyterian Centre, Singapore
• Faith Community Baptist Church (Singapore)
• Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, Singapore
• City Harvest Church
• Saint Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore
• New Creation Church

Parachurch Organizations

• YMCA
• Salvation Army
• Bible Society, Singapore

Missionary Schools

• Anglican High School
• Anglo-Chinese School
• Methodist Girls' School (Secondary)
• Presbyterian High School
• Saint Joseph's Institution

See also