Singapore

The Lutheran Church in Singapore

Who is the Lutheran Church in Singapore (LCS) and what are its ministries?

The Lutheran Church in Singapore (LCS), a member of the Lutheran World Federation, has about 3,250 members in seven congregations: Redeemer (founded 1960), Queenstown (1965), Jurong (1968), Mas Kuning (1974), Bedok (1978), Yishun (1985) and the Thai Good News Centre (outreach to Thai workers,1989). Each Sunday, worship is conducted in Chinese, English and Thai throughout the land. There are 19 pastors serving the LCS.

Redeemer began an outreach in the housing projects which the Singapore government was erecting to accommodate the multitude of new immigrants as well as thousands of young people streaming into the cities from rural areas. One outreach effort is family counseling, since families in Singapore often face conflicting value systems—the expectations of traditional culture represented by older generations, and the fast-paced modern life with its high expectations of material success represented by younger generations.

LCS is one of four sponsoring churches of Trinity Theological College. At this seminary, students are required to participate fully in the life and work of the school. Pastors and church workers are also educated at Singapore Bible College. Ecumenical relations are with the National Council of Churches in Singapore.

The LCS's mission programs are growing. In addition to local outreach, the church has sent a Singaporean pastor to serve as a missionary with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Thailand. In turn, a pastor has come from Thailand to serve at the Thai Good News Centre, located in a shopping center frequented by Thai laborers in Singapore. Another localized global mission effort is with maritime ministry that ministers to seafarers coming through Singapore. More recent mission efforts include work in China, Mongolia and Cambodia.

How do the Lutheran Church in Singapore and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America accompany one another in ministry?

Through the churchwide ELCA Global Mission unit, the ELCA relates to and is in bilateral relationship with over 80 companion churches and institutions. The ELCA Global Mission unit stewards a church-to-church relationship with the Lutheran Church in Singapore.

Churchwide funding through the ELCA Global Mission unit supports key priorities identified by the LCS. An ELCA professor teaches at Trinity Theological College and regularly works with the ministries of the LCS. Programmatic funding is provided for some LCS ministries.

Singapore: the context where the Lutheran Church in Singapore serves

Singapore is a parliamentary republic that gained its independence from the Malaysian Federation on August 9, 1965. Singapore is home to over 4.6 million people. Inhabitants recognize Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English as official languages. The country is populated by Chinese (77%), Malay (15%), Indian (8%), and other ethnic groups (1%). Buddhism is the primary religion for the Chinese and Islam is practiced by the Malays. There are also Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, and Confucians.

Singapore maintains a firm hand on its citizens, leveling fines as high as $250 for dropping a candy wrapper on the streets. Singapore has become the largest ship-building and repair port in the region as well as a major shipping related financial center. During the 1990's the economy grew at the astonishing rate, however the Asian financial crisis slowed growth, prompting the government to implement an economic-stimulus package and to diversify the economy. Although Singapore is half the size of Hong Kong, it has one of the highest per-capita income rates ($24,700) in the region. Air pollution in large cities and acid rain as well as water pollution from sewage and industrial runoff are of concern. Despite an increase in civil rights, demonstrations against suppression of freedoms continue.