Chinese Bible, 1924 newspapers: Church unearths time capsule, offering glimpse into life of early Chinese Methodists in Singapore
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SINGAPORE: A Chinese Bible presented by the British and Foreign Bible Society, meeting minutes, and copies of local newspapers from 1924.
These are some items that the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church found when a 100-year-old time capsule was pulled from the church’s wall, giving a glimpse into the life of early Christians in Singapore.
Over the years, churchgoers had heard that the church’s Telok Ayer building, which was completed in 1925, contained a time capsule.
However, no concerted efforts were made to uncover it until recently.
WELL-PRESERVED ARTEFACTS FOUND
On Feb 7, a slim metal box – measuring 30cm by 30cm by 5cm – encased in bricks and mortar and hidden behind a concrete wall in Singapore's first Chinese Methodist church was unearthed.
It contained about 10 items. Most of them are well-preserved, including a 1919 pocket-sized book containing hymns.
“We need to remember our history, especially for us, the Methodist church, and it reminds us how important it is to keep the faith and how our forefathers have worked very hard, and been faithful to the church and to serve the community,” said Reverend Dr Gregory Goh, president of The Methodist Church in Singapore's Chinese Annual Conference.
Among the items is the book of hymns, which also contained the church’s rituals, from Holy Communion and order of worship to weddings and funerals, he added.
“It really depicts a whole church life at that time, and how the faith community has practised their faith. (We also now know) the songs they sang. So I think that is very interesting and it also helps us to continue the tradition.”
The time capsule dates back to the church's groundbreaking ceremony about 100 years ago.
HOW THE CHURCH DISCOVERED THE CAPSULE’S LOCATION
Late last year, members of the church’s archives committee were researching the building’s 100th anniversary – which will be celebrated next year – and stumbled upon an article from The Malayan Saturday Post.
The newspaper article detailed the laying of the church's foundation stone and location of the time capsule.
The church then decided to unearth it ahead of its anniversary, and worked together with consultants to extract the capsule. Contractors using ultrasound and metal scanning tools later detected the metal container in a wall.
It took around six hours to liberate the steel time capsule. The box was eventually opened a week later on Feb 14, after resting in a dry box environment at a controlled humidity level.
“In the process of (extraction), we found that the way the box has been installed in the wall is that they build up the wall, put the box in the position, and then put the mortar and bricks around the box,” said Mr Wong Chung Wan, technical director of material specialist Maek Consulting, which retrieved the capsule.
“It's not like some other time (capsules where) they actually created a void first, then put the box into the hole. So there's a hole inside but in this case it's filled with mortar. So that (makes it) a lot more difficult to extract.”
The church building, which served as a refuge to some 300 people during the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, was gazetted a national monument in 1989. The building is currently closed for restoration works.
The unearthed items will be among historical documents which will be on display in the heritage gallery once the church building completes its renovation in 2025 and reopens for its centennial.
“We're in the midst of piecing up all these (items), and trying to collate and align all the information,” said Mr Sebastian Lee, the church’s archives committee chairman.
“Hopefully, the showcase will have videos of people who were from that generation (and) who are still with us, and there will be old photographs showing the social impact of the people then.”
The church has plans to place a new time capsule as a legacy for future generations.
WELL-PRESERVED ARTEFACTS FOUND
On Feb 7, a slim metal box – measuring 30cm by 30cm by 5cm – encased in bricks and mortar and hidden behind a concrete wall in Singapore's first Chinese Methodist church was unearthed.
It contained about 10 items. Most of them are well-preserved, including a 1919 pocket-sized book containing hymns.
“We need to remember our history, especially for us, the Methodist church, and it reminds us how important it is to keep the faith and how our forefathers have worked very hard, and been faithful to the church and to serve the community,” said Reverend Dr Gregory Goh, president of The Methodist Church in Singapore's Chinese Annual Conference.
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