Breaking the Pot: Contextual Responses to Survival Issues in Malaysian Churches

Protestantism in Malaysia is in many cases the result of labour migration from China and India in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Under the British colonial administration, it enjoyed a certain degree of protection. Furthermore, in the 20th Century, many Western missions started work in Malaysia often in order to strengthen and expand the ministry of existing denominations. This was particularly true of the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran diaspora group. Until the time of independence in 1957, the Protestant Christian religion had a promising future. But after independence, the situation has gradually deteriorated due to two parallel developments: the withdrawal of Western support and the resurgence of local religions like Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism that compete with Christianity. These developments in turn have brought an array of serious issues before the church in general and the protestant mainline denominations in particular. Each major issue is outlined and discussed from a survival perspective. The local responses to the new challenges turn out to be manifold and many-faceted. Five contextual theologians are presented and analysed. Each theologian’s approach to the contemporary issues assailing the church is examined. The theological output thus investigated is taken as an indicator of what kind the Malaysian churches are likely to develop into.