| Malaysia Baptist Convention | |
|---|---|
 Logo of the Malaysia Baptist Convention | |
| Classification | Evangelical Christianity |
| Theology | Baptist |
| Associations | NECF,APBF,BWA |
| Headquarters | Petaling Jaya,Malaysia |
| Origin | 1953 |
| Congregations | 197 |
| Members | 24,504 |
| Seminaries | Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary |
| Official website | mbc |
TheMalaysia Baptist Convention is aBaptistChristian denomination inMalaysia. It is affiliated with theBaptist World Alliance. The headquarters is inPetaling Jaya.
The Malaysia Baptist Convention has its origins in a mission of Baptist immigrants fromSwatow,China in 1905.[1] The first Baptist church inAlor Setar,Kedah has been established in 1937. Although Baptist work in Malaysia was initiated by Asians, missionaries from theForeign Mission Board of theSouthern Baptist Convention played an important role in helping the new churches establishBaptist distinctives in teaching, polity and ministry.[2]
In 1953, theMalaya Baptist Convention was organised comprising the following five churches as charter members :[3]
TheMalaya Baptist Convention became a member of theBaptist World Alliance in 1957 and continued growing steadily. With theestablishment of the larger federation of Malaysia, the convention changed its name to theMalaysia Baptist Convention in 1964. The first edition of the bi-monthlyMBC Newsletter was first published in 1966 and that year also saw the convention being formally registered as a society in Malaysia.[citation needed]
In May 1967, a Baptist fromHong Kong, Wong Chung, was appointed the first Secretary General of the MBC and later in the same year, in view of the changing political landscape due toSingapore leaving the Malaysian federation in 1965, the convention changed its name again to theMalaysia-Singapore Baptist Convention.[citation needed]
On 8 March 1971 theSingapore Baptist Churches Fellowship was set up, becoming on 28 December 1974 theSingapore Baptist Convention. Following a formal separation of the Singapore Baptist Convention in 1975, the Malaysia-Singapore Baptist Convention reverted to its former name, theMalaysia Baptist Convention.[4][5]
From the time of its formation, membership in the MBC was limited primarily to churches in what was then Malaya (laterWest Malaysia) and Singapore. In 2005, theSarawak Baptist Church joined the MBC and this was later followed by the 2006 affiliation of theSabah Baptist Association making the MBC representative of Baptists throughout Malaysia for the first time.[4]
According to a census published by the association in 2023, it claimed 197 churches and 24,504 members.[6]
The theological positions of the MBC is contained in aStatement of faith adopted in its 1979 Annual Messengers' Conference[7] with articles similar to those adopted by theSouthern Baptist Convention in the latter's 1963 revision of theBaptist Faith and Message.[8]
Similar to most Baptist andProtestant churches, the MBC accepts theLord's Supper andBaptism as itsordinances. The primary difference is in its understanding of the ordinances where they are viewed not assacraments with the means of conveying God's saving grace but as symbols acting as outward testimonies to the recipient's faith and commemorations signifying deeper spiritual truths.[9]
The MBC Statement of Faith does not specify the gender of those called to serve as pastors and deacons in the church.[10] There are women who serve as pastors and associate pastors in churches affiliated with the MBC[11] but to date no women have been officially ordained in the MBC. Whether this is incidental or a matter of policy remain unclear.[citation needed]
Most MBC affiliated churches have historically conducted services in eitherEnglish,Mandarin or othervarieties of Chinese. Other languages are increasingly being used in recent years including the national language,Malay, as well as non-indigenous languages, likeBurmese,Chin,Korean,Nepali, andTagalog.[citation needed]
In 2004, the MBC adopted a 5-year plan dubbedVision X208 that sought to challenge affiliated churches and Baptist Christians to embark aggressively inchurch planting andevangelism to double Baptist work in Malaysia. A progress report was published on the MBC website showing significant growth by the year 2007:[12]
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Churches, Chapels and Outreach points | 123 | — | 162 | 164 |
| Baptist Believers | 13,000 | — | 16,800 | 19,143 |
| Baptisms | — | — | — | 1,220 |
| MBC Members | 45 | 76 | 102 * | — |
| Baptist Seminary Campus | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Book Store | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Convention Staff | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| * BothSarawak Baptist Church andSabah Baptist Association and their respective members are included |
TheMalaysia Baptist Theological Seminary was established in 1954 for the training of national workers.[13] Accredited by theAsia Theological Association, it awards qualifications up to the postgraduate level.
The following institutions are affiliated with the MBC:[14]
The MBC participates actively inecumenical relationships through:[citation needed]
