With Christmas round the corner, Ewe Paik Leong visits some churches in George Town, Penang
1. ST. GEORGE’S CHURCH, LEBUH FARQUHAR
This is the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia and was built in 1818 according to the architectural plan drawn by Robert Smith of Madras Engineers, with inputs from Rev Robert Sparke Hutchings. In 1886, a separate memorial was added to honour Sir Francis Light, the founder of Penang. Four pairs of columns support the front porch of the building which has a tympanum embellished with dentils. The nave roof is crowned by an octagonal-sided steeple which has a clock face on its front side. The steeple rests on a square base which has pinnacles on four sides. Both sides ofthe building have rectangular louvred windows with semi-circular tympanums. Inside the nave, 10 massive pillars support the roof structure.
2. CHURCH OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, LORONG MAKTAB
Founded in 1811 by Father John Baptist Pasqual who arrived from Phuket, this is the second oldest church in George Town. The original building was renovated in 1835 and 1996. Showcasing Gothic architecture, it features a front porch and a four-level tower. Pinnacles stab the sky from two corners of the tower and from four corners of the transept’s roofline. These architectural elements are complemented by lancet doors adorned with tympanums in quatrefoil design. Inside, a stained glass window depicting Mother Mary surrounded by angels is found at the apse. Chairs for the congregation, seemingly from medieval times, invoke a nostalgic feel. Fr. Jude Miranda is the current parish priest.
3. WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH, JALAN BURMA
The church was founded in July 1891 when Rev D. D. Moore conducted the inaugural English Evening Service at the town hall. Later, services were held in the garage of the then Runneymede Hotel and the Anglo-Chinese School. Finally, in 1912, the church constructed its own building at a cost of Straits Dollar 18,500 on its present location. Lancet louvred windows, ventilation holes of quatrefoil design and buttresses adorn the side walls of the building. The adjoining three-level tower is also an attention-grabber with its rosette motif tucked between a lancet door and a louvred window of similar shape. Rev Paul Santosh Christie serves the spiritual needs of the church’s congregation.
4. GOSPEL HALL, JALAN BURMA
Gospel Hall was initially established in Farquhar Street by John Chapman and his wife in 1859. In 1866, they left for South Africa and were succeeded by William MacDonald and his wife. In 1935, the assembly moved to its present location. In 2008, a new main building and an annex building were constructed. Basket-handle arches support the front porch of the main building which has abutments on two sides housing louvred windows for ventilation. As the assembly focuses more on teaching the gospel than on religious symbols, the interior of the main building sees minimal adornments. Gospel Hall also runs the Christian Convention Centre in Batu Ferringhi where the annual Bible Camp is held.
5. CHINESE METHODIST CHURCH
This church was originally founded in 1895 at the former Gladstone Road. It moved to its present location in 1937. Over the years, it has earned the moniker Hokkien Methodist Church to differentiate it from the Cantonese Methodist Church in Jalan Macalister. The structure has a three-level side tower with lancet windows. Inside the building, the nave has a concave white ceiling which monotony is broken by lines of quatrefoil motifs running breadth wise and length wise. Stained glass paintings adorn the apse. The adjacent Menara Centennial Methodist houses a kindergarten. Rev Dr Ng Geok Hooi heads the church.