Sitiawan Chinese Methodist Church

The oldest Chinese Methodist church in Malaysia, originally built in 1905

The Sitiawan Chinese Methodist Church, built in 1905 and later rebuilt after a fire, stands next to the Sitiawan Settlement Museum in Kampung Koh. It is the oldest Chinese Methodist church in Malaysia, established by the Fuzhou immigrants who founded the town. The small white building is cross-shaped in plan — an unusual design that reflects the community's faith as much as any pragmatic architectural choice.

The church is still an active congregation. Its setting alongside the museum, the original pioneer well, and the old church parsonage makes this corner of Kampung Koh one of the most historically concentrated spots in Sitiawan. The simplicity of the building contrasts with the more ornate Chinese temples you might expect in a Malaysian town of this size.

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A story
The Fuzhou settlers who founded Sitiawan were almost entirely Methodist Christians — an unusual fact about a Malaysian town. Their faith came with them from Fujian province, where American Methodist missionaries had established a strong presence in the 1880s. The settlers carried their church with them to Malaya and built this one almost immediately after arriving, making it a founding institution of the community.