And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
                                    – Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJ)

Little Houses on the Wayside

The Malaysian countryside is dotted with houses of worship -- mosques, temples, churches -- and this is a living testimony to the freedom of worship that is enshrined in the nation’s Constitution.
Urbanites travelling outstation from their space-scarce towns or cities must have looked somewhat with envy at those houses of worship which are built in spacious surroundings in the countryside and are free from parking problems as well.
     Some churches that we can see as we travel on the nation’s highways and byways are small, wooden structures, and their very ample compounds seem to make them look even smaller.
     And some of them could be quite picturesque, like the one below which I photographed several years ago (please click on the thumbnail to see the larger picture). The state of the church house, I believe, is a reflection of the state of affairs.
     However, not all the rural churches that I have seen look as pretty as this one. Some appear quite neglected, and this is a sad reflection of the existing state of affairs.
     There could be many reasons for this state of affairs, one of which, I believe, is rural-urban migration. The pastors of these rural churches are left with a dwindling flock as people leave their community to look for greener pastures in the towns and cities.
     While some urban churches gain new members from among the migrants, the pastor in the small town or rural community tries to manage as best he can with the available resources he has at hand. So, what can we do about it?
     I have some suggestions. We could have gotong-royong projects (across denominational lines with volunteers from various churches) to spruce up these neglected church buildings and their surroundings. We could get the larger churches in the towns and cities to “adopt” these small, rural churches. We could also initiate church conservation and preservation programmes.
     Perhaps, the initiative should come from the pastor and members concerned to act collectively to ensure that their church continue to function as the spiritual heart of their community and that it does not fall on the wayside through neglect and be swept away by the tides of time.
     I would like to dedicate this page to the small town or rural churches which are a beacon of their community. If you like a church, in any nook or corner of the country, to be featured here, please send me a digital image (300 x 450 pixels), and include some information, such as its address and contact number.

This picture was taken sometime in 1997 in Kampung Bharu, a village beside the Dindings River in Perak. I made a trip there to photograph some yachts as the sun was setting when I spotted this church. I thought it would made a nice photograph and took about half a dozen shots.