In 1900, Dr West returned to the United States on leave. With few workers available, the Rev. G. F. Pykett …

In 1925, the building committee worked to find a site for a new church. Mr 邱清浩 resumed responsibility for the church in 1927, by which time it had become self-supporting. The church property and zinc-roofed premises on Penang Road were sold, and land with an old house on Madras Lane was purchased for RM18,500, giving the church a more secure future. In 1928, Mr 郑珍恩 graduated from Anglo-Chinese College in Fuzhou and came to lead the congregation, which had moved into the newly purchased house on Madras Lane. Sunday worship continued at Anglo-Chinese School, while other church activities moved to the new premises. Miss Clara Martin’s faithful service had brought much encouragement to the Chinese congregation, and the Chinese community regarded her as one of their own. Her death in 1929 was mourned throughout Penang. The Rev. Pykett also served with perseverance and great personal sacrifice, helping the church flourish year after year. He remained faithful until his death in 1932, when he entered his heavenly rest. After Mr 郑珍恩 left, the Rev. 林鸿万 returned and continued the church’s ministry from 1930 to 1932. Children’s worship was established in 1932, and the church’s other activities continued as usual. In 1933, the Rev. 黄懋庭 came from Seremban to succeed the Rev. 林鸿万. The need for a larger church building had become increasingly urgent. The Rev. 黄懋庭 …

After liberation in 1945, the church gradually resumed its normal activities. Its ministries looked towards renewal and showed signs of steady growth. Having survived the war and its anxieties, people became more earnest in matters of faith and longed more deeply for the truth of the gospel. Many came to faith in the Lord. In 1946, Mr 叶恩汉 was appointed assistant minister. Capable, discerning and spiritually mature, he introduced many improvements and made significant contributions to the church, earning widespread respect. To strengthen fellowship among members and communicate the church’s ministries, a church fellowship was established on 7 April. At his initiative, the Youth Fellowship followed on 10 October and became active in ministry. In August, the minister in charge, the Rev. 黄懋庭, left for a year of further study in the United States. Mr and Mrs 叶, together with the women evangelists, sustained the church’s work in his absence. Mr 叶 placed great emphasis on music and worship and revitalised the choir. A large Christmas praise service and thanksgiving gathering were held that year with considerable success. From this year onwards, church officers were elected by ballot. The Rev. 叶恩汉 In 1948, the Rev. 方明德 was transferred from Taiping to lead the church, while Mr 叶恩汉 was transferred to Medan. Coming from a family with a tradition of both scholarship and pastoral ministry, the Rev. 方 faithfully continued its calling to proclaim the gospel. Many were reached, and the church continued to progress. In February, discussions began on building a chapel for the Air Itam preaching point to serve its growing congregation. A building committee was formed in May of the following year. With the tireless fundraising efforts of the evangelist Ms 庄家珍, the building was completed and dedicated to the Lord on 25 February 1950. Glory be to God! The land for the present site was purchased and donated by the wider Methodist Church. The Rev. 方明德 …

By 1960, the Air Itam preaching point had grown rapidly in ministry and finances and had become self-supporting. To facilitate its work and administration, its members requested independent status as a local church charge. The Local Conference approved this on 11 July, followed by approval from the District and Annual Conferences. Eighty members were transferred from the mother church. From the start of ministry in Air Itam in 1903 to its independence, this church had nurtured it for fifty-seven years. Frequent changes of meeting venue had made the work difficult. Meetings had been held in a wooden house in 垄尾, a shophouse in 栳孝街, Sister 陈金杯’s home in 甘比光桑, and 毓南 School in 海客园. Only with the completion of the new church in 1950 did it gain a stable place of worship and a firm foundation for future growth. The Rev. 蔡约翰 retired in 1962. The Annual Conference appointed the respected and learned Rev. 殷文宗 from Ipoh to lead the church. Gifted in poetry, calligraphy and painting, and esteemed for his spiritual maturity and character, he was highly regarded in the Annual Conference. He worked tirelessly for the church’s progress, especially evangelism in smaller towns, and made substantial contributions. Members relied greatly on his leadership. He also emphasised their spiritual growth. In addition to the regular fellowship and prayer meetings, he began early-morning prayer meetings every Saturday in early 1963, attracting strong support from devoted members. The Rev. 殷文宗 On 17 February 1964, the church began evangelistic work in Butterworth, holding worship in a sister’s home and seeking opportunities to share the gospel with local residents. Butterworth Church: established in 1964 …

After the eightieth-anniversary celebrations, members grew greatly in their spiritual lives and in love and devotion to the Lord and his church. They cared for and encouraged one another in fellowship. The Adults’ Fellowship was formally established on 6 July, with Mr 朱振兴 as its first president. Although preparation of the eightieth-anniversary publication faced many difficulties, it was finally published on 2 November through the efforts of editor-in-chief Mr 杨昭铭 and the committee. Richly illustrated, it recorded the church’s history and the activities of its departments, preserving the fruit of eighty years of church life. …

On 15 January 1990, a 95th–100th Anniversary Committee was formed to plan celebrations from the church’s ninety-fifth to its centenary year. A Centenary Celebration Committee was formally constituted in early 1993. On 12 March 1990, the Bayan Baru preaching point requested administrative autonomy, which the Local Church Executive Committee (LCEC) approved at the meeting. This would prepare the preaching point to become a local church charge. That year, several approaches were made to secure land for a church building. On 10 May, representatives met officers of the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to request religious-use land in the Bayan area or in Seberang Jaya, Butterworth. On 14 May, they met representatives of Farlim Group to discuss purchasing land in the Thean Teik area, where the developer was said to have reserved a site for religious use. Neither proposal succeeded. …

2001 That year, the LCEC established a seniors’ ministry to encourage older members to participate more actively in the church’s ministries and demonstrate that the later years of life can be richly meaningful. The seniors’ ministry held its first gathering on 7 July 2001. About one hundred older people attended, sharing fellowship through health checks and lunch. …

2021 The church welcomed newly appointed evangelist 李仁民 to serve alongside the Rev. 张振祥. The Adults’ and Young Adults’ Fellowships transitioned into small-group ministry, continuing to connect with adults. A new wave of COVID-19 emerged in January. The government announced Movement Control Order 2.0 from 13 January to 4 March. With cases and deaths rising sharply, the healthcare system nearing collapse, vaccines not yet available and incomes uncertain, people faced immense distress. We prayed that our gracious Lord would bring the pandemic to an end. The Conditional Movement Control Order introduced on 5 March allowed Sunday worship to resume, but standard operating procedures limited attendance to 180. …