万里望临近马六甲边界，是前往麻坡城市前必经的一个美丽小镇。
据说，在 1922 年之前，已有三户人家信主。他们每主日持守聚会、读经祷告与分享。不久后， 有位中医师前来带领并栽培这三家成员。当时三名会友是: 柯高义弟兄、侯甫贡弟兄及郑铿锵弟兄。因着人数逐渐增加，三位会友轮流负责分享主道，聚会地点是在柯高义弟兄的咖啡店或其他人家中。1922 年初，马六甲美以美会罗士越牧师差派刘景光弟兄到万里望小镇售卖圣经并进行布道工作，在短期内即有五十余人听道，就购置一间亚答屋作为临时布道所。
1922 年 2 月 20 日 正式成立美以美会万里望牧区。
自成立牧区后，人数日增。罗士越牧师与刘景光弟兄就积极筹款建筑礼拜堂。1923 年 11 月 26 日举行献堂礼。当时正式会友 15 名，学习会友 12名。在英政府统治期间，牧师与教会领袖向英政府征求墓地，英政府回应并批准申请赠送一块位于万里望巴西路的地段作为万里望堂墓地。1924 年 12 月 30 日，刘景光弟兄离任。
1925 年至 1926 年 2 月由汪玉瑞牧师接任。1926 年 3 月，蔡约翰牧师接任直到 1927 年 12 月止。1928 年 1 月林兼三牧师续任到 1933 年止。当时正式会友有 25 名。1934 年李芳赠弟兄上任到 1935 年 2 月以后，乃由蔡约翰牧师兼理。1936 年由李增惠牧师接任，至日军侵入时，会友离散，李增惠牧师亦离职。此时会友人数已达 34 名。
1942 至 1946 年日治时期，会友迁离或到芭地栽植。礼拜堂无牧者， 暂由本地会友柯高义弟兄，侯甫贡弟兄和郑铿锵弟兄等人轮流主持每主日的聚会。林兼三牧师有时会从马六甲前来帮忙协助事工。
日本投降后，陈成琳弟兄由双溪南眉迁返参与轮流主持聚会。 这四位成为艰难时期的四大柱石。
本堂委任陈游记会伯为建堂委员会主席，陈会伯亦是当时的教区会友领袖，在他的领导下与林隆盛牧师及建堂委员会同心协力配合，南下北上到各等地积极筹募，也蒙新马各堂会大力支持，让建堂筹款事工顺利进行。新圣殿于 1984 年 10 月 31 日敦请方中南会督来主持圣殿落成典礼。新圣殿图测是由何约翰弟兄义务绘制的。
余国铨牧师与教会领袖的配搭，为教会设立了本堂 10 年计划如下：
2014 年 8 月 10 日恭请华人年议会会长莫泽川牧师莅临本堂为着教育楼与多元化中心主持动土礼后， 工程便随即开始动工。同时，本堂也推动了义卖会、献金砖等事工及到各教会筹募工程经费。
2015年初教会开始聘请潘嘉琳姐妹成为全职少年军同工来推动少年军事工。
余国铨牧师在本堂事奉四年，会友达到 176 人。
2016 年至 2019 年会委派郭仁华牧师担任本堂会之主理牧师。郭仁华牧师继续推动教会第2阶段的 10 年计划，并继续为着教育楼与多元化中心建设筹款， 他与弟兄姐妹同心协力南下北上到许多教会进行主日崇拜筹款，传递本堂的事工与建筑工程的进展与异象。2016 年 12 月 25 日恭请华人年议会会长莫泽川牧师莅临本堂为着教育楼与多元化中心落成主持感恩奉献礼。
2017 年 2 月开始，郭仁华牧师参与协助巴莪卫理布道所事工。
2017 年 9 月 16 日举行 “主恩九五载，满满临万堂” 设教 95周年 感恩庆典与感恩爱宴，以感谢主恩。
自 2017 年初 幼儿园搬入新教育楼，教育委员会就逐步提升教学课程及老师们的素质，增设课室硬体设备和游乐场。教会也为整栋教育楼与多元化中心增设各种硬体设备，确保能让弟兄姐妹更有效的使用并扩展基督的福音。
Merlimau Chinese Methodist Church (Chinese: 万里望基督教卫理公会) is a Methodist church in Merlimau, Melaka, Malaysia. It is affiliated with the Methodist Church of Malaysia.
It was founded on 20th February 1922. The church is located on Jalan Muar, along the road which connects to the Pekan Merlimau township. It is also known as Merlimau CMC (MCMC).
The church is actively involved in Social Concerns ministry, kickstarting its first blood donation campaign known as “Share Your Love and Care” Community Project (Mandarin: 献出爱心与关怀社区活动) back in 2018. Its 10th event will be held on 13 October 2024 (Sunday).
MCMC is also home to the 3rd Melaka Boys’ Brigade Company, which was established in 1994.
In 1922, the church was first founded under the name Methodist Episcopal Merlimau Local Church (Chinese: 美以美会万里望牧区). Back then, Rev. Luo Shi Yue (罗士越牧师) and Bro. Liu Jing Guang (刘景光弟兄) spearheaded the raising of funds to build a chapel in Merlimau. The chapel was then built a year later, with its dedication date on 26th November 1923. The first church building was made of wood. There were only 15 official church members in the beginning.
During the British administration in Malaya, the church leaders asked for a plot of land to be used as its cemetery. The British authorities approved their application and designated a land lot in Merlimau Pasir to be the church cemetery.
On 30th December 1924, Bro. Liu left his post and Rev. Ang Giok Sui (汪玉瑞牧师) replaced him from 1925 to February 1926, formally becoming the first official pastor of the church. In March of 1926, Rev. Chua Lok Han (蔡约翰牧师) took over until December 1927. Then, in January 1928, Rev. Lin Jian San (林兼三牧师) became the third pastor until his departure in 1933. At that time, there were 25 official church members.
From 1934 to February 1935, Bro. Li Fang Zeng (李芳增弟兄) led the church, with Rev. Chua returning to take the role temporarily throughout the rest of the year when he left the post. In 1936, Rev. Li Zeng Hui (李增惠牧师) was appointed as church pastor but was forced to vacate his position in 1941 during the Japanese invasion of Malaya, when church members began to flee for their lives. By then, the official church member count had already grown to 34 members.
During the Japanese occupation of Malaya, many church members either ran away or moved to the inner plantations to hide. Consequently, local church members were appointed to conduct weekly worship services. Rev. Lin would occasionally travel from Melaka town to help with the ministry. After the Japanese administration surrendered, Bro. Chen Cheng Lin (陈成琳弟兄) moved back from Sungai Rambai and helped to conduct the Sunday service.
Since the church building was in disrepair at that time, during the 1977 Local Conference meeting, District Leader Rev. Lin Zhi Ming (林志明教区长) took advantage of the completion of the construction of the new Tangkak CMC building and formed a committee to begin the church building construction work. The church appointed Jasin Chinese Methodist Church elder Bro. Chen You Ji (陈游记会伯) as the chairman of the committee. Bro. Chen was also the district congregational leader at that time.
Under his leadership, Rev. Lim and the committee went to various churches in Singapore and Malaysia to raise funds. They received strong support to make the fund-raising work go smoothly. On 31 October 1984, Bishop C. N. Fang (方中南会督) was invited to preside over the inauguration ceremony of the new church building. The blueprint of the new church building was voluntarily drawn by Bro. John Ho (何约翰弟兄).
Rev. John Yii, in collaboration with the church leaders, established a 10-year plan for the church as follows:
On August 10, 2014, the church invited the then CAC leader Rev. Boh Che Suan (莫泽川牧师), to preside over the groundbreaking ceremony for the newly-christened Education Building and Multipurpose Centre, and the construction started immediately. At the same time, the church also promoted charity bazaars, golden brick donations and other ministries, and went to various churches to raise funds.
Rev. John Yii served in this church for four years, and the number of members reached 176.
In early 2015, the church began to hire Sis. Jocelyn Pua (潘嘉琳姐妹) as a full-time BB helper.
From 2016 to 2019, the CAC appointed Rev. Kok Jin Wah (郭仁华牧师) as the pastor in charge. Rev. Kok oversaw the second phase of the church’s 10-year plan for the construction of the Education Building and Multipurpose Centre. He and the church brothers and sisters continued to visit many churches to raise funds and report on the construction progress.
On December 25, 2016, Rev. Boh returned to officiate a thanksgiving dedication ceremony for the completion of the Education Building and Multipurpose Centre. The developed area includes the Methodist Hall (an open hall), a Youth Centre, Prayer Room, BB storeroom, Conference Room, a library, a playground, additional parking lots, four TMM classrooms and a staff room.
In February 2017, Rev. Kok began assisting the ministry of the Pagoh Methodist Chapel, Johor.
On September 16, 2017, the 95th Anniversary celebration was held to express gratitude to God.
Since TMM moved into the new Education Building in early 2017, the Education Committee has gradually improved the curriculum and the quality of teachers, and added classroom hardware equipment and playgrounds. The church has also added various hardware equipment to the entire Education Building and Multipurpose Centre to ensure that the congregation can use it more effectively to spread the gospel of Christ.
In 2018, the church entered the third phase of the 10-year plan. Therefore, the Social Concerns ministry started to host various activities to care for the community, such as a Thanksgiving dinner for the elderly, where the elderly over 70 years old can enjoy free food and listen to the gospel; a Mid-Autumn Festival with a competition to make environmentally friendly lanterns, hoping to establish friendly relations with the community.
On 15 July 2018, the first “Show Your Love and Care” community project was held, which included a blood donation campaign and 12 free health and wellness services, which was widely welcomed by the people of Merlimau.
As the number of members of the BB gradually increased, the LCEC unanimously approved the purchase of the church’s third gospel van. The new gospel van was dedicated on August 5, 2018.
In October 2018, the church began to hire Bro. Adrian Pua (潘保强弟兄) as a full-time church helper.
In 2019, Bro. Peter Chan (詹行德弟兄) served as the lay leader.
On July 21, the Social Concerns ministry once again organised a large-scale “Show Your Love and Care” community project. This time, co-organisers provided 15 free services for the community. It attracted about 500 participants and received 136 blood bags.
On July 28, a Chinese medicine & gospel team from Yunnan, China provided local residents with free Chinese medicine consultation and treatment. A total of 288 people participated in this event.
On September 8, local residents were invited to participate in the Mid-Autumn Festival. That night, the TMM singing competition, lucky draw and Uncle Button’s sharing attracted more than 400 people.
In April 2019, the church had to repay about RM270,000 for the extension of the land lease fee. This was a hefty amount, so the church appealed to the Land Office through the CAC Trust Department to reduce the fee to about RM20,000. On October 30, it was approved by the Melaka Land Office to continue to have the right to use for another 99 years.
Rev. Kok served in the church for 4 years, and the number of members reached 161.
In 2020, the church hired seminary student Kelvin Kiew (邱家伟神学生) to replace Rev. Kok, while Rev. Daniel Shu (徐恩杰牧师) served as the church’s lead pastor.
On March 18, 2020, the global outbreak of the COVID-19 led to a nationwide lockdown.
Our church was not immune to this. Due to the restrictions of the Movement Control Order (MCO), the church’s ministries were also suspended, except for Sunday service. At first, the church decided to use Facebook live broadcast for worship. However, as the MCO extended, two weeks later, the church followed the instructions of the CAC and used the recorded videos provided by the CAC for worship. In April, the church restarted prayer meeting, but it was all conducted online.
On May 17, the church also began to record its own Sunday service videos. Other fellowships also gradually used online methods for activities.
On July 5, with the government’s new policies, the church strictly abided by the standard operating procedures (SOP) and began to resume physical Sunday service.
During the pandemic, our church helped church members and local residents through food supplies and practical assistance, helping them to overcome the difficulties caused by COVID-19. At the same time, we continued to care for the frontliners, imitating the love of Christ. Our church’s Social Concerns ministry continued to organise activities to show love and care for the community, and held 3 blood donation campaigns, all of which received enthusiastic responses from the locals in Merlimau and its surrounding areas.
As the epidemic regulations eased, the church gradually resumed physical gatherings of all fellowships.
In 2021, CAC appointed Pastor Irene Doh (罗艾琳牧师) as the pastor of the church.
Due to the impact of the epidemic, the theme of the 4th phase of the 10-year plan was changed to “Preaching Christ and leading people to the Lord”.
In April 2021, the church’s Missions and Evangelism ministry supported the Orang Asli (indigenous) ministry and donated regular expenses and laptops to Light of Shalom, Melaka. Meanwhile, Bro. Tan Hock Seng (陈福盛弟兄) and Sis. Ng Wee Gwek (黄维玉姐妹) went there weekly to provide free tutoring for these Orang Asli students.
The church’s Social Concerns ministry continued to host three large-scale “Share Your Love and Care” community projects. In November 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the gospel vans were rarely used. The LCEC decided to sell the newer van when the price was higher and deposit the money back into the gospel van fund.
For nearly two years, the MCO influenced the way we worshipped God. Our church managed to purchase around RM9,000 of video and live broadcast equipment, and received a complete set of computers donated by Bro. Peter Ong (王有义弟兄), so that worship can be carried out both online and physically at the same time.
After a year of reorganising the list of members by Rev. Irene, the number of members was reduced to 144.
In 2022, our church decided to fully sponsor Bro. Nicholas Chan (詹尊岳弟兄) to enroll in Master of Divinity course in STM.
On June 12, our church held the “Share Your Love and Care” community project, which was jointly organised by the Dental Department of Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Melaka and the Blood Bank of Melaka General Hospital. The event, titled “Kolaborasi Oral dan Agama” (KOA), combined a dental health day and blood donation campaign. A total of 352 people participated, 103 people has their teeth examined in the mobile dental clinic, and 162 people successfully donated blood.
On September 16, 2022, a thanksgiving celebration and banquet for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of MCMC was held at the MCMC Methodist Hall.