History
Christianity first arrived on Singapore's shores soon after the founding of modern Singapore in 1819. Within half a year, the first Protestant missionary arrived to set up a local ministry. The first Roman Catholic priest came in December 1821 to look into the feasibility of opening a missionary station, and celebrated the first Mass.
The colonial administration adopted an official policy of neutrality and non-interference regarding religion. Missionaries established churches and Christian ministries on the island. They also set up welfare organisations and many missionary schools which are well regarded for their high quality education today.
Local-born church leaders gradually took over the running of their ministries. Theological colleges were established to produce the next generation of leaders, and more churches and Christian organisations were set up, resulting in an increase in the proportion of Christians in Singapore today. The percentage of Christians among Singaporeans increased from 12.7% in 1990 to 14.6% in 2000. whilst the latest census as of 2010 has showed the Christian population increased from 14.6% to 17.5%.
Read more about this topic: Christianity In Singapore
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