Anglican Diocese of Singapore
Encyclopedia
The Anglican Diocese of Singapore consists of 26 Anglican parishes in Singapore
to date and 6 deaneries throughout the Asia
region. It has an established history of church-planting as well as providing educational, medical and social services in Singapore and the neighbouring region. The Diocese of Singapore is in communion with the See of Canterbury
. St Andrew's Cathedral
is the Cathedral church of the Diocese of Singapore.
Currently, the Diocese is headed by the Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia
and Bishop of Singapore
, The Most Reverend Dr John Chew Hiang Chea
together with Assistant Bishop and Vicar of St John-St Margaret Church, The Right Reverend Rennis Ponniah.
of the Diocese of Singapore which belongs to the category of ecclesiastical heraldry
, consists of a Mitre
surmounted on a St Andrew's Shield. The Mitre symbolises Apostolic Authority and Divine Endorsement to govern the Anglican diocese in the region. The Crozier symbolises the Bishop's Episcopate and the Key represents the access to heaven. Emblazoned upon the St Andrew's Shield are four bunches of wheat symbolising the harvest fields which God has entrusted to the Diocese.
was made the Cathedral church of the then newly established Diocese of Singapore, Labuan and Sarawak. A diocese over such a large area was quite unmanageable, and in 1909, Singapore was made a separate diocese, with Bishop Charles J. Ferguson-Davie as the first Bishop of the Diocese. On February 6, 1960 it merged with another diocese to form the Diocese of Singapore and Malaya
. On 8 April 1970, the diocese was dissolved and split into Diocese of Singapore and Diocese of West Malaysia
.
A dean oversees the mission work in each deanery and regularly reports to the Director of Missions of the Diocese of Singapore. The present Director of Missions is The Very Reverend Kuan Kim Seng who is also the Dean and Vicar of St Andrew's Cathedral.
In addition, there are 6 kindergartens and 6 child development centres.
The St Andrew's Mission Hospital (SAMH) is a non-profit voluntary welfare organisation under the Diocese of Singapore. It is the corporate headquarters that oversees its several medical arms such as:
With the re-location of St. Andrew's Community Hospital to Simei, SAMH plans to redevelop the Elliot Road site into a centre for helping autistic youth and adults. St. Andrew's Autism
Centre will be an integrated and comprehensive centre providing medical, education, day care, vocational training, job placement and respite care services. SAMH is working closely with the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Education
on the setting up of this centre.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to date and 6 deaneries throughout the Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
region. It has an established history of church-planting as well as providing educational, medical and social services in Singapore and the neighbouring region. The Diocese of Singapore is in communion with the See of Canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
. St Andrew's Cathedral
St. Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore
Saint Andrew's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Singapore, the country's largest cathedral. It is located near City Hall MRT Interchange in the Downtown Core, within the Central Area in Singapore's central business district. It is the Cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore and...
is the Cathedral church of the Diocese of Singapore.
Currently, the Diocese is headed by the Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia
Church of the Province of South East Asia
The Church of the Province of South East Asia, a member church of the Anglican Communion, was created in 1996, comprising the four dioceses of Kuching, Sabah, Singapore and West Malaysia...
and Bishop of Singapore
Bishop of Singapore
The Bishop of Singapore is the diocesan bishop for the Anglican Diocese of Singapore, founded in 1909.-List of bishops:*1881 Rt Revd George Frederick Hose, Bishop of Singapore, Labuan & Sarawak 1881*1909 Rt Revd Charles James Ferguson-Davie...
, The Most Reverend Dr John Chew Hiang Chea
John Chew Hiang Chea
John Chew is currently the third Metropolitan Archbishop and Primate of the Province of Anglican Church in South East Asia as well as the Bishop of Singapore.-Education:...
together with Assistant Bishop and Vicar of St John-St Margaret Church, The Right Reverend Rennis Ponniah.
Diocesan coat of arms
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the Diocese of Singapore which belongs to the category of ecclesiastical heraldry
Ecclesiastical heraldry
Ecclesiastical heraldry is the tradition of heraldry developed by Christian clergy. Initially used to mark documents, ecclesiastical heraldry evolved as a system for identifying people and dioceses. It is most formalized within the Catholic Church, where most bishops, including the Pope, have a...
, consists of a Mitre
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
surmounted on a St Andrew's Shield. The Mitre symbolises Apostolic Authority and Divine Endorsement to govern the Anglican diocese in the region. The Crozier symbolises the Bishop's Episcopate and the Key represents the access to heaven. Emblazoned upon the St Andrew's Shield are four bunches of wheat symbolising the harvest fields which God has entrusted to the Diocese.
History
In 1881, St. Andrew's ChurchSt. Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore
Saint Andrew's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Singapore, the country's largest cathedral. It is located near City Hall MRT Interchange in the Downtown Core, within the Central Area in Singapore's central business district. It is the Cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore and...
was made the Cathedral church of the then newly established Diocese of Singapore, Labuan and Sarawak. A diocese over such a large area was quite unmanageable, and in 1909, Singapore was made a separate diocese, with Bishop Charles J. Ferguson-Davie as the first Bishop of the Diocese. On February 6, 1960 it merged with another diocese to form the Diocese of Singapore and Malaya
Diocese of Singapore and Malaya
Diocese of Singapore and Malaya was an Anglican diocese which covered Singapore and West Malaysia . It was renamed from Diocese of Singapore in 6 February 1960....
. On 8 April 1970, the diocese was dissolved and split into Diocese of Singapore and Diocese of West Malaysia
Diocese of West Malaysia
Diocese of West Malaysia is an Anglican diocese which covers the entire West Malaysia. The Diocese of West Malaysia was founded in 8 April 1970, as DWM together with Diocese of Singapore split from Diocese of Singapore and Malaya...
.
Parishes
To date, there are 26 Anglican parishes under the Diocese:- St Andrew's Cathedral
- All Saints' Church
- Chapel of Christ the King
- Chapel of Christ the Redeemer
- Chapel of the Holy Spirit
- Chapel of the Resurrection
- Christ Church
- Church of Our Saviour
- Church of the Ascension
- Church of the Epiphany
- Church of the Good Shepherd
- Church of the True Light
- Holy Trinity Parish
- Light of Christ Church Woodlands
- Marine Parade Christian Centre
- My Saviour's Church
- St Andrew's Community Chapel
- St George's Church
- St Hilda's Church
- St James' Church
- St John's Chapel
- St John's–St Margaret's Church
- St Matthew's Church
- St Paul's Church
- St Peter's Church
- Yishun Christian Church (Anglican)
Deaneries
There are 6 Deaneries under the Diocese of Singapore:- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Nepal
- ThailandAnglican Church in ThailandThe Anglican Church in Thailand is a Deanery of the Diocese of Singapore within the Province of South East Asia. It is in communion with other members of the worldwide Anglican Communion.ACT began with the Parish of Christ Church Bangkok...
- Vietnam
A dean oversees the mission work in each deanery and regularly reports to the Director of Missions of the Diocese of Singapore. The present Director of Missions is The Very Reverend Kuan Kim Seng who is also the Dean and Vicar of St Andrew's Cathedral.
Schools
Anglican schools in Singapore:- Anglican High SchoolAnglican High SchoolAnglican High School is an autonomous, Special Assistance Plan and Government-aided co-educational secondary school in Tanah Merah, Singapore.- History :...
- Christ Church Secondary SchoolChrist Church Secondary SchoolChrist Church Secondary School is a government-aided secondary school located in Woodlands, Singapore, beside Singapore Sports School. Christ Church Secondary School has affiliations with Saint Andrew's Junior College...
- Saint Hilda's Primary School
- Saint Hilda's Secondary SchoolSaint Hilda's Secondary SchoolSaint. Hilda's Secondary School is a government-aided secondary school in Tampines, Singapore, which offers a four to five year course leading to a GCE 'O' Level or a GCE 'N' Level certificate and to a Centralised Institute, Junior College, Polytechnic or the Institute of Technical...
- St. Margaret's Primary SchoolSt. Margaret's Primary SchoolSt. Margaret's Primary School is a government-aided girls' primary school in Singapore. It is the oldest girls' school in Singapore and East Asia, founded in 1842.-Crest:...
- St. Margaret's Secondary SchoolSt. Margaret's Secondary SchoolSt. Margaret’s Secondary School is an autonomous government-aided girls’ secondary school in Singapore. It is the first girls’ school in Singapore and is often regarded as the oldest existing girls’ school in the Far East. It is affiliated with St...
- Saint Andrew's Junior SchoolSaint Andrew's Junior SchoolSaint Andrew's Junior School is a government-aided boys' primary school in Potong Pasir, Singapore. The school started as the Lower School of St Andrew's School after World War II. St Andrew’s Junior School is part of the family of Anglican schools in Singapore...
- Saint Andrew's Secondary SchoolSaint Andrew's Secondary SchoolSaint Andrew's Secondary School is a government-aided Anglican boys' secondary school in Potong Pasir, Singapore. It was established in the 19th century and still operates along traditional British lines.-History:...
- Saint Andrew's Junior CollegeSaint Andrew's Junior CollegeSaint Andrew's Junior College is a junior college in Singapore, offering a two-year course for pre-university students leading up to GCE 'A' Level examinations....
In addition, there are 6 kindergartens and 6 child development centres.
Medical services
The St Andrew's Mission Hospital (SAMH) is a non-profit voluntary welfare organisation under the Diocese of Singapore. It is the corporate headquarters that oversees its several medical arms such as:
- St Andrew's Community Hospital, located at Simei Street 3; over 100 beds
- St Andrew's Mission Hospital Clinic, situated at SACH, this clinic provides medical out-patient care to those who are 19 years old and younger
- St Andrew's Lifestreams, located at St Andrew's Village, this Centre provides counselling services primarily for Anglican schools
With the re-location of St. Andrew's Community Hospital to Simei, SAMH plans to redevelop the Elliot Road site into a centre for helping autistic youth and adults. St. Andrew's Autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
Centre will be an integrated and comprehensive centre providing medical, education, day care, vocational training, job placement and respite care services. SAMH is working closely with the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Education is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to education in Singapore.-Statutory boards:...
on the setting up of this centre.
See also
- Province of the Anglican Church in South East AsiaChurch of the Province of South East AsiaThe Church of the Province of South East Asia, a member church of the Anglican Communion, was created in 1996, comprising the four dioceses of Kuching, Sabah, Singapore and West Malaysia...
- Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
- AnglicanismAnglicanismAnglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
- Bishop of SingaporeBishop of SingaporeThe Bishop of Singapore is the diocesan bishop for the Anglican Diocese of Singapore, founded in 1909.-List of bishops:*1881 Rt Revd George Frederick Hose, Bishop of Singapore, Labuan & Sarawak 1881*1909 Rt Revd Charles James Ferguson-Davie...
- Christ Church BangkokChrist Church BangkokChrist Church is a parish of the Anglican Church in Thailand within the Diocese of Singapore. It has both English- and Thai-language congregations. There are about 400 church members representing many different nationalities and denominational backgrounds...