Saint George's Church, Singapore


Saint George's Church is an Anglican church located on Minden Road in Singapore's Tanglin Planning Area, off Holland Road.
Constructed between 1910 and 1913, the church was built for the British troops stationed in Tanglin Barracks which was once the General Headquarters of the British Far East Land Forces.
The church's community comprises members from Singapore and many other countries. They are bound by a common desire to follow Jesus Christ, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives.

Leadership

St. George's Church is owned by the Anglican Diocese of Singapore. The present vicar is Rev. Ian Hadfield. He is supported by Rev. Dr. Soh Guan Chin and Rev. Paul Tan.
The previous vicars of the church included Rev. Mark Roland Dickens, Rev. Canon Philip Sinden, Rev. Mervyn Moore, Rev. Loren Fox, Rev. Paul Corrie, Rev. John Benson, Bishop Dudley Foord and Rev. Bruce Winter.

History

Origins of the Church building – Serving the British military in Singapore
St. George's Church was constructed from materials imported from England and cost £2,000 to build.
The land was formerly used as a nutmeg plantation and it included Mount Harriet, a 103-foot high hill on which the church now stands. The land belonged to William E. Willan and was sold in 1865. However, even before the church was built, an ordained minister for the garrison was appointed in 1871.
The current building dates back to 1910 but there was an earlier St. George's built in 1884 near the site of the present church. Both churches were built for the British troops quartered at Tanglin Barracks which was once the General Headquarters of the British Far East Land Forces. After the British forces withdrew from Singapore in 1968, the place was used by Singapore's Ministry of Defence as its headquarters before it moved to its new premises in Bukit Gombak.
Second World War
During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, the Japanese army used the church as an ammunition dump. When the British returned to Singapore after the end of World War II, a rededication ceremony was held on 10 November 1946. On 29 June 1947, Field Marshal Montgomery, on his visit to Singapore, read the lesson at morning prayer.
From Military to Civilian Church
St. George's became a civilian church after the British troops left Singapore in 1971. It was gazetted a national monument by the National Heritage Board of Singapore on 10 November 1978, and now serves a multinational Christian congregation in Singapore.
Stained Glass Windows
A mystery surrounds the original stained glass windows of the church. It is believed that as the Japanese troops advanced on Singapore, the garrison chaplain had the windows removed and packed away for safekeeping. They were never seen again. As the chaplain did not survive the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, no one knows where the windows are today – whether buried somewhere on Singapore soil, gathering dust in a cellar in England or in pieces at the bottom of the sea. Because of the uncertainty over the fate of the windows, the War Damages Commission turned down the church's claim for reimbursement. In 1952, the church committee began looking into replacements for the missing windows. The design and installation of the new windows began in 1952 and were finally unveiled in 1955. The new windows commemorate the soldiers of the units that were involved in the defence of Malaya and Singapore. The design consists of a figure of Jesus Christ and the badges of the units.
Lychgate
The lychgate in front of the church is a replica of the one built in 1942 by the prisoners of war of the 18th Division interned in Changi Prison. It had been erected at the camp cemetery to mark the graves of those who had died during internment. In 1952, when the graves were moved to the Kranji War Cemetery, the gate was moved to St. George's Church. Initially, it was installed on the south side of the church; later it was moved to the north-west entrance.
After the British military withdrawal from Singapore in 1971, the lychgate was dismantled and taken to England where it was erected at the Queen's Division Depot, Bassingbourne Barracks in Royston, Hertfordshire. A replica was presented to the church in 1984 to commemorate the building of the first St. George's Church in Singapore.
Major Ivan Lyon Memorial
On the outside of the church is a memorial tablet to Major Ivan Lyon D.S.O. M.B.E., who was killed on his second commando raid on military shipping in the Singapore Harbour in October 1944. At the time of the raid, Singapore was more than 1,000 miles inside Imperial Japanese-held territory.

Architecture

Designed by British architect William Henry Stanbury,
St. George's Church is an unadorned Romanesque building, squat and compact, with wooden truss nave and no spire or tower. It has minimal white decoration and a simple but conspicuous white cross. At the left and right panels of the stained glass windows are badges representing all the regiments and forces that fought for the British in Malaya.

Features

ed windows of the church's east side aisle.
There are three regular services conducted on Sunday. All involve lay participation.
The Japanese Fellowship meets at the building every Sunday at 3.00pm.

Courses

A number of courses are run at St George's Church, including Alpha, Christianity Explored and Moore College theology courses.

Notable members

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