John Chew
John Chew Hiang Chea 周贤正; born 4 October 1947) was the third Metropolitan Archbishop and Primate of the Province of Anglican Church in South East Asia as well as Bishop of Singapore. He retired as the 8th Bishop of Singapore on 4 October 2012. He was succeeded by Rennis Ponniah.
John Chew Hiang Chea | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of the Province of Anglican Church in South East Asia, Bishop of Singapore, Primate | |
| In office | 2006 — 2012 |
| Predecessor | Yong Ping Chung |
| Successor | Bolly Lapok |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1976 (deacon); 1978 (priest) |
| Consecration | 2000 by Datuk Yong Ping Chung, Bishop of Sabah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 4, 1947 Singapore, Straits Settlements, British Empire |
| Spouse | Christina |
| Children | 1 |
| Previous post | Bishop of Singapore (2000-2012) |
Education
Chew studied in Nanyang University and received his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1969, honours in 1971 and Masters in 1976. He obtained his Bachelor of Divinity (BD) with honours from the University of London in 1976.
In 1983, Chew obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Old Testament Studies from the University of Sheffield.
Priesthood
On 6 November 1976, Chew was ordained as deacon at St Andrew's Cathedral and on 8 October 1978, he was ordained as priest. On 4 May 1986, he was collated as Canon.
Chew also taught at the Trinity Theological College, Singapore from 1981 to 1999 as a lecturer. He was also the principal fromm 1991 till he left the college in 1999. In 2006, he served as the chairman on the Board of Governors.
Chew was consecrated and enthroned as the 8th Bishop of Singapore by the then Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia and the then diocesan Bishop of Sabah, The Most Reverend Datuk Yong Ping Chung on 25 April 2000 at St Andrew's Cathedral. His consecration service was attended by Dr. Tony Tan, then Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, dignitaries, bishops from the various dioceses and religious leaders from both fellow Christian denominations and non-Christian religions as well.
On 5 February 2006, Chew was installed as the 3rd Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia as Datuk Yong Ping Chung, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah has reached retirement age. Representatives of Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury (including Jonathan Gledhill, Bishop of Lichfield); Nicholas Chia, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore; Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore; and Ong Chit Chung, Member of Parliament of Jurong GRC were present at the occasion.
On 12 February 2012, Chew handed over his office as the Archbishop of the Province of Anglican Church in Southeast Asia to the Bishop of the Diocese of Kuching, Datuk Bolly Lapok. Lapok succeeded Chew as the fourth Provincial Archbishop at an Installation Service held in St Thomas’ Cathedral, Kuching.
Chew continued to serve in the Diocese of Singapore as her Diocesan Bishop after that. On 9 September, Chew launched the special bilingual edition of the English Standard Version- Revised Chinese Union Version Pew Bible to be used during Worship Services in St Andrew's Cathedral to mark her 150th Consecration Anniversary of the Nave.
On 28 September, a Thanksgiving Service was held in St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore in honour of his faithful service to the Diocese of Singapore for the past 12 years. Bishops from the region, Church leaders in Singapore and many Anglican Church members attended the Service. Chew retired as the 8th Bishop of Singapore on 4 October 2012.
Presently serving as
- (Since 2000) President, Fellowship of Evangelical Students, Singapore
- (Since 2000) President, National Council of Churches of Singapore
- (Since 2005) Honorary President, Bible Society of Singapore
- (Since 2003) Honorary Secretary/ Chairman, Anglican Global South Primates' Network
- (2007 - 2011) Chairman, Council of Church of East Asia
- (2007 - 2009) Member, Anglican Covenant Design Group
- (2000 - 2012) Chairman, Board of Governors, Trinity Theological College, Singapore
Personal life
Chew is married to Christina and they have a son.
See also
External links
References
- The Courier-Official Magazine of St Andrew's Cathedral (September 2000)
- Diocesan Digest, Diocese of Singapore (April 2006)
- Consecration of John Chew Service Booklet
- Province of South East Asia 10th Anniversary Souvenir Booklet
| Anglican Communion titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Moses Tay |
Bishop of Singapore 2000–2012 |
Succeeded by Rennis Ponniah |
| Preceded by Datuk Yong Ping Chung |
Archbishop of South East Asia 2006–2012 |
Succeeded by Datuk Bolly Lapok |