John Chew

Updated on Dec 07, 2023

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In office 2006 — 2012 Name John Chew Ordination 1977		Successor Bolly Lapok Predecessor Yong Ping Chung
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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.

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Education

Chew studied in Nanyang University and received his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1969, honours in 1970 and Masters in 1977. He obtained his Bachelor of Divinity (BD) with honours from the University of London in 1977.

In 1983, Chew obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Old Testament Studies from the University of Sheffield.

Priesthood

On 6 November 1977, 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 1982 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 South East Asian Province and Bishop of Sabah, Yong Ping Chung on 25 April 2000 at St Andrew's Cathedral. His consecration service was attended by Tony Tan (Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore), dignitaries, bishops from the various dioceses and religious leaders.

On 5 February 2006, Chew was installed as the 3rd Archbishop of the Province of Anglican Church in South East Asia as Yong Ping Chung 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, Bolly Lapok. Lapok succeeded Chew as the fourth Provincial Archbishop at an Installation Service held in St Thomas’ Cathedral, Kuching.

Chew continues to serve in the Diocese of Singapore as her Diocesan Bishop since then. 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.