ABOUT US

 

SJSM Church is an Anglican church of the Diocese of Singapore. Founded in 1971, we now have diverse congregational activities in five language streams: English, Mandarin, Tamil, Tagalog, and Bahasa Indonesia. We seek to be intergenerational in our engagements both

within the church as well as across St. John’s - St. Margaret’s Village (www.sjsmvillage.org.sg).

 

As far back as 1991, SJSM has been engaged in social services for community benefit, regardless of race or religion. These include tuition classes, support of single parents, healthy lifestyle programmes, eldercare, and caregiver home visits. SJSM’s Heartfriends Community Services’ Before-After-School Care (BASC) and Kopi Stop (located at Blocks 3 and 4, Dover Road) serve the needs of school-going children and the elderly respectively.

ANGLICAN STRUCTURE

• St. John’s – St. Margaret’s Church is part of the Diocese and Province. Early Anglican settlers arrived in 1819 and founded the Anglican Church in 1826.
• The Right Reverend Dr Titus Chung is the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore. The Diocese of Singapore was formed in 1909. The Province of South East Asia was formed in 1996, comprising the Dioceses of Singapore, West Malaysia, Sabah and Kuching.

OUR HISTORY

1971 – Dover area was just an open field; some said the area surrounding the church was a graveyard! The present sanctuary, formerly St. John’s Garrison Church, stood lonely on a hillock. A distance away at St. Margaret’s Secondary School, the church planted by St. Andrew’s Cathedral, a congregation of about 90 people, was looking for a more suitable place to worship. After months of discussion, permission was given for this group to use St. John’s Church. Finally, on 28th Nov 1971, the birth, or more appropriately the marriage, of St. John and St. Margaret took place.

 

For the first 5 years, St. John’s – St. Margaret’s Church remained the daughter church of St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Rev. Cecil McSparron, a Cantonese-speaking Irish missionary was Priest-in-charge. He became the first Vicar of SJSM in January 1977 when the church was given parish status. Through Rev. McSparron’s emphasis on living by the Scriptures, evangelism and lay training, the seeds for growth were planted.

 

Rev. Dr Roger Campbell was appointed Vicar from 1978 – 1985. By 3 April 1982 the office block was completed and was dedicated by Bishop Chiu Ban It. Rev. Soh Chye Ann was appointed Vicar from 1986 – 1992.

 

Rt Rev. Rennis Ponniah was appointed Vicar from 1993 – 2012. Another development of the Education Block and the Chapel was consecrated on 20 November 1999 by Bishop Moses Tay.

 

In 22 January 2006, Christ Sanctuary was completed and dedicated by Bishop John Chew.

 

Rev. Dr Joshua Sudharman served as Vicar from 1 October 2012 to 30 June 2021, before handing over to Rev. Alvin Toh, who was Vicar until end-2022.

 

Rev. Victor Teo is the current Vicar of St. John’s – St. Margaret’s Church.