The familiar old white building of the Church of The Epiphany, located off the roundabout outside the former Royal Air Force (RAF) Seletar (later Seletar Camp) main gates, had been demolished.

An Anglican church at Jalan Kayu, the Church of The Epiphany was dedicated on 01 May 1967. Its historical links went back further to the early 20th century, during the construction of the Seletar Airbase. Back then, the airbase’s Indian labourers had their worshipping and religious rituals carried out in a small attap shed.

During the Second World War, the prayers were moved to a shed with a metal roof along Lorong Thanggam. In 1965, with the assistance from Christ Church, a new chapel was built at its present site of 407 Jalan Kayu. Blessed by Reverend C.K. Sansbury, the Bishop of Singapore and Malaya, the foundation stone was laid, on 01 January 1966, by Group Captain R.W.G. Freer of the RAF.

For 52 years, the old Church of The Epiphany had witnessed the changes of its surroundings. Its former neighbours – the likes of Jalan Kayu Village, Jalan Kayu Bus Terminal and Jalan Kayu Primary School – had long vanished into history. Its relatively undisturbed environment came to an end in the nineties when the Tampines Expressway (TPE) and Sengkang New Town were constructed.

As for the Church of The Epiphany, it will be undergoing massive changes too. The demolition of its iconic white single-storey building will pave the way for the development of a new five-storey church building, expected to be completed by late 2020. Meanwhile, its church members will continue to hold their prayer sessions at the nearby Abundant Grace Presbyterian Church along Jalan Kayu.

Published: 08 December 2019