Anglican Communion News Service

Over the last decade or so an Anglican school chaplaincy has grown into a congregation and recently into a Mission District. In late 1989 the Serian Anglican Congregation was formed from a small group of civil servants in Serian. They had visiting priests to lead their services, held in a different house each Sunday.

The original chaplaincy at Serian Secondary School grew by reaching out to other Anglican families in Serian and inviting them to join in Sunday worship. A Sunday school was set up using the empty classrooms, and a prayer and Bible study group formed. An Anglican Youth Fellowship of boarders and day-scholars also met.

Altogether 40 families were involved, and in October 1992 when it was no longer possible to the school classrooms, a proper place of worship had to found. To begin with, Sunday services were held in people's homes, but a Serian Anglican Congregation Committee was formed to oversee a church building project, and the congregation changed its name to St Helen's Church. Despite being a "church without building", the congregation received financial support from Brunei, the state government and from friends in Yorkshire, England. The committee also organised various fund-raising activities.

In July 1995 a shophouse was rented to use as a temporary place of worship. Many of the church members have come back to join the services, and many new faces have been added with an average Sunday attendance of 150. A Women's Fellowship was formed which has been successful in reaching out to mothers and families.

However, St Helen's is still without a building of its own, although the congregation welcomed the Revd Eliot Ejau Jayan as their resident priest in 1999. Part of the shophouse was renovated to provide accommodation for Eliot, and other work ensures that there is enough space for everyone who might turn up on a Sunday.

The committee now has enough money to start construction of a new church building, and it is hoped that this be completed in 2000. The church can be contacted at St Helen's Mission District, No 149 First Floor, New Bazaar, PO Box 81, 94700 Serian.

Item from: Sarawak & Brunei Diocesan News