Following the wonderful walk I had discovering the grand old railway station, I had time enough to wander over to where another of Ipoh’s many delightful edifices stood – almost unnoticeable at a somewhat obscure little road off Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab (Club Road), Jalan St. John. There, the quaint little red brick church, which when it was consecrated in 1912, had the honour of being the biggest church in Malaya. The church building had suffered from a infestation of termites which damaged its magnificent wooden roof structure and has painstakingly been restored, with restoration work which included a new roof being completed only at the end of 2010.
The Church of St. John the Divine in Ipoh. The church was completed in 1912.
The church building, the front of which is somehow dominated by a belfry that has been set out from the building by a portico, somehow exudes a sense of warmth from the red bricks of its exterior walls, and has the feel of a small country church. It is inside the church which delights most. As one enters the church, it is the pure simplicity of the church that makes it serenely beautiful, with the brown of the wooden pews complemented by the wooden roof and wooden chancel screen which dominates the altar. The chancel screen was apparently installed in 1928. Simple stained glass panels are also installed behind the altar, bring soft light that gives the interior a feeling of warmth.
The front end of the building is dominated by its belfry which is set out over a portico.
The wood of the pews is nicely complemented by the wooden roof and the chancel screen at the end of the nave.
The Chancel Screen after its installation in 1928.
Another view of the church's interior.
The wooden pews.
The church was consecrated on 30 April 1912 by the then Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Singapore, Ferguson Davie. The consecration ceremony took place not long after the church’s official opening and first service on Easter Sunday and whilst the opening service held at 10 am was well attended so much so that, despite the church being the largest in Malaya, some people had to reportedly stand, a small congregation, attributed to the heavy rain all afternoon, attended the consecration. That was almost a century ago, and with the restoration work complete and the church building back in use, it is nice to know that this old lady would be entering her hundredth year, in the pink of health.
A photograph of the Sunday School attendees taken in front of the church building in 1929.
More views in and around the church.
The Long and Winding Road 