Yishun Christian Church (Anglican) was started 30 years ago as St Peter’s Church, Sembawang. After the British Army left Singapore in the early 1970s, they left behind a church building located at Admiralty Road. In 1977, the government of Singapore offered the church to the Diocese. Andrew’s Cathedral sent the late Mr Joseph Kanniah as Parish Worker to take charge of the church. A Prayer and Prai
se service was started. The first communion service commenced on 11th December 1977 and attended by 23 people. Revd Tom Hill, Chaplain of the NZ Forces SEA, and the late Canon Frank Lomax, then Vicar of St Andrew’s Cathedral, took turns to celebrate Holy Communion. Soon this mission outpost of the Cathedral brought in many new converts. The congregation began to grow gradually. In 1978, the Diocese sent the Revd Dr Moses Tay as Priest-in–Charge. Together with Mr Joseph Kanniah, they led the church to further growth and many other activities started to develop. The Revd Dr Moses Tay pastored St Peter’s Church until 1981 when he was consecrated and enthroned as the 7th Bishop of Singapore. After Bishop Moses Tay, the Revd Alexander Paatan took over as the Priest-in-Charge to continue the work. By this time St Peter’s Church grew to about 70 adults. In 1984, St Peter’s Church building at Admiralty Road acquired by the government to make way for road widening. The church responded to the crisis through prayers, fasting and waiting upon the Lord. Out of that crisis situation, the church became stronger. The church was given temporary occupancy at the old Canberra cinema in Jalan Kedai to compensate the acquisition of the building at Admiralty Road but with the proviso that the government could exercise its one-month quit notice at any time. With such a burden in mind, the church began to raise funds for the refurbishment of the cinema and also for a future church. God answered the prayers of the people. In October 1984, the Diocese agreed to jointly tender for a 60 year lease-hold site with the Lutheran Church. It was a miracle because there was the only one tender offered. On Easter Day in 1985, both the Anglican and Lutheran Churches jointly consecrated the site and set the cross on the ground. Soon construction commended and it was completed 2 years later. On May 29th 1987, the church building was officially dedicated and was named as Yishun Christian Church. The church was formally consecrated on 29 May 1987 by our Bishop Moses Tay, with Bishop Daniel Chong representing the Lutherans. In planning the founding of YCCA, the Synod had already approved in May 1985 that it should be a fully pledged Parish. Thus Revd Gerald Khoo was installed and inducted as the first vicar of the Parish of Yishun Christian Church (Anglican). The church subsequently developed the Chinese and Tamil congregations, the PraiseLand Children’s Ministry, the Xxon Youth and the Praiseland Childcare and Learning Centre. These ministries are growing vibrantly. YCCA is indeed a wonderful testimony of God’s miraculous provision. The subsequent Vicars of YCCA are:
Revd Philip Soh (1991 – 1998)
Revd John Tan (1998 – 1999)
Revd David Newbold (1999 – 2003)
Rt Revd John Tan (2003 – 2004)
Revd Alex Paatan (2004 – 2006)
Revd Dr Timothy Chong (2006 – 2014)
Revd William Chee (2014 - 2021)
Revd Daniel Teo (2021 - Present)
