This article is about the Anglican theological college in Malaysia. For the former Anglican religious order in England known as the Community of the Epiphany, seeConvent of the Epiphany.
House of the Epiphany.
The House of the Epiphany is an Anglican educational institution inKuching,Malaysia, providing theological education to candidates for ordination. It was established in 1952. There were a number of short-lived theological colleges in what is now theDiocese of Kuching before the House of the Epiphany was opened.
The first theological college in the thenDiocese of Labuan was established in 1921, as the College of the Holy Way (also known as Divinity College) inKudat.[1][2] The Warden from 1921 to 1928 was the Rev Ernest Parry.[3][4] Five Chinese candidates were prepared for ordination (as deacons in 1927 and priests in 1928), including the Rev Lim Siong Teck (subsequently martyred by the Japanese in 1945),[5] the Rev Vun Nen Vun,[6] the Rev Chong Paul En Siong,[7] the Rev Lai Choon Sang,[8] and the Rev Chin Phu Yin.[9][10][11] The college closed in 1930.[12]
The second theological school in the Diocese of Labuan was established by the Rev Wilfrid Linton in 1925. Linton opened the School of the Holy Spirit inBetong, for Indigenous candidates. Matius Senang[13] and Thomas Buda[14] were ordained priests in 1926 and Laurence Angking[15] in 1932.[16] Linton's health broke down, and the school then closed.[17]
Five members of theCommunity of the Resurrection inMirfield arrived in Kuching in 1933: Frs Edward Oswald Philipps,[18] Wilfred Percy Brightwen Shelley,[19] Thomas, Andrew Hamish Blair (later Principal of theCollege of the Resurrection)[20] and Richard Law Wrathall.[21][22][23] The following year the Ordination Test School was opened in Kuching with six candidates, of whom Hope Hugh, Lim Yong Chua, Martin Nanang and Ng Thau Sin proceeded to ordination as deacons in 1936 and priests in 1937.[24] In 1937 the last member of the CR left and the school closed.[25]
The Rev (later Rt Rev)Peter Howes was recalled to Kuching from Taee in 1952 and tasked with opening a theological college for local candidates by the newly appointed bishop,Nigel Cornwall.[26][27] Ten students joined and initially the college met in the Bishop's house.[28] The college building was completed and dedicated on theFeast of the Epiphany in 1953, and was thus named the House of the Epiphany.[29] Six students proceeded to ordination as deacons in 1955 and priests in 1956: Edmund Paleng, James Gunyau, Peter Radin, Arnold Puntang, Ambrose Dunggat and Alfred Chabu (later Archdeacon of Brunei and North Sarawak).[30][31] The college then closed temporarily until 1971.[32]
The House of the Epiphany reopened in 1971 (with Howes as Principal and the Rev Alex Reid as Warden).[33] It reformed itself in 1987,[34] affiliating with theAustralian College of Theology, and offering the Diploma in Ministry.[35][36]It re-established its independence in 1992 with the creation of the Bishop's Certificate of Ministry.[37]
The ground breaking ceremony occurred in 2019[38] and the new building opened in 2022.[39]
