Pre-Funeral Planning
In Singaporean Anglican practice, arrangements begin soon after a death. Family members typically notify their church pastor or priest at once, who will guide the process and help select Scripture readings, hymns and prayers. St Andrew’s Cathedral advises that families call the church office or their cell‐group leader immediately when a member dies. Families then meet with the clergy to plan the service order.
Together they choose Bible passages (often comforting texts such as Psalm 23 or John 14) and decide on hymns and any special music or photos. This planning meeting is usually informal and pastoral – the priest or minister suggests liturgical options and helps the family personalise the service. Practical details (church venue, date/time, and transport) are also confirmed at this stage.
Anglican Funeral Service
Anglican funerals are typically held in a church or chapel. For example, a funeral at St Andrew’s Cathedral – the main Anglican cathedral in Singapore – follows a set liturgy. The service usually opens with an introductory prayer and a Scripture reading about life and resurrection. Congregational hymns (sung in English, Chinese or Tamil depending on the congregation) reflect the faith of the deceased.
A minister leads the service and the family or friends may share memories. A Christian funeral often includes Opening Prayer and Scripture Reading, Hymns, Eulogies, a Sermon, and the Committal service. For instance, a pastor might read Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd…”) to express trust in God. One of the passages often chosen is Psalm 23, which reassures mourners that God is with them even in death.
After the readings, a close family member or friend typically delivers a eulogy, sharing anecdotes about the deceased. The priest then preaches a brief sermon, usually focusing on hope, God’s mercy, and the promise of eternal life. The congregation may join in prayers of thanksgiving for the person’s life and prayers for comfort.
Traditional hymns are an important part of the service. The songs chosen tend to be those familiar in Anglican worship. Among Singaporeans, hymns like “Abide with Me”, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”, “The Lord’s My Shepherd” and “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” are popular for funerals. These hymns emphasise trust in God’s care and life beyond death. Congregational singing helps mourners express grief and faith together.
In some churches, especially “high‐church” congregations, the funeral may also include Holy Communion (the Eucharist) as part of the liturgy; in other, more evangelical services it remains a purely prayer-and-Word service.) In all cases the tone is respectful and reverent, with an emphasis on celebrating the deceased’s faith and the Christian hope of resurrection.
Liturgical Elements
Many Anglican services follow the Book of Common Prayer or similar liturgies. For example, the Church of England’s Common Worship provides both a form of “Funeral of the Dead” and an option to use the Funeral within a Holy Communion service.
In practice, the minister may cover the Commendation and Committal prayers during the final part of the service. At the close of the church service, the priest will often say words such as: “We have entrusted our brother/sister N to God’s mercy, and now we commit his/her body to its resting place” as the coffin is lowered into the ground. This formal farewell is known as the Committal or Blessing at the grave or crematorium.
Committal and Burial
After the service in church, the coffin is taken to the chosen cemetery or crematorium for burial or cremation. In Singapore, the main public Christian burial ground is Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery. Burial plots are also available at the Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery, the only active cemetery in Singapore”.
However, due to land scarcity, most families now opt for cremation. The priest or minister usually accompanies the coffin or urn to the committal site. There may be a short prayer service as the body is committed: for example, at a crematorium chapel or graveside, the minister again entrusts the deceased to God’s care and prays for comfort. . If ashes are returned, they are often interred in a columbarium niche (for example, at Mandai Columbarium or a church columbarium). The choice of burial versus cremation is up to the family, but Singapore’s Anglican churches accept both options equally.
Cultural and Local Context
Singapore’s Anglican community is diverse, including English, Chinese, Tamil and other ethnic congregations. Local customs often blend with the church service. For example, it is common for a wake (a time when visitors pay respects to the deceased’s body) to be held at home or in a public space before the church service.
Many Singapore families use a covered HDB void-deck (the ground-floor common space of housing blocks) as a makeshift wake venue. Town councils typically permit a memorial tent on the void deck for evening vigils and visiting hours.
In these settings, church prayers, hymns and Bible readings may mix with local offerings of food and incense-free remembrance. Flowers and wreaths – a Western Christian tradition – are displayed next to the casket. Guests are often served tea, fruits or snacks (a local custom of hospitality) while condolence money (“ang bao”) in red packets may be collected to help the family with expenses.
Singaporean Christian funerals thus combine “Western Christian traditions with local customs like offering refreshments and traditional foods to visitors”. This “cultural fusion” and notes that Christian services in Singapore often include elements from both sides of Singapore’s cultural spectrum.
Despite these local touches, Anglican funerals avoid rituals not compatible with faith. Incense burning and chanting, common in Buddhist or Taoist rites, are not part of the Anglican service. Family members generally wear conservative dark or white mourning attire (in British Christian tradition black is normal, though Chinese Christians sometimes also wear white in the vigil). The service itself remains explicitly Christian: prayers, Bible readings and hymns predominate.
Post-Funeral and Remembrance
After the burial or cremation, Anglican churches emphasize pastoral care. In the days and weeks that follow, clergy or lay members often visit the bereaved at home, offer counseling, and invite them to grief-support groups if needed. Many congregations have “member care” or pastoral ministries dedicated to supporting those who have lost loved ones.
It is common for the church community to keep in touch – through calls, cards and prayers – to ensure families do not feel alone in their grief. Some families also hold an informal memorial luncheon or dinner within a few days after the funeral, to thank friends and continue sharing memories (though there is no set liturgical requirement for this).
Memorial services (a “thanksgiving service” on a first anniversary or other date) are possible but not obligatory. Unlike Catholic practice, Anglicans do not generally observe a formal 49-day (七七) ceremony. However, some may choose a commemorative gathering on the deceased’s birthday or a year later, often in church or at the graveside, especially if the person was a respected leader in the community.
As in many cultures, mourners in Singapore frequently lay white funeral wreaths and letters of condolence at the church entrance or gravesite, and close relatives might hold a repast with simple vegetarian offerings after the interment. Money gifts to help cover funeral costs are also customary: one guide notes that “monetary contributions are also common to aid the family in covering funeral expenses”.
These tokens are entirely voluntary but reflect the Singaporean emphasis on collective responsibility and support.
Variations Within Anglicanism: Anglican churches range from “high church” (more formal, ceremonial worship) to “low church” (simpler, more evangelical services). In practice, this means some differences in funerals.
A high-church parish (often with Anglo-Catholic leanings) might include more ritual: incense in the church, ornate vestments for the priest and choir, and the Eucharist (Communion) as the centrepiece of the funeral liturgy.
A low-church or evangelical parish will have a plainer service, focusing on Bible readings and sermons without sacramental elements. For example, St Andrew’s Cathedral – as Singapore’s Anglican cathedral – tends to use the traditional Book of Common Prayer or Common Worship liturgy, sometimes with Communion. Smaller neighborhood churches or church plants might opt for a “service of the Word” only, emphasizing personal testimony over ritual.
Regardless of style, all Anglican funerals share core elements: praise, remembrance and hope in Christ’s victory over death. By blending scriptural themes with local warmth and solemnity, Singaporean Anglicans seek to honor the departed faithfully.
Whether held in soaring colonial-era cathedrals or modest estate chapels, the liturgy reminds attendees of God’s mercy and the promise that those who trust in Him “go safely through death and the gate of it to everlasting life”.
Sources: Anglican funeral practices worldwide (Church of England liturgies) and local Singaporean Christian funeral guides.
A Christian funeral wake in Singapore is often held at the family church, a funeral parlour, or in an HDB void deck (the covered open space under public housing). Holding a wake at a void deck is common due to space and cost considerations.
