BEM Iban Boulevard parishioners to finally have church building
MIRI: The 628 parishioners of BEM Iban Boulevard here will finally have a church building to call their own after 35 years.
An earth breaking ceremony for the church project along Jalan Miri Bypass was held yesterday.
“I appreciate your patience in waiting for your church and the ground breaking and launching of fundraising ceremony this morning is an indication of your whole-hearted seriousness in having your own house of worship,” said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
His text of speech was read by Assistant Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture, Datuk Lee Kim Shin who represented him to officiate at the earth breaking ceremony for the church building yesterday.
Also present were Miri mayor Adam Yii, Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, secretary general of Association of Churches Sarawak Ambrose Linang and chairman of the BEM Iban Boulevard church building project Deacon Ramsay Saging.
Uggah also reminded the church members to give their support to the church committee and to make the church a centre of love and caring, not only for members, but also the community around it.
“Let this church be a lighthouse, to shine where the homeless and those rejected by the society, find shelter,” he said.
He also said that Sarawak is a model of religious tolerance and racial harmony where members of all faiths live together peacefully.
He pointed out that Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia which has Unit For Other Religions (UniFOR) under the Chief Minister’s Department, which acts as a focal point for the various religious bodies to liaise and interact with the state and federal governments.
Meanwhile, Ramsay who spoke earlier disclosed that BEM Iban Boulevard was first set up as SIB Bahasa Iban Miri in 1982 by a handful of followers and has been operating at the Boulevard Shopping Centre.
He thanked the state government which approved a 2.6 acre site at Jalan Miri Bypass for their church on May 17, last year.
The construction of the church is estimated to cost RM5.7 million and will be built in stages, when fund becomes available, he said.
“The church will be constructed in stages as we are low on fund. The first stage costing about RM2.2 million will include a prayer hall, an office and a Sunday school facility,” he disclosed.
Yesterday’s function also witnessed the launching of the church’s donation box to raise fund for the project.
Meanwhile, a total of RM65,000 were raised during the event yesterday.
The fund were pledged by Uggah (RM20,000), Lee (RM20,000), Ting (RM15,000) and Dennis (RM10,000).