THE RT REV DATUK BOLLY ANAK LAPOK, Bishop of Kuching (including Sarawak and Negara Brunei Darussalam), has been elected as the 4th Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia. He was installed as Archbishop at St omas’ Cathedral in Kuching, Sarawak on Feb 12, 2012.
He succeeds the Most Rev Dr John Chew Hiang Chea, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore since 2000. The Most Rev Dr Chew has served as Provincial Archbishop and Primate of South East Asia for six years, and had previously taught at Trinity Theological College for 18 years, serving as its Principal between 1992 and 2000.
Archbishop Bolly, who is an Iban, hails from Sri Aman, Sarawak. He pursued his theological education at Birmingham University, United Kingdom, where he graduated with a Master of Arts with distinction.
He began as a deacon in March 2, 1975, rising through the ranks of priest the same year, Archdeacon in 1991, Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Kuching in 1999, and finally Diocesan Bishop in 2007, before his election as Archbishop last September.
His new role places him as overseer of Anglican churches in Negara Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, ailand and Vietnam.
The election took place at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Synod of the Province, held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah from Sept 21 to 22, 2011. Archbishop Bolly is currently Chairman of the Association of Churches in Sarawak and a member of the Permanent Committee to Promote Understanding and Harmony Amongst Religious Adherents.
