Augustine posing with the old baptismal registry from Christ Church.
LUNDU: Oblivious to many, a 159-year-old document which could be a priceless “page from the past” to local historians and church curators is gathering dust at the Anglican Parish Church of St Francis here.
The document, a baptismal registry, dating back to 1855 originated from Christ Church – the pioneering Anglican church of Lundu.
The original Christ Church building built at Kampung Stunggang Dayak fell into ruins over the years, especially during the reign of the Japanese Occupation in Malaya.
A new church was built and consecrated in 1990.
When the church building fell into disrepair, all its documents including the age-old baptismal registry were transferred to the Church of St Francis located opposite the Lundu district hospital.
“The documents were transferred to the Church of St Francis, as it is the regional bastion of the district’s Anglican community,” Parish Priest Rev Peter Augustine told The Borneo Post on Monday.
According to Augustine, the baptismal record from Christ Church is now under his custody and no attempts have been initiated so far to officially endorse it as a “significant historical document” by the church authorities.
Although the document is in tatters and patched up with cellophane tape, the listings in the document are clearly visible.
Written in stylised cursive manuscript, the first entry is that of Samuling Jayin and Lebau.
Rev William Henry Gomes who commenced the mission at Kampung Stunggang Dayak to serve the then largely Iban Sebuyau community administered the baptism.
“This document is an important registry and could shed light on the early Christian community, especially biographic details and names of key community leaders and parishioners, whose descendants are most likely to be still living in Lundu today,” said Augustine.
Augustine is himself a Lundu native who hails from the district’s Sedemak village.
“This baptismal registry is possibly the oldest of such Anglican Church documents in the state,” Augustine said.
On another note, he said the new Christ Church in Kampung Stunggang Dayak is experiencing a revival and plans are on-going to sow “the spirit of fervour” reminiscent of the 1800s.