Church of Heavenly Peace, Fuzhou
Encyclopedia
Church of Heavenly Peace (Chinese
: 天安堂; Pinyin
: Tiān'āntáng; Foochow Romanized: Tiĕng-ăng-dòng), also known as Church of Heavenly Rest or Tien Ang Tong, is a Christian church
in Fuzhou
, China
.
, facing the River Min. It is named after Tian'anli (天安里) Street, where it is located. The Chinese word Tian'an (天安) means Heavenly Peace or Heavenly Rest.
first set up their Mission in East Asia
.
Having chosen Foochow (Fuzhou) as the first location of their mission field in China
, the Methodist Episcopal Mission sent out two young missionaries, Judson D. Collins and Moses C. White, on April 15, 1847, who reached the port on September 6 and were soon followed by Robert S. Maclay who arrived on April 15 the next year. After the early struggling years on the Zhongzhou Island (中洲岛) on River Min, they finally moved south and settled on the Cangqian Hill in the 1850s. Gratified and encouraged by the successful completion of their first church (also the first Methodist
church in East Asia) Ching Sing Tong (真神堂) dedicated on August 3, 1856, the Methodist Episcopal Mission immediately went on to purchase another site which was close to the mission compound on Cangqian Hill, just in front of the lot occupied by the superintendent Rev. Robert S. Maclay. In view of the increasing number of foreigners in Fuzhou, the Mission decided to erect there a church with two audience rooms, one for Fuzhou dialect
and the other for English
worship.
The Chinese portion of the church was dedicated on October 18, 1856. On that day Lyman Birt Peet, Justus Doolittle
and Charles Hartwell
of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
also attended the services. The edifice was built of brick, resting on a stone foundation. After the English portion was dedicated on December 28 of the same year, the Church of Heavenly Peace became the first Christian church erected in Fuzhou, and also the first Methodist church in China, which conducted services in English
. The services on that occasion were conducted by Rev. Erastus Wentworth
who delivered a discourse on to the foreign audience.
On June 14, 1857, ten years after their arrival, the Methodist Episcopal Mission baptized their first Chinese convert, a Foochow tradesman named Ting Ang (陈安). In the early 1860s Heavenly Peace Church was put under the charge of Rev. Otis Gibson
. In 1866, the first annual meeting of the Methodist Episcopal Mission in China was held in the church, dividing the field of Foochow into four parishes and establishing new mission fields in Hokchiang
, Hinghwa
, Kucheng
, Yenping
, Kiukiang and Peking. On November 22, 1869, the first native Methodist deacons, known as the "Seven Golden Lampstands", were ordained in this church.
In 1877, Church of Heavenly Peace officially became the center of Foochow Conference. From 1877 to 1947, 55 out of the total 59 annual meetings had been held in Church of Heavenly Peace. In 1897, a renovation of the church was carried out with the fund raised by Rev. Uong De Gi (黄治基) to increase its seating capacity to as much as 1000.
During the former half of the 20th century, the Church of Heavenly Peace had continued to play an instrumental role in the process of making a modern China. In 1900, Rev. Wong Nai Siong (黄乃裳) called upon more than 600 native Foochowese, mostly church members, to migrate to Sibu, Sarawak
in Malaysia. In 1913, the Chinese leader Sun Yat-sen
(孙中山) paid a visit to the church and gave an inspiring speech on the anti-Manchu
movement and the Hsinhai Revolution. In 1920, the female evangelist Dora Yu
(余慈度) held a revival meeting, which nurtured the spiritual life of Watchman Nee
(倪柝声) who was later to become one of the greatest Chinese church leaders. In the 1930s, Dr. John Sung
(宋尚节) led several revival movements in this church. In 1947, the centennial of the Methodist Church in the Republic of China
was also celebrated here.
After the communist revolution in 1949, the Methodist Mission was forced to move to Taiwan
with the Kuomintang
government, and Church of Heavenly Peace shared with other Chinese churches the same fate of being affiliated to the Three-Self Patriotic Movement
, subjugated to Communist control. Since the beginning of the Cultural Revolution
, it was occupied by the government and all religious activities were strictly banned. The church was reopened in 1980 after the new religious policy was put into effect, but was, however, in a dilapidated state of disrepair.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 天安堂; Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Tiān'āntáng; Foochow Romanized: Tiĕng-ăng-dòng), also known as Church of Heavenly Rest or Tien Ang Tong, is a Christian church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
in Fuzhou
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Location
The church stands on Cangqian Hill (仓前山) in the Cangshan DistrictCangshan District
Cangshan District is a district of Fujian Province, China. It is under the administration of Fuzhou city....
, facing the River Min. It is named after Tian'anli (天安里) Street, where it is located. The Chinese word Tian'an (天安) means Heavenly Peace or Heavenly Rest.
History
The history of Heavenly Peace Church can be traced back to the time when the American Methodist Episcopal MissionAmerican Methodist Episcopal Mission
American Methodist Episcopal Mission was an American Methodist missionary society that was involved in sending workers to countries such as China during the late Qing Dynasty.-American Methodist Episcopal Mission in China:...
first set up their Mission in East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
.
Having chosen Foochow (Fuzhou) as the first location of their mission field in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, the Methodist Episcopal Mission sent out two young missionaries, Judson D. Collins and Moses C. White, on April 15, 1847, who reached the port on September 6 and were soon followed by Robert S. Maclay who arrived on April 15 the next year. After the early struggling years on the Zhongzhou Island (中洲岛) on River Min, they finally moved south and settled on the Cangqian Hill in the 1850s. Gratified and encouraged by the successful completion of their first church (also the first Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church in East Asia) Ching Sing Tong (真神堂) dedicated on August 3, 1856, the Methodist Episcopal Mission immediately went on to purchase another site which was close to the mission compound on Cangqian Hill, just in front of the lot occupied by the superintendent Rev. Robert S. Maclay. In view of the increasing number of foreigners in Fuzhou, the Mission decided to erect there a church with two audience rooms, one for Fuzhou dialect
Fuzhou dialect
Fuzhou dialect , also known as Foochow dialect, Foochow, Foochowese, Fuzhounese, or Fuzhouhua, is considered the standard dialect of Min Dong, which is a branch of Min Chinese mainly spoken in the eastern part of Fujian Province. Native speakers also call it ' , meaning the language spoken in...
and the other for English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
worship.
The Chinese portion of the church was dedicated on October 18, 1856. On that day Lyman Birt Peet, Justus Doolittle
Justus Doolittle
Justus Doolittle was an American Board missionary to China.-Life:Justus Doolittle was born in Rutland, New York on June 23, 1824. In 1846 he graduated from Hamilton College, and in 1849 from Auburn Theological Seminary. Having deliberately chosen China as his field of labor, he sailed for Fuhchau...
and Charles Hartwell
Charles Hartwell
Rev. Charles Hartwell was an American Board missionary to Foochow, China in the second half of the 19th century.- Life and work :Charles Hartwell was born in Lincoln, Massachusetts on December 19, 1825, and was fitted for college at Westford Academy in Westford, Massachusetts...
of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was the first American Christian foreign mission agency. It was proposed in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College and officially chartered in 1812. In 1961 it merged with other societies to form the United Church Board for World...
also attended the services. The edifice was built of brick, resting on a stone foundation. After the English portion was dedicated on December 28 of the same year, the Church of Heavenly Peace became the first Christian church erected in Fuzhou, and also the first Methodist church in China, which conducted services in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The services on that occasion were conducted by Rev. Erastus Wentworth
Erastus Wentworth
Erastus Wentworth was an educator, a Methodist Episcopal minister, and a missionary to Foochow, China.- Life :Dr. Wentworth was born in Stonington, Connecticut. He converted to Methodism in 1831. Later he studied at the Cazenovia Seminary and attained an undergraduate degree at Wesleyan University...
who delivered a discourse on to the foreign audience.
On June 14, 1857, ten years after their arrival, the Methodist Episcopal Mission baptized their first Chinese convert, a Foochow tradesman named Ting Ang (陈安). In the early 1860s Heavenly Peace Church was put under the charge of Rev. Otis Gibson
Otis Gibson
Rev. Dr. Otis Gibson was a Methodist pastor, best known for his missionary work to the Chinese.-Early life:Born on a farm in Moira, New York, Otis Gibson had five brothers and one sister. He was converted at the age of 13 after the sudden death of his brother. When he was 19, he joined the...
. In 1866, the first annual meeting of the Methodist Episcopal Mission in China was held in the church, dividing the field of Foochow into four parishes and establishing new mission fields in Hokchiang
Fuqing
Fuqing is a county-level city of Fuzhou in Fujian, China.It is located in the eastern part of the province, borders the East China Sea, just southeast of Fuzhou and 45 kilometers from Changle International Airport of Fuzhou. Fuqing city has geographical advantage, for its location between...
, Hinghwa
Putian
Putian is a prefecture-level city in eastern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders Fuzhou City to the north, Quanzhou City to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east.-Administration:...
, Kucheng
Gutian County
Gutian County , also known as Edible Mushroom County, is a county lying in the southwest of Ningde, Fujian province, China. It is also known as "the town of the former worthy", as Zhuxi, a famous Chinese scholar once lived there...
, Yenping
Nanping
Nanping is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders Ningde City to the east, Sanming City to the south, and the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangxi to the north and west respectively...
, Kiukiang and Peking. On November 22, 1869, the first native Methodist deacons, known as the "Seven Golden Lampstands", were ordained in this church.
In 1877, Church of Heavenly Peace officially became the center of Foochow Conference. From 1877 to 1947, 55 out of the total 59 annual meetings had been held in Church of Heavenly Peace. In 1897, a renovation of the church was carried out with the fund raised by Rev. Uong De Gi (黄治基) to increase its seating capacity to as much as 1000.
During the former half of the 20th century, the Church of Heavenly Peace had continued to play an instrumental role in the process of making a modern China. In 1900, Rev. Wong Nai Siong (黄乃裳) called upon more than 600 native Foochowese, mostly church members, to migrate to Sibu, Sarawak
Sibu, Sarawak
Sibu is an inland town, and the capital of Sibu District in Sibu Division, Sarawak, east Malaysia. It is located at the confluence of the Rajang and Igan Rivers, some 60 kilometres from the ocean and approximately east-north-east of the state capital Kuching...
in Malaysia. In 1913, the Chinese leader Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
(孙中山) paid a visit to the church and gave an inspiring speech on the anti-Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
movement and the Hsinhai Revolution. In 1920, the female evangelist Dora Yu
Dora Yu
Dora Yu was hailed by western missionaries as “the most prominent” Chinese evangelist in China in the first part of 20th century...
(余慈度) held a revival meeting, which nurtured the spiritual life of Watchman Nee
Watchman Nee
Watchman Nee was a Chinese Christian author and church leader during the early 20th century. He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison and was severely persecuted by the Communists in China. Together with Wangzai, Zhou-An Lee, Shang-Jie Song, and others, Nee founded The Church Assembly...
(倪柝声) who was later to become one of the greatest Chinese church leaders. In the 1930s, Dr. John Sung
John Sung
John Sung Shang Chieh a.k.a. John Sung was a renowned Chinese Christian evangelist who played an instrumental role in the revival movement among the Chinese in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia during the 1920s and 1930s.-Career:Sung was born in Hinghwa , Fujian, China.He grew up with a...
(宋尚节) led several revival movements in this church. In 1947, the centennial of the Methodist Church in the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
was also celebrated here.
After the communist revolution in 1949, the Methodist Mission was forced to move to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
with the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
government, and Church of Heavenly Peace shared with other Chinese churches the same fate of being affiliated to the Three-Self Patriotic Movement
Three-Self Patriotic Movement
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement or TSPM is a state-controlled Protestant church in the People's Republic of China...
, subjugated to Communist control. Since the beginning of the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, it was occupied by the government and all religious activities were strictly banned. The church was reopened in 1980 after the new religious policy was put into effect, but was, however, in a dilapidated state of disrepair.