On March 8, All Saints Church in Shanghai held a celebration event to mark its 100th anniversary and International Women's Day.
According to Huangpu District's United Front Work Department, nearly 100 participants attended, including Rev. Jiang Qianli, vice president of the Shanghai Municipal TSPM and director of Huangpu District's CC&TSPM, officials from the district's Ethnic and Religious Affairs Office, church representatives, and believers.
During the event, highlights from the "Me and the Centennial All Saints Church" series were shared, and a blessing video featuring the church's former pastoral staff was played. Rev. Wang Cuifang, director of the church's management committee, summarized the church's century-long history, acknowledged the dedication of pastors and believers across generations, highlighted the significant contributions of Christian women, and expressed good wishes for the church's future.
Rev. Jiang Qianli reflected on All Saints Church's century-long faithfulness to both the nation and Christianity, as well as its contributions to the religious work of the municipal and district CC&TSPM.
A government representative praised the unique role of Christian women in All Saints Church and affirmed the church's long-standing contributions to serving society and promoting harmony.
According to the websites of Zhuangyi, Sina, and Sohu, All Saints Church in Shanghai traces its origins to 1915, when Cameron Farquhar McRae, an American Episcopalian missionary priest known as Mai Ganlin (麦甘霖) in Chinese, rented a house near the intersection of Huaihai Middle Road and Huangpi South Road to preach. In 1919, Bishop Frederick Rogers Graves purchased land on Fuxing Middle Road to construct a temporary chapel. The church was officially completed on Christmas Day in 1925, with believers' donations collected by McRae and Pastor Wang Xiaokui.
The church's architecture is Romanesque, covering an area of 1,326 square meters (0.328 acres), with a building area of 886 square meters (0.219 acres). An example of 17th-century Anglican church architecture, the church reflects the High Church tradition, featuring a pointed wooden structure, red bricks, and a triangular roof.
In 1958, All Saints Church became a joint worship venue for 18 denominations in the Luwan District. The church was closed in August 1966 but resumed gatherings in the 1980s. It was officially reopened in 1982 with a thanksgiving service and later hosted the first Christian Representative Conference of the district in October. In 1985, the church began hosting a special worship service for the blind.
Ahead of the World Expo in Shanghai, All Saints Church underwent extensive renovations in 2009, including structural reinforcement and repairs to the exterior walls, restoring the original red brick style from its 1925 construction. The main hall now accommodates approximately 500 worshippers, while the annex can host up to 1,000 people.
