When it comes to Hainan, people would first think of the phrase "the most remote corner of the earth" or blue sky and sea. During my visit, I found out that there are three megachurches in Haikou, the capital of Hainan: Fucheng Church, Ximaqiao Church and Haikou Church.
Founded in 1912, the Fucheng Church held its new church dedication ceremony and commemorated its 100th founding anniversary in 2012. Situated in Fucheng County, the church can hold more than 2000 people with a construction area of over 2300 m2.
Back in 1881, a mission of Presbyterian Church in America sent Rev.Ji Wentian, a Hong Kong missionary to preach in Haikou and then, the pastor founded the first preaching station in a rented ancestral temple. In 1912, Rev. John Zhang, the successor of Rev. Ji, built a large chapel with an area of roughly 500 m2 and constructed a pastor house, a Bible building and two middle schools for girls and boys one by one. "There was no second one to Fucheng Church at that time on Hainan Island."
The congregation resumed the open service in an elder's home in 1981 when the religious freedom policy was reapplied in mainland China. In 2005, the local authority allocated a land of 6500 m2 to the church and it was relocated.
The history of Haikou Church can be traced back to 1885 when New York Presbyterian Church sent Rev. Henry Martyn McCandliss to help Carl C. Jeremiassen with evangelism. Henry established Haikou Gospel Hospital and Haikou Gospel Church as the dwelling place for the mission, the predecessor of Haikou Church. The main chapel has a construction area of 206.44 m2.
Henry presided the services and gatherings. More than 500 believers from surrounding counties and areas gathered in the church to worship God in this church. After he left, other American pastors were sent to preach here until the early days of liberation. Statistics at that time showed that the congregation reached over 700.
After Hainan regained its independence, the provincial military and administrative commission took over the church. A local pastor presided the church activities and believers raised money and donated more to support the church's religious activities.
In 1950, the local Christians cut the ties with foreign missions. Following the founding of TSPM in Beijing in July 1954, Haikou TSPM was initiated.
The church resumed service in 1981 and regained its church property two years later. Currently, the old church was demolished and the new church building has been put into use.
The third megachurch--Ximaqiao Church was dedicated on April 16, 2016, subordinate to the provincial CCC&TSPM. The main sanctuary has the capacity of 1000 and the side one can take 300 people in at one time.
It offers social service including homework counseling for children, free haircuts and clinics, and activities to honor and love the elderly.
Besides, there are other churches in the city: Haixiu Church, Daoke Church and Mount Olive Church. Mount Olive Church was dedicated this September. It sprouted from a Bible study in which seven brothers attended in 2000. Later, a church was founded and the current worship place with an area of 576 m2. There were only 50 members at first when it moved into the new place and the number of the congregation grew slowly to exceeding 100. However, it stopped after a long time.
In the last few years, the church strove to decorate the new church with continuous prayer. Currently, the new church has been put into use.
