Built in 1903 when the gospel was first preached in Xingtai, the Huai'En Church has experienced quite a lot for the past 113 years.
As one of the largest churches in Xingtai, it has a building with a gray tower in the middle and two red triangle spires on two sides. It can hold 500 people with a construction area of 250 square meters. Besides this main area, the office of the Xingtai CCC&TSPM is also located inside it.
Over the years, it took a comprehensive renovation program lasting eight months nine years ago to ensure that the structure remains firm and strong and was rededicated.
A monument recording the century-old church written in both Chinese and English is located inside the church for those who wish to know the history of this beautiful church.
The story dates back to 1903 when two pastors were sent by the American Northern Presbyterian Church, Beijing chapter for their mission and came to the city of Shun'de (now Xing'tai). During their ministry, they successfully established the Shunde presbytery and six other branches, including those in Ren County and Julu. Afterwards, other missionaries came one after another to serve in Shunde.
It took four years for the church to be completed in 1907. A gospel hospital was constructed in 1906 and a middle school followed five years later.
In 1920, an orphanage for poor children was founded in a temple close to the church, which took in 500 poor children.
A preacher's platform was initiated in a former women's seminary in 1933 and preachers deliver sermons on market day.
When the May Fourth Movement and the Independence Movement of Protestant Churches in China started, the elders in Xingtai began to prepare for their independent movement and gained the independence of the local church in 1927. Song Zhengyi, a Chinese pastor, was hired to serve in the church.
The Bethel Worldwide Evangelistic Band once opened an evangelistic rally in September 1932 as a means to introduce itself to the public and the congregation grew to 600 members in 1935.
When the Japanese army attacked and captured the city in 1937, the church, gospel hospital and middle school were turned to the shelters for refugees. Moreover, the church cooked porridge for them and the hospital provided free treatment for the poor. Later on, the refugees jointly sent a plaque engraved with the Chinese words "De Zheng" (Benevolent Rule) to the church.
On October 10, 2003, the local CCC&TSPM held a 100th anniversary of the church celebration and the offsprings of some foreign missionaries also attended the ceremony.
