The Ji'an Christ Church in Jiangxi held its 10th-anniversary ceremony on March 18, 2017, with around 400 attendees joining the event.
According to an article on WeChat (Chinese social media) called "Youmuminzu," Song Xiaowei, an assistant pastor, cited Acts 13:1-3 and shared a sermon with the title "Model Churches" at the morning service of the ceremony. A short film about the church's ten-year history was also played. Brother Zhou Dayong of the church committee spoke on behalf of the committee about the ten-year thanksgiving experience of the church.
Christ Church is located in Jizhou District, Ji'an. It was formerly known as the Church of the Nazarene. It was built in 1947 by Wei Ruisui(魏瑞馁), an American missionary sent by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and Pastor Fei and his wife from Shandong Province.
The American missionary returned to America shortly after 1949 and Pastor Xu Guibin took over the work for the Church of the Nazarene. In December 1958, the Church of the Nazarene merged with China Inland Mission, Anglican Church, and Seventh-day Adventist to form the Ji'an Christian Church. Believers of Ji'an came together to worship in the Church of Heavenly Peace, an Anglican Church located in No.7 Tangyanshang, Gaofengpo, Ji'an City.
After the Cultural Revolution, the government returned the property of Church of the Nazarene in 1985 with the implementation of the new religious policy and the church resumed services in 1996. The church was torn down during urban redevelopment in 2001 and people temporarily worshiped in a grain silo.
The church made a plan to construct a building in the first half of 2003, despite many setbacks. Pastor Chen Tianhe named the church "Christ Church" on Sep 7th that year, and the foundation was laid on May 1, 2005. The church was completed by Christmas 2006. The design of the church is New Gothic with a Latin-styled Cross. The building is also of solemn simplicity and full of spirit. The church held its dedication ceremony on March 18, 2007.
Over the years, the church has founded a pastoral team, Bible study, fellowships, choir, visitation team, service team, kitchen team, logistics, publication team for Bibles and other books, and more. Moreover, the church hosts different training programs and carries out social services regularly, such as visiting seniors in nursing homes.
Translated by: Grace Hubl
