Harbin Emmanuel Church in Heilongjiang held celebrations to mark its 12th anniversary on September 10, 2017. The celebrations included sermons, songs, short sketches, and dances.
The church's official WeChat account reported that five Sunday services were given and three pastors gave sermons.
An article published on the account recalled the church's history. The church was originally a family gathering for Koreans. In 1983, some Christians attended services in Harbin Nangang Church as there was no preacher in the gathering. Two years later, the number of Korean Christians grew to 30.
With an increase in the number of members, the church staff started to look for a new gathering place in 1990. The current facility was founded in July 2005 and dedicated on August 26 of the same year. A Chinese service was added that November.
Rev. Li Meilan, who graduated from Northeast China Theological Seminary (NCTS), was in charge of the church from 1983 to August 2011. His successor, Rev. Li Hongri, has been the senior pastor since August 28, 2011.
The church now has a congregation of 3,000 members, nine parishes, 31 fellowships, and has founded four other churches.
- Translated by Karen Luo
