A village church in Fujian celebrates the inauguration of its new church building.
The event was held at Houkeng Church in Zhangpu County, Zhangzhou City, on December 30. The new building, a two-and-a-half-story structure, covered a construction area of 2,883 square meters (0.712 acres) and a floor area of 300 square meters (0.074 acres).
Rev. Chen Huijiang, vice president of Zhangzhou Municipal Christian Council, delivered a sermon titled "Blessed Church," featuring the church that distributes gifts, has the same heart, is on mission, and is authoritative.
During the ceremony, a staff worker named Xu Ruimei presented a brief history and the process of reconstructing the church. In the afternoon, a Christmas celebration and New Year's gospel rally were held in the new main building.
Over a hundred years ago, missionaries like Rev. Huang Debi and Rev. Xu Geming came to Houkeng Village to spread the gospel. The previous church building, a 90-square-meter structure made of masonry (with auxiliary buildings), fell into disrepair and collapsed long ago. In 1967, during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), gatherings and services ceased. The church reopened in 1979, and people initially gathered in believers' homes due to the small number of attendees. With increasing worshippers, a new 83-square-meter stone and slate church was built in 1987, accommodating 150 people.
In 1993, the Zhangpu County Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau approved it as an official religious activity venue, and the church council was established. The church, built in 1987, became dilapidated over the years due to water leakage. In 2004, they purchased a grain depot and converted it into a church that accommodates 250 people for gatherings. They applied to build a new church in 2015 and completed the construction.
(The original article is published by the Gospel Times and the author is a believer in Fuzhou, Fujian Province.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
