A church in Guangdong Province celebrated the 120th anniversary of its founding and the 32nd anniversary of its resumption.
On March 5, Wang Chunren, the senior pastor of Jianggao Church in Guangzhou, preached a sermon with the title “Be A Blessing to Others” based on Genesis 12:1–4 which recorded God’s call to Abraham and God’s promise of making him into a great nation and through him all the peoples of the earth would be blessed.
After the sermon, the church distributed its anniversary gifts, which were custom-made pillows with ink paintings created by Pastor Wang, as well as handmade soap and shampoo supplied by believers.
From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the Canton Villages Mission of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand arrived in Baiyun District and took Jiangcun Village as its missionary base. There were simple hospitals, churches, schools, and residences in Jianggao Town. According to historical records, the Villages Mission set up more than 20 churches in Jiangcun Village. Founded in 1903, Gaotangxu Church, the predecessor of Jianggao Church, was one of them.
Due to the deterioration of the church buildings, Gaotangxu Church was demolished in 1929 and rebuilt in situ. China’s Resistance War Against Japanese Aggression broke out in 1938, and the church was razed to the ground. After the victory of the war, the church was rebuilt on the original site in 1948 for the second time with the support of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand.
In the 1960s, church gatherings were forced to stop, and main buildings were used for other purposes. After the implementation of the religious policy in 1979, the church land was gradually recovered, and the reconstruction project was started. Jianggao Gathering Point, the “Fourth Generation Church," was set up on March 9, 1991.
With the approval of relevant government departments, it was promoted from a gathering point to a church on March 16, 2007, and renamed “Guangzhou Jianggao Church" with a celebration being held on May 12 of the same year.
- Translated by Stephen Huang
中国南部的广东省的一个教堂举行建堂120周年的庆祝活动，
3月5日，广州江高堂举办了建堂120周年暨复堂32周年庆典活动。
江高堂主任牧师王纯仁以创世记12章1-4节的经文，进行《要成为别人的祝福》为题证道。这里记载了神向着亚伯拉罕的呼召，应许他建立大国的应许，地上的万族都要因他得福。
证道结束，教会给信徒分发了堂庆礼品，这是教堂定制的抱枕，上面是王牧师亲笔创作的水墨画，此外还有信徒奉献的手工皂和洗发水。
19世纪未至20世纪初，新西兰长老会广州乡村传教团抵达白云区，以江村作为事工据点。"在江高镇建有比较简陋的医院、教堂、学校及住宅等。据说史料记载，"乡村传教团〞在江村建立的堂点多达二十多个，其中江高堂前身一一高塘墟礼拜堂始建于1903年。
因教堂建筑日渐残破，高塘墟礼拜堂在1929年进行了拆卸并在原地重建。1938年抗日战争爆发。高塘墟礼拜堂被夷为平地。直至抗战胜利后，在新西兰长老会及信徒的资助下，1948年在原址重建礼拜堂，在同一地点第三次建堂。
20世纪60年代，教堂聚会活动被逼停止，教堂另作他用。直至1979年宗教政策落实后，逐步收回教堂用地及启动重修工程，并在1991年3月9日设立江高聚会点，亦即“第四代教堂”。
2007年3月16日，经有关政府部门批准由聚会点晋升为教堂，同年5月12日举行了晋堂庆典，名称变更为"广州基督教江高堂”。初由锡安堂负责管理牧养工作。
广州基督教江高堂举办建堂120周年暨复堂32周年崇拜庆典
A church in Guangdong Province celebrated the 120th anniversary of its founding and the 32nd anniversary of its resumption.
On March 5, Wang Chunren, the senior pastor of Jianggao Church in Guangzhou, preached a sermon with the title “Be A Blessing to Others” based on Genesis 12:1–4 which recorded God’s call to Abraham and God’s promise of making him into a great nation and through him all the peoples of the earth would be blessed.
After the sermon, the church distributed its anniversary gifts, which were custom-made pillows with ink paintings created by Pastor Wang, as well as handmade soap and shampoo supplied by believers.
From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the Canton Villages Mission of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand arrived in Baiyun District and took Jiangcun Village as its missionary base. There were simple hospitals, churches, schools, and residences in Jianggao Town. According to historical records, the Villages Mission set up more than 20 churches in Jiangcun Village. Founded in 1903, Gaotangxu Church, the predecessor of Jianggao Church, was one of them.
Due to the deterioration of the church buildings, Gaotangxu Church was demolished in 1929 and rebuilt in situ. China’s Resistance War Against Japanese Aggression broke out in 1938, and the church was razed to the ground. After the victory of the war, the church was rebuilt on the original site in 1948 for the second time with the support of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand.
In the 1960s, church gatherings were forced to stop, and main buildings were used for other purposes. After the implementation of the religious policy in 1979, the church land was gradually recovered, and the reconstruction project was started. Jianggao Gathering Point, the “Fourth Generation Church," was set up on March 9, 1991.
With the approval of relevant government departments, it was promoted from a gathering point to a church on March 16, 2007, and renamed “Guangzhou Jianggao Church" with a celebration being held on May 12 of the same year.
- Translated by Stephen Huang
Guangdong Church Celebrates 120th Anniversary
