In the town of Changle, Hepu County, Beihai City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, stands a centennial church, which serves as a testament to the introduction of Christianity in the Hepu region.
The Church of England first introduced Christianity to the county in 1886, then did the Berliner Missionswerk in 1889, and the Pentecostal Church of North America in 1910. These three denominations established their own churches and service institutions in Hepu County, which deeply influenced the local culture. Additionally, branch churches or preaching stations were set up in the towns of Changle, Nankang, Fucheng, and Dangjiang.
Elder Luo Siqiong is the third generation of pastors at Changle Church, which British missionaries constructed in 1905. It was a two-story brick-and-wood structure with a floor area of 244.93 square meters (0.06 acres) and a construction area of 361.43 square meters (0.089 acres). The newly constructed church now has an approximate usable floor area of over 500 square meters (0.124 acres). In 1943, British missionaries sold it to the Berlin Missionary Society, which built a structure locally referred to as the "German Building" in Hepu County, which is now located within the Hepu Huanzhu Hotel.
The current Changle Church was originally Changle Gospel Church, where Rev. Chen Lie preached sermons, and Pastor Luo Chuanhe (Elder Luo Siqiong's grandfather) served as a translator. The church established a school with over 30 students and a maternity ward, the latter was under the direction of a Christian woman by the name of Pang Guiying. Due to the backward conditions at the time, only thirty percent of childbirths were guaranteed. After the Chinese Revolution of 1949, foreign missionaries returned to their countries, and the government assigned Changle Health Center to take over the church. But all activities ceased during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976).
It was not until 1982, after the implementation of the policies on freedom of religious belief, that the church gradually resumed gatherings. At that time, the church had only six elderly believers. In 1985, they began organizing gatherings at the home of a male believer named Luo Jiafu. With an increasing number of worshipers, there was insufficient space and a lack of pastors, so they had to meet at Zhongshan Road Church in Hepu County. Finally, in 1999, after policy implementation, the building property was returned to Changle Church, which was already in a dilapidated state.
To revive the church, with the help of Luo Jiafu, the church raised ten thousand yuan and borrowed money from Guangxi CC&TSPM and Beihai CC&TSPM, initiating the church's repair work. In 1999, the relevant authorities issued a legal certificate to Changle Church. Then they began the reconstruction of the church. After its completion in 2000, there were insufficient funds to settle with the contractors.
At the station of Guangxi CC&TSPM, Elder Luo Siqiong attended a year of voluntary training, during which a German Christian learned about the situation. Upon returning to Germany, he donated 250,000 yuan. After the completion of the rough building, there was still a funding gap for interior decoration. In 2007, a believer in the United States contributed 17,000 yuan to the church, and Guangxi's United Front Work Department allocated 130,000 yuan, for the decoration completed.
In 1935, Elder Luo Siqiong's grandfather, Luo Chuanhe, began his ministry here, and now it has become a legacy spanning three generations.
In this generation, after a year of training at Guangxi Bible School, Elder Luo Siqiong returned to Changle Church and took charge, having baptized over four hundred believers.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times.)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
在广西壮族自治区北海市合浦县常乐镇坐落着一间拥有百余年历史的教会——常乐基督教会，这是基督教传入合浦地区的重要见证之一。
在广西北海合浦县，基督教最初是由英国的圣公会在1886年开始传入，随后德国的信义会于1889年和美国的五旬节会于1910年也分别传入该地区。这三个宗派在合浦县建立了自己的教堂和服务机构，对当地的基督教文化产生了深远的影响。此外，合浦、常乐、南康、福成、党江等地也设有分堂或布道所。
据常乐教会“牧三代”罗思琼长老回忆：北海市合浦县常乐福音堂，由英国传教士于1905年建造，二层砖木结构。土地使用面积244.93平方米，建筑面积361.43平方米，现在新建的使用面积大概是500多平方米。1943年，英国传教士将其卖给了德国圣会，德国圣会在合浦县修建了当地人称为“德国楼”的建筑，如今位于合浦还珠宾馆内。
现在常乐教会的常乐堂原是常乐福音堂，当时由陈烈牧师传教，罗传河教士（即罗思琼长老的爷爷）做翻译。教堂开办学校，有30多名学生。教堂开办有接生所，由庞桂英姊妹打理接生工作，当时因为落后，生孩子只有三成命可保。解放后，外籍传教士回国，教堂由政府安排常乐卫生院接管。“文革”期间教会停止所有活动。
直到1982年，这里落实宗教政策后，教会逐渐恢复正常聚会，当时常乐教会只有六位老信徒。1985年，开始组织在罗家富弟兄的家里聚会。之后信徒日益增多，但没有够用的地方及缺乏传道人牧养，只能到合浦县中山路礼拜堂去聚会。终于在1999年落实政策，教堂重新归给常乐教会，但已成了危房。
为了复兴教会，在罗家富老师的带领下教会筹措了一万元，并向广西基督教两会、北海基督教会借款，开始了教堂的维修事工。1999年有关部门发证给常乐教会，取得了合法手续。他们就开始了教堂的重建工作，2000年教堂建好后没有钱给包工方结算。
罗思琼长老在广西区两会参加一年的义工培训学习，这时来了一位德国的朋友甘博士。甘博士得知情况，到北海教堂走访考察。回国后就打款25万元人民币。毛坯房建成后，内部装修还有资金缺口。2007年在美国的单弟兄，奉献给教会一万七千元人民币，广西自治区统战部拨款十三万元人民币，至此装修完工。
1935年，现在常乐教会的负责人罗思琼长老的爷爷罗传河开始就在这里服事，到他这里已经是祖孙三代人了。
罗思琼长老这一代，经过在自治区圣学一年培训，回到常乐教会并负责，已经先后为四百多名信徒施洗。
（本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人。)
广西北海合浦县常乐教会简史
In the town of Changle, Hepu County, Beihai City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, stands a centennial church, which serves as a testament to the introduction of Christianity in the Hepu region.
The Church of England first introduced Christianity to the county in 1886, then did the Berliner Missionswerk in 1889, and the Pentecostal Church of North America in 1910. These three denominations established their own churches and service institutions in Hepu County, which deeply influenced the local culture. Additionally, branch churches or preaching stations were set up in the towns of Changle, Nankang, Fucheng, and Dangjiang.
Elder Luo Siqiong is the third generation of pastors at Changle Church, which British missionaries constructed in 1905. It was a two-story brick-and-wood structure with a floor area of 244.93 square meters (0.06 acres) and a construction area of 361.43 square meters (0.089 acres). The newly constructed church now has an approximate usable floor area of over 500 square meters (0.124 acres). In 1943, British missionaries sold it to the Berlin Missionary Society, which built a structure locally referred to as the "German Building" in Hepu County, which is now located within the Hepu Huanzhu Hotel.
The current Changle Church was originally Changle Gospel Church, where Rev. Chen Lie preached sermons, and Pastor Luo Chuanhe (Elder Luo Siqiong's grandfather) served as a translator. The church established a school with over 30 students and a maternity ward, the latter was under the direction of a Christian woman by the name of Pang Guiying. Due to the backward conditions at the time, only thirty percent of childbirths were guaranteed. After the Chinese Revolution of 1949, foreign missionaries returned to their countries, and the government assigned Changle Health Center to take over the church. But all activities ceased during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976).
It was not until 1982, after the implementation of the policies on freedom of religious belief, that the church gradually resumed gatherings. At that time, the church had only six elderly believers. In 1985, they began organizing gatherings at the home of a male believer named Luo Jiafu. With an increasing number of worshipers, there was insufficient space and a lack of pastors, so they had to meet at Zhongshan Road Church in Hepu County. Finally, in 1999, after policy implementation, the building property was returned to Changle Church, which was already in a dilapidated state.
To revive the church, with the help of Luo Jiafu, the church raised ten thousand yuan and borrowed money from Guangxi CC&TSPM and Beihai CC&TSPM, initiating the church's repair work. In 1999, the relevant authorities issued a legal certificate to Changle Church. Then they began the reconstruction of the church. After its completion in 2000, there were insufficient funds to settle with the contractors.
At the station of Guangxi CC&TSPM, Elder Luo Siqiong attended a year of voluntary training, during which a German Christian learned about the situation. Upon returning to Germany, he donated 250,000 yuan. After the completion of the rough building, there was still a funding gap for interior decoration. In 2007, a believer in the United States contributed 17,000 yuan to the church, and Guangxi's United Front Work Department allocated 130,000 yuan, for the decoration completed.
In 1935, Elder Luo Siqiong's grandfather, Luo Chuanhe, began his ministry here, and now it has become a legacy spanning three generations.
In this generation, after a year of training at Guangxi Bible School, Elder Luo Siqiong returned to Changle Church and took charge, having baptized over four hundred believers.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times.)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
Brief History of 119-Y-O Guangxi Church
