The CC&TSPM of Suzhou Church issued a memorial to the passing of Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee, the first overseas Chinese scientist to win the Nobel Prize in physics, mentioning his relationship with St. John's Church in Suzhou.
On August 4, Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee, a Chinese-American physicist and professor at Columbia University, died at his home in San Francisco, the United States, at the age of 98. The Suzhou CC&TSPM published an article entitled "Tsung-Dao Lee and St. John's Church in Suzhou - In Memory of Dr. Tsung Dao Lee, the First Chinese Nobel Prize Winner in physics," describing the Lee family's "deep historical connection with the Church in Suzhou."
The article mentioned, "Tsung-Dao Lee's great-grandfather Jiyi Lee, born in 1844 in Nanhui County, Jiansu Province, was baptized in 1869 as the first generation of followers of the Suzhou Methodist Episcopal Church and was also the first Chinese preacher trained by the Methodist Episcopal Church in Suzhou. He preached in Suzhou for several decades and died in 1904."
"Chong-tan Lee, Lee's grandfather, was the second son of Pastor Chi-yik Lee. He was born in 1870 in Suzhou and baptized at a young age, and he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church managed by Pastor Alvin Pierson Parker at the age of 16. After graduating from the Buffington Institute at the age of twenty, Chong-tan Lee received professional theological training and devoted himself to the study of English, Hebrew, and Greek, focusing on missionary work. At the age of 33, he was appointed the director of the East Parish of Suzhou. At the age of 40, he was appointed the rector of Suzhou of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the first Chinese to be appointed to this postion," the article continued.
In 1915, the first church of the Suzhou Methodist Episcopal Church (also known as Jesus Church, built in 1881) was demolished and a new St. John's Church was built. Chong-tan Lee was the first Chinese senior pastor of St. John's Church. He died in 1941 at the age of 72. There is a monument to him at the St. John's Church, and the inscription describes his life: "Seeking truth at 30, explaining truth at 40, realizing truth at 50, returning to truth at 72. An honorable man, who will always be the role model of the people."
"It is also worth mentioning that Bak-lin Lee, the eldest son of Pastor Chi-Yik Lee, has contributed greatly to the Suzhou Methodist Episcopal Church and is recognized as a lay leader within the church. Suk-ching Lee, the third son of Pastor Chi-yik Lee, was a well-known evangelist throughout China. Fung-chu Lee, the eldest daughter of Pastor Chi-yik Lee, was a zealous leader of the Apostolic Faith Mission, and Pui-yuen Wong, the husband of Haau-chu Lee, the second daughter of Pastor Chi-yik Lee, was known as the first physician of the Red Cross Society of China.
After the founding of the PRC, especially after the reform and opening up, the Lee family "cared about and supported the restoration work of Suzhou St. John's Church." The article explains, “On November 5, 1997, Ms. Shuk-cheng Lee, Tsung-Dao Lee's aunt, passed by St. John's Church and came to visit with her daughter, nephew, and other young families. They saw that the construction of St. John's Church had to be temporarily suspended due to a lack of funds. Mr. Yeung Lun, Tsung-Dao Lee's cousin, immediately expressed his willingness to contribute and successively donated a total of five hundred thousand yuan, which helped a lot for the successful completion of the restoration of St. John's Church."
On May 17 of 1998, "Shuk-cheng Lee, the younger aunt (then 84 years old) of Tsung-Dao Lee, her daughter, nephew, and grandchildren gathered at the St. John's Church from the United States, Sweden, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and other places to attend a thanksgiving service." On June 16 of the same year, Mr. Yeung Lun, a cousin of Tsung-Dao Lee, visited the St. John's Church with four members of his secretary and family.
On 19 June 2000, Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee visited St. John's Church with his whole family. The article said, "When Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee went to the memorial to Pastor Chong-tan Lee, he was very interested in reading the memorial to his younger families in English, explaining it to them word for word, and reminding them that wherever they go, they must remember that this is the eternal root of their family."
The article recalled, "When entering the main hall on the second floor of St. John's Church, Dr. Lee looked at the first row of seats on the south side and said, 'I remember sitting in this row when I was a child in worship.'"
On October 18, 2005, when he was nearly 80 years old, Dr. Lee and his family came to the St. John's Church again, recalling the past and expressing thanks to the Lord.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
苏州市基督教两会发文纪念去世的首获诺贝尔物理学奖的华人科学家李政道博士，提及他与苏州圣约翰堂的关系。
8月4日，哥伦比亚大学全校级教授，美籍华裔物理学家李政道博士在美国旧金山家中逝世，享年98岁。苏州两会撰一题为《李政道与苏州圣约翰堂——缅怀首位华人诺贝尔物理学奖得主李政道博士》，讲述李氏家族“与苏州教会的深厚历史渊源”。
文章提到，“李政道的曾祖父李子义，生于1844年，清江苏南汇县人，1869年受洗成为苏州美监理会第一代信徒，也是美国监理会在苏州培养的第一位华人传道，在苏州传道数十年，1904年逝世。"
"李政道的祖父李仲覃是李子义牧师的次子，1870年生于苏州，自小受洗，16岁在美国监理会潘慎文牧师处接受坚振礼加入监理会。他二十岁从博习书院毕业后接受了专业的神学培训，并潜心研究英文、希伯来文和希腊文，专注于传道工作。三十三岁被委任为监理会苏州东牧区主任传道。四十岁被委任为监理会苏州教区长，是华人被委任此职的第一人。"
1915年，苏州监理会首堂（又名耶稣教堂，建于1881年）拆除，新建圣约翰堂，李仲覃是圣约翰堂首位华人主任牧师。李仲覃牧师于1941年逝世，享年72岁。圣约翰堂内有《李仲覃牧师纪念碑》，碑文简述其生平：“三十求真，四十阐真，五十悟真，七十又二而归真，真人真人，典型常存”。
"另外值得一提的是，李子义牧师的长子李伯莲对监理会贡献良多，为教内公认的信徒领袖。三子李叔青更是闻名全国的布道家。长女李凤珠是使徒信心会热心的领袖，次女李巧珠的丈夫王培元被称为中国红十字会'第一医师'。"
新中国成立后，特别是改革开放后，李氏家族"关心和支持苏州圣约翰堂修复工作。"文章解释道：”1997年11月5日，李政道的小姑李淑贞女士携女儿、外甥等小辈们一行路过圣约翰堂，顺道进来参观，他们看见圣约翰堂修到一半因资金短缺而不得已暂时停工，李政道的表弟杨麟先生当即表示乐意奉献，先后共奉献伍拾万圆，资助圣约翰堂修复工程得以顺利完工。”
次年5月17日，“李政道的小姑妈李淑贞（时年84岁）携女儿、外甥和孙辈们一行30多人从美国、瑞典、新加坡、中国香港、上海等地汇聚圣约翰堂参加感恩礼拜。”同年6月16日，李政道的表弟杨麟先生携秘书家人一行4人莅临参观圣约翰堂。
2000年6月19日，李政道博士携全家人光临圣约翰堂。文章说：“当李政道博士走到李仲覃牧师纪念碑前时，他饶有兴致地用英文和他的晚辈们读李仲覃牧师纪念碑文，一字一句解释给他们听，叮咛他们不管走到哪里，都要记得这里是他们李氏家族永远的根。”
文章回忆道：“步入圣约翰堂二楼主堂时，李政道博士看着南面的第一排座位说：‘我记得小时候做礼拜就坐在这排位子上的。’”
2005年10月18日，年近八旬的李博士携家人一行再次来到圣约翰堂，回忆往事，感恩不尽
李政道与苏州圣约翰堂的历史渊源
The CC&TSPM of Suzhou Church issued a memorial to the passing of Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee, the first overseas Chinese scientist to win the Nobel Prize in physics, mentioning his relationship with St. John's Church in Suzhou.
On August 4, Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee, a Chinese-American physicist and professor at Columbia University, died at his home in San Francisco, the United States, at the age of 98. The Suzhou CC&TSPM published an article entitled "Tsung-Dao Lee and St. John's Church in Suzhou - In Memory of Dr. Tsung Dao Lee, the First Chinese Nobel Prize Winner in physics," describing the Lee family's "deep historical connection with the Church in Suzhou."
The article mentioned, "Tsung-Dao Lee's great-grandfather Jiyi Lee, born in 1844 in Nanhui County, Jiansu Province, was baptized in 1869 as the first generation of followers of the Suzhou Methodist Episcopal Church and was also the first Chinese preacher trained by the Methodist Episcopal Church in Suzhou. He preached in Suzhou for several decades and died in 1904."
"Chong-tan Lee, Lee's grandfather, was the second son of Pastor Chi-yik Lee. He was born in 1870 in Suzhou and baptized at a young age, and he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church managed by Pastor Alvin Pierson Parker at the age of 16. After graduating from the Buffington Institute at the age of twenty, Chong-tan Lee received professional theological training and devoted himself to the study of English, Hebrew, and Greek, focusing on missionary work. At the age of 33, he was appointed the director of the East Parish of Suzhou. At the age of 40, he was appointed the rector of Suzhou of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the first Chinese to be appointed to this postion," the article continued.
In 1915, the first church of the Suzhou Methodist Episcopal Church (also known as Jesus Church, built in 1881) was demolished and a new St. John's Church was built. Chong-tan Lee was the first Chinese senior pastor of St. John's Church. He died in 1941 at the age of 72. There is a monument to him at the St. John's Church, and the inscription describes his life: "Seeking truth at 30, explaining truth at 40, realizing truth at 50, returning to truth at 72. An honorable man, who will always be the role model of the people."
"It is also worth mentioning that Bak-lin Lee, the eldest son of Pastor Chi-Yik Lee, has contributed greatly to the Suzhou Methodist Episcopal Church and is recognized as a lay leader within the church. Suk-ching Lee, the third son of Pastor Chi-yik Lee, was a well-known evangelist throughout China. Fung-chu Lee, the eldest daughter of Pastor Chi-yik Lee, was a zealous leader of the Apostolic Faith Mission, and Pui-yuen Wong, the husband of Haau-chu Lee, the second daughter of Pastor Chi-yik Lee, was known as the first physician of the Red Cross Society of China.
After the founding of the PRC, especially after the reform and opening up, the Lee family "cared about and supported the restoration work of Suzhou St. John's Church." The article explains, “On November 5, 1997, Ms. Shuk-cheng Lee, Tsung-Dao Lee's aunt, passed by St. John's Church and came to visit with her daughter, nephew, and other young families. They saw that the construction of St. John's Church had to be temporarily suspended due to a lack of funds. Mr. Yeung Lun, Tsung-Dao Lee's cousin, immediately expressed his willingness to contribute and successively donated a total of five hundred thousand yuan, which helped a lot for the successful completion of the restoration of St. John's Church."
On May 17 of 1998, "Shuk-cheng Lee, the younger aunt (then 84 years old) of Tsung-Dao Lee, her daughter, nephew, and grandchildren gathered at the St. John's Church from the United States, Sweden, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and other places to attend a thanksgiving service." On June 16 of the same year, Mr. Yeung Lun, a cousin of Tsung-Dao Lee, visited the St. John's Church with four members of his secretary and family.
On 19 June 2000, Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee visited St. John's Church with his whole family. The article said, "When Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee went to the memorial to Pastor Chong-tan Lee, he was very interested in reading the memorial to his younger families in English, explaining it to them word for word, and reminding them that wherever they go, they must remember that this is the eternal root of their family."
The article recalled, "When entering the main hall on the second floor of St. John's Church, Dr. Lee looked at the first row of seats on the south side and said, 'I remember sitting in this row when I was a child in worship.'"
On October 18, 2005, when he was nearly 80 years old, Dr. Lee and his family came to the St. John's Church again, recalling the past and expressing thanks to the Lord.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Historical Connection of the Late Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee and St. John's Church in Suzhou
