A 117-year-old church in Guangxi Province, founded by the US Christian and Missionary Alliance, held its first Holy Communion service in May.
Liuzhou is the second largest city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The present Beique Road Church in Liuzhou originated from the Missionary Society established by the United States in Liuzhou. It is the first American church to successfully establish a base station and carry out educational activities in Guangxi.
In 1904, Rev. F.A. Fermer, who had established a missionary base in Pingnan, formulated plans to extend westward to Liuzhou. However, due to the rampant banditry in Liuzhou at that time, he was unable to proceed. Two years later (1906), the situation stabilized, and two pastors, Rev. F.A. Fermer and Rev. W. H. Oldfield, were escorted into Liuzhou by two local soldiers. They rented a room in an inn as an initial foothold and preached on the street while evangelizing the gospel and looking for a suitable house for preaching. Within a month, they acquired a property on Qingyun Road (present Zhongshan Road) with 1,500 silver dollars. There was an immediate public backlash for that. The Qing authorities even dispatched troops to quell the unrest. They soon bought a house from a person named Ke for 500 silver dollars and reconstructed it into a church capable of accommodating over 300 individuals. Eventually, their wives also joined them in Liuzhou to bolster the sacred work of the church. (See the book Christianity in Guangxi by Pastor Paul Liang)
In addition, according to historical records, in that year, A. Burien, a missionary, first came to Dongjin, Guixian County, Guangxi, and established the first church of the US Christian and Missionary Alliance in Guangxi. Later, the Missionary Association was also established in Liuzhou. Missionary Mrs. W. A. Farmer, the first American who came to China in the late Qing Dynasty, resided in Guangxi for nearly a decade, including Liuzhou. Rev. Enoch T. C. Yang was born in Raoping, Guangdong Province. He received his lifelong calling at the age of 17. Early on, he served with the Liuzhou Missionary Association of Guangxi.
After the liberation, the church of the Liuzhou Missionary Society was demolished due to the construction of the Liujiang Bridge in Liuzhou. It was not until after the Cultural Revolution, when religious policies were reinstated, that the government constructed a new church for the local congregation in 1985. Presently, the church encompasses an area of 1,433.3 square meters, with the main church building spanning 471.5 square meters. In addition to the main church, there are auxiliary churches and office facilities. The church is served by three full-time preachers, and it can accommodate nearly 1,000 worshipers.
May 7, the first Sunday of May, was the day for the church's Holy Communion service.
Pastor Meng Renzheng, president of Liuzhou Christian Association and head of Beique Road Church, testified in his sermon "Recognition according to the Name of Jesus." He shared God's transcendent deeds, boundless love, transcendent trials, and transcendent salvation.
After the sermon, the pastor officiated the Communion service.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times and the writer reported from Liuzhou, Guangxi)
-Translated by Nicolas Cao
有着117年历史的广西的一个教堂举行5月首次圣餐礼拜，它由美国宣道会建立。
柳州，是广西壮族自治区第二大城市。现在的柳州北雀路教会，出自于原美国在柳州设立的“宣道会”。它是第一个在广西成功建立基站并开展教务活动的美国教会。
1904年花友兰牧师(Rev. F.A.Farmer)在平南建立宣道会基址后，打算向西拓展到柳州去。但那时柳州发生土匪进城骚乱，不得前去。两年后(1906年)稍平静，花友兰和陈法言两位牧师得到两名当地士兵护送进入柳州城。初在客栈租赁一间房为立足点，在街边布道，一面传福音一面找房子。一个月后在庆云路(今中山路)以1500银元买得房地一块。此事立即引起市民反对。清朝当局派兵保护才得平息。花、陈两牧师不久又以500银元买下柯姓房屋一间，改建成一座可纳300余人聚会的教堂，接着花、陈两位牧师之师母亦到柳州加强教会牧养圣工。（见梁保罗牧师：《基督教在广西》）
另据有关史料记载，当年，宣教士白礼贤（A.Burien）首先来到广西贵县东津，在那里建立了宣道会在广西的第一座教堂，之后柳州也有了宣道会。璧丽珍传教士是清朝末年来到中国的一位美国人，她在广西生活了近十年，其宣教脚踪也来到过柳州；杨濬哲牧师（Rev. Enoch T. C. Yang）广东饶平人，自17岁蒙召终身事奉，早期事奉于广西柳州宣道会。
解放后，因柳州修造柳江大桥，宣道会教堂受拆除。直到文革后教会恢复，政府落实宗教政策，1985年回建一座教堂给教会。现今教堂的占地面积是2.15亩，主教堂建筑面积为471.5平方米。除主堂外，还有副堂和办公楼。教会有专职传道人（教职人员）3位，教堂可容近千人参加聚会。
5月7日，是五月份第一个主日，也是该教会的圣餐礼拜。
柳州市基督教协会会长、北雀路教会负责人蒙仁政牧师以《从耶稣的名得到的看见》证道，分享神超然的作为，超然的爱待，超然的考验，超然的拯救。
证道结束后，由蒙牧师主礼，开启了圣餐礼拜。
（福音时报特约撰稿人于广西柳州报道）
广西柳州一百年教堂的历史
A 117-year-old church in Guangxi Province, founded by the US Christian and Missionary Alliance, held its first Holy Communion service in May.
Liuzhou is the second largest city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The present Beique Road Church in Liuzhou originated from the Missionary Society established by the United States in Liuzhou. It is the first American church to successfully establish a base station and carry out educational activities in Guangxi.
In 1904, Rev. F.A. Fermer, who had established a missionary base in Pingnan, formulated plans to extend westward to Liuzhou. However, due to the rampant banditry in Liuzhou at that time, he was unable to proceed. Two years later (1906), the situation stabilized, and two pastors, Rev. F.A. Fermer and Rev. W. H. Oldfield, were escorted into Liuzhou by two local soldiers. They rented a room in an inn as an initial foothold and preached on the street while evangelizing the gospel and looking for a suitable house for preaching. Within a month, they acquired a property on Qingyun Road (present Zhongshan Road) with 1,500 silver dollars. There was an immediate public backlash for that. The Qing authorities even dispatched troops to quell the unrest. They soon bought a house from a person named Ke for 500 silver dollars and reconstructed it into a church capable of accommodating over 300 individuals. Eventually, their wives also joined them in Liuzhou to bolster the sacred work of the church. (See the book Christianity in Guangxi by Pastor Paul Liang)
In addition, according to historical records, in that year, A. Burien, a missionary, first came to Dongjin, Guixian County, Guangxi, and established the first church of the US Christian and Missionary Alliance in Guangxi. Later, the Missionary Association was also established in Liuzhou. Missionary Mrs. W. A. Farmer, the first American who came to China in the late Qing Dynasty, resided in Guangxi for nearly a decade, including Liuzhou. Rev. Enoch T. C. Yang was born in Raoping, Guangdong Province. He received his lifelong calling at the age of 17. Early on, he served with the Liuzhou Missionary Association of Guangxi.
After the liberation, the church of the Liuzhou Missionary Society was demolished due to the construction of the Liujiang Bridge in Liuzhou. It was not until after the Cultural Revolution, when religious policies were reinstated, that the government constructed a new church for the local congregation in 1985. Presently, the church encompasses an area of 1,433.3 square meters, with the main church building spanning 471.5 square meters. In addition to the main church, there are auxiliary churches and office facilities. The church is served by three full-time preachers, and it can accommodate nearly 1,000 worshipers.
May 7, the first Sunday of May, was the day for the church's Holy Communion service.
Pastor Meng Renzheng, president of Liuzhou Christian Association and head of Beique Road Church, testified in his sermon "Recognition according to the Name of Jesus." He shared God's transcendent deeds, boundless love, transcendent trials, and transcendent salvation.
After the sermon, the pastor officiated the Communion service.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times and the writer reported from Liuzhou, Guangxi)
-Translated by Nicolas Cao
Century-old Church in Guangxi Holds Communion Service
