The spread of Protestantism to China could be traced back to the early 19th century. The first preacher who travelled to China for propagating Protestantism was Robert Morrison(1782-1834), a British missionary. In the year of 1807, he arrived in Macao and moved to Guangzhou secretly. Before the outbreak of the Opium War(1840), westerners were not allowed to do missionary work in China. The missionary had to hide himself in a shop run by an American. During his stay in China, he studied Chinese and translated the Bible into Chinese. The minister also rendered some ancient Chinese classics into English, such as the Three-Character Classic, the Great Science, and the Account of Tao-Szu. In 1818, Robert Morrison established the first western school of China, the Anglo-Chinese College in Hong Kong. He also published the first Chinese-English Dictionary in 1832. The first Chinese Protestant was Cai Gao. He met the British clergyman in 1808 in Guangzhou. Cai-Gao worked in a printing house. On July 16th, 1814, he was baptized a Protestant. The first Chinese pastor was Liang Fa. He also worked in the printing house. In the year of 1822, he was appointed as a pastor by Robert Morrison.
The first American missionary who propagated Protestantism in China was Elijah Coleman Bridgman(1801-1861). In the year of 1830, he was sent to Guangzhou by the Congregational Church in USA. The American clergyman studied Chinese from Robert Morrison. He stayed in China for thirty years and dedicated his life to his missionary work. As his surname, Bridged was truly a man who set up the bridge between the two countries.
Protestantism spread widely after the outbreak of the Opium War. Many preachers travelled to China for their missionary works. They were from different countries and churches, such as the Anglican Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church, the Methodist Church and the Congregational Church. During the Semi-Feudal and Semi-Colonial Period of China, the Protestant Churches brought a great influence on Chinese history and culture. Many modern schools and hospitals were founded during this period, such as the St. John's University, the Yanching University and the Cheeloo University.
After the People’s Republic of China was established, most of missionaries from western countries left China. But Chinese Protestant pastors did not stop preaching the word of God. They founded the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of the Protestant Churches of China. However, all the religious activities were banned nationwide during the Cultural Revolution(1966-1976). But in the late 1970s, in the course of correcting the errors of the Cultural Revolution, Chinese government made great efforts to revive religious activities and implement the policy to ensure the freedom of citizens’ religious belief. Nowadays, there are about 38 million Protestants, 57,000 clergy, 60,000 churches and meeting places throughout China.
The Famous Protestant Churches in China
Shanghai Community Church
Shanghai Community Church is located at No.53, Hengshan Road, Shanghai. It was constructed in 1924. The church is in the Gothic Style of Architecture.
The Holy Trinity Church Shanghai
It was constructed in 1848 by the Anglican Church. The building is situated in Huangpu District of Shanghai. It also features the Gothic Style of Architecture.
Chengdu Shangxiang Church
Chengdu Shangxiang Church was built in 1909. It is located at No.219, Shuncheng Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu. A British Pastor, J.H.Horsburgh arrived in Chengdu in 1892 and founded the Western China Parish in 1895. The pastors built up the church and named it as Furen School. The church covers an area of 5,653 square meters(1.4 acres). It is the largest Protestant church in southwestern China.
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Author: Tina Luo
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