The Brief Introduction to BeijingChongwenmen Christian Church崇文門教堂聚會活動
The Chongwenmen Church of Beijing Christian Council was first established in 1870 when it was then called Asbury Church . It was the first church constructed by the American Methodist Church in Northern China . The scale of this church was smaller than its present size. It was originally
designed to hold 400 to 500 people. Although the church appears now as it did back then, its current seating capacity is 2,000 people. As the number of believers increased, the Methodist church began reconstruction of the building ， which was completed in 1882. During the Yihetuan Movement (Boxer Rebellion) of 1900, the church was burned down. In 1902, the Qing Dynasty Government appropriated money to rebuild the Asbury Church and was completed in the spring of 1904. This is the main structure we have here today. Following the completion of the new building, a Chinese pastor held the senior position. Previous to this date, the position of senior pastor was held by foreigners.
At that time, all church property and offices were in the possession of the Asbury Church . In addition to this, the church also possessed the No. 1 and No. 2 properties in the Xiaoshun Hutong, the buildings in No.43 Chonwenmennei Street , and three graveyards. As the church developed in various fields, the Methodist Church gradually built many public institutions around the church such as: The Hopkin's Memorial Hospital, The Sleeper-Davis Memorial Hospital, Huiwen Primary School, Peking Academy, Jewel Academy, Peking Theological Seminary, and even the original campus of Peking University (this campus eventually merged with Yanching University and Peking University moved to it's current location).
In the earlier stage of New China, the hospitals and schools operated by the church were all taken over by the government and made available for public use. In the summer of 1958, the churches of Beijing were united by the government and this church and its facilities were given to the No. 125 Middle School (this was the original Gamewell School ). The church was used as an assembly hall for the middle school. During the notorious ‘Cultural Revolution' the interior of the church was damaged beyond recognition. In the spring of 1982, with the assistance of relevant governmental agencies and through many negotiations, this church was finally renamed as “The Chongwenmen Church of Beijing Christian Council.” The No.125 Middle School received 20,000 RMB in the exchange, and all church buildings were renovated extensively giving the people the wood and brick structure that is enjoyed today. Finally, during the Christmas season of 1982, religious activities were resumed and the church has been growing steadily ever since then.
The Chongwenmen Church is the largest Christian Protestant Church in Beijing , and it enjoys high prestige both at home and abroad. Its architectural style shows grace, ingenuity, and a blend of many cultures. The church consists of two levels. The main level, at 8,245 square meters, is divided into two sections: The main hall which seats 400 people, and the side chapel which seats 300. These two sections are separated by a movable partition so that they can be used separately or as one large room. The second level is the basement, which boasts a seating capacity of 800-1000. Services are filmed and viewed in the basement via closed-circuit television.
In 1990, Beijing People's Municipal Government approved the church as a historical relic in the municipal district. In August of 2001, the municipal government gave 4,800,000 RMB to refurbish the church that included new floors, pews, stained-glass windows, painting and new offices with updated equipment. The rededication service was celebrated on December 22, 2002 .
北京基督教會崇文門堂
崇文門教堂唱詩班
崇文門教堂聚會活動
