教會簡史

A Brief History of Wellington Chinese Baptist Church

Aimee Poy

The 1950’s period was one of great activity, for this was when the group of believers consolidated to become a church in it’s own right and then to raise funds for their own church building from the wider Baptist Community and the wider Chinese community. The Church was supported by a lot of non-Chinese friends such as ex-missionaries from China and member of the Churches around Wellington. Mr. Arthur Donovan, a member of the Central Baptist Church, encouraged and supported Rev. Fung to speak to a wide variety of non-Chinese people about the work of the Wellington mission. Between 1950 and 1957, we met each Sunday at the R.S.A. Hall in Colombo St. Newtown. The place used to reek of stale beer and cigarette smoke, but the congregation and Sunday school students came faithfully each Sunday. In 1952 the Central Baptist Church Auxiliary supported the Chinese Baptist Church in their fund rising and it became a project to which the wider Baptist Community took on and prayed for.

Unfortunately, just before Rev. Fung arrived the Anglican Mission had raising funds from the Chinese community for a new Church and we feel that we can’t go around and asked for donations on top of them. We prayed daily about it and the Lord has greatly encouraged and strengthened our hands in this matter through a good friend of the mission. At the beginning of 1951 that good friend, Mr. Yue Jackson, who was a Christian and anxious that the Christian massage be preached to his countrymen, gave the Chinese Baptist Mission 1000 pounds to commence a Building Fund, Mr. Yue Jackson’s father was Chinese and his mother was European. He moved comfortably in both Chinese and non-Chinese in NZ. He wanted his gift recorded as anonymous donation. He said “While I am still living you must not use my name, but when I am gone, I can’t stop you”. Mr.Yue Jackson gave the money on the provision that the Church members raise another 2000 pounds themselves, or return the money. So that supported the members to reach their target with the help of donations from around the country from both Chinese and Non-Chinese.

In 1957 the Church was build in Adelaide Road and Duncan Wu, a member of our church was the architect. In 1979 the Church was sold because the city council refused a permit to build extension to the Church, the reason being that was we could not meet the parking space requirement. In 1980 during Rev. S. Lau’s second appointment, the current Church building in Donald Mclean Street was bought and refurbished by Church members.

(Above material was taken from Kitty Chang’s History of the Wellington Chinese Baptist Church)