Mochou Road Christian Church

Mochou Road Christian Church

Mochou Road Christian Church is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Mochou Road Christian Church, originally named "Hanzhong Hall," was the earliest worship hall of the Christian church in Nanjing. It is now a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing and an outstanding Republican-era building.

Its predecessor was the "Four Poles Chapel" established by the American Presbyterian Mission in 1882 (renamed "Jesus Chapel" in 1888). In 1934, due to the widening of the road into Mochou Road, the chapel was demolished. Afterward, the congregation raised 1,100 taels of gold on their own to build a new church, naming it "Hanzhong Hall." The design was done by Elder Chen Yuhua, brother of Chen Yuguang, then president of the University of Nanking, and the cornerstone was inscribed with the words "For it was Jesus Christ who laid the foundation" by General Feng Yuxiang. Hanzhong Hall broke ground on August 4, 1936, took six years to complete, and was dedicated on October 16, 1942. After its completion, Pastor Bao Zhong was in charge. In 1958, Hanzhong Hall was renamed Mochou Road Church.

Mochou Road Church faces west and is a typical British-style building with a total construction area of 1,800 square meters. Its design and structure feature intricate details, especially the towering bell tower entrance and the pointed arches of the side windows, which are highly distinctive. The entire building has a cruciform layout, built with a brick and wood structure, featuring a domed roof covered with square cement flat tiles, and exterior walls made of plain bricks with clear mortar joints. The main facade consists of Gothic pointed arch doors and slender pointed arch windows forming a cohesive decorative surface, along with a large pointed arch constructed from white cement reliefs and white terrazzo, standing 17 meters high. The top of the arch is adorned with a pattern combining stars and a cross. Inside the sanctuary, there are eight herringbone columns, and the wooden roof truss extends stepwise from both sides toward the center, rising progressively at each level, with each tier supported by a curved bracket and a hanging ornament. This structural style is called a "hammerbeam truss" and reflects the architectural characteristics of the Tudor dynasty of 16th-century England.

At the end of 1980, religious policies were reinstated, and worship services resumed at Mochou Road Church. The first senior pastor after reopening (1980–1990) was Pastor Han Peter. The second (1990–1992) was Pastor Wu Fangzhong. The third (1992–July 1995) was Pastor Xu Ensi. Since July 1995 to the present, the position has been held by Pastor Li Lancheng. Currently, there are about 3,000 believers at the church. In addition to Sunday worship, seven gatherings of various sizes are scheduled weekly, including Bible studies, English Bible reading sessions, and youth fellowship activities. Baptisms are held twice a year, and Holy Communion is celebrated six times annually. There are over ten ministry teams within the church, which not only focus on shepherding believers and building up the church but also actively engage in social service and public welfare work.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province