Christ Lutheran Church

Christ Lutheran Church

Located at No. 27 Lianhua Road, Zumiao Subdistrict, on the west side of Lianhua Lane, it was originally named Lianhua Church. In 1923, initiated by Li Bing’en, an American nun and church deaconess, donations were raised among believers from affiliated churches in China (i.e., the Canton and Kwangsi District of the Assemblies of God) to build a new church. Three bungalows were purchased at No. 7I Lianhua Road in Foshan City and renovated into a new church. The church is a three-story brick-and-wood Gothic-style building. The ground floor worship hall can accommodate over 200 people, and there is a bell tower on the upper floor. Situated on Lianhua Road, it was initially known as the Lianhua Worship Hall of the South China District Council of the Chinese Assemblies of God under the American mission. In 1934, the Bible School of the Canton and Kwangsi District of the Assemblies of God relocated from Sanshui to Foshan, using the second-floor auxiliary hall of Lianhua Church as classrooms. In 1951, the South China District Council of the Chinese Assemblies of God held its final annual meeting in Cheung Chau, Hong Kong, deciding to move the council office back to Lianhua Worship Hall in Foshan. Foreign mission staff gradually left Foshan for their home countries, and each church began practicing “self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation.”

In 1958, seven churches in the original urban area unified to form the Christian Union, centralizing religious activities here. In 1962, per the decision of the second general assembly of the Christian Union, the union’s office was located in this church, and all citywide Christians gathered for worship at Lianhua Church and Xibian Lane Congregational Church (also known as “Shengping Church”). In June 1966, Lianhua Worship Hall was searched and its activities were halted.

In 1979, the Foshan Christian community formed the Preparatory Committee for Foshan Christian Lianhua Church. After renovations, the church reopened as a place of worship on December 27 of the same year. In 1982, the church underwent further repairs, and in April 1983, it was renamed “Christ Lutheran Church of Foshan Urban District.” In August, after expansion, it reopened. The church covers an area of 214 square meters, with a construction area of 520 square meters. It is a four-story reinforced concrete building, with a two-story front section housing the worship hall, auxiliary hall, and offices, and a four-story rear section containing the sanctuary and pastor’s residence. The church has one church council chairperson, two pastors, and two missionaries, serving about 400 believers. In 1995, another renovation took place, and the government allocated over 200 square meters of open space around the church to create a small garden. Regular religious activities continue to this day.

In early 1938, the Foshan Guangming Study Group, organized by underground party members, connected with progressive students from Nanhai Normal School to form an anti-Japanese propaganda team. Speeches, plays, and other resistance activities were conducted here. In September 1984, the Foshan Municipal People’s Government designated Christ Lutheran Church as a cultural relics protection unit.

Currently, Chancheng District has four churches: Christ Lutheran Church, Shengping Church, Jinsha Church, and Shiwan Church.

Source: Chancheng District Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau

Zumiao Subdistrict: Located in the northeastern part of Chancheng District, Foshan City, Zumiao Subdistrict stretches east to Guilan Road, south along Jihua Road, west bounded by Foshan Avenue, and north to the northern bank of the Fenjiang River. Covering an area of 21.5 square kilometers with a population of approximately 600,000, it administers 64 administrative villages (residential committees). It is the core area of Foshan’s urban center, the location of the Foshan Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, and houses the majority of the city’s cultural, educational, medical, and social welfare institutions. It is now the political, economic, commercial, and cultural hub of Foshan.

Rich historical and cultural heritage. Zumiao Subdistrict is the core area of Foshan with a history of a thousand years... More details about Zumiao Subdistrict++