The Sï-Shen-Tsï Methodist Church (also spelled Sz Shen Tsz; zh, t=四聖祠禮拜堂, s=四圣祠礼拜堂, first=t, w=Ssu4-Shêng4-Tzʻu2 Li3-pai4-tʻang2, p=Sìshèngcí Lǐbàitáng, l=Sï-Shen-Tsï Chapel), also known as The First ethodistChurch f Chengtu'', Gospel Church ( zh, t=福音堂, s=福音堂, w=Fu2-yin1 Tʻang2, p=Fúyīn Táng, links=no) or Enguang Protestant Church ( zh, t=恩光堂, s=恩光堂, w=Ên-kuang Tʻang, p=Ēnguāng Táng, l=Gracious Light Church, links=no), is a

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

church situated on Sishengci North Street in the city of

Chengtu Chengdu (, ; simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), alternatively romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of the Chinese provi ...

Sichuan Province Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

(formerly romanized as Sz-Chuan or Szechwan, also referred to as "West China").

History

Interior of the Canadian Methodist Chapel at Chentu

Sï-Shen-Tsï Church was erected in 1894 by the Rev. , leader of the West China Mission of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Church in Canada (MCC), which at the time was practically a chapel. The church was designed by Walter Small, a Victoria University graduate known as the "Mission's Builder". Its walls were made of solid brick. It was built in semi-native style with fine board floors, and seated three hundred persons. It was doubled in size in 1911. The building cost $1,000 in gold, a sum gifted by Jairus Hart,

Esq. Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman a ...

, of Halifax, N.S. At that time, the situation was not considered particularly good. The

Jinjiang District Jinjiang District () is one of 11 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, Southwest China. It is bordered by Longquanyi District to the east, Shuangliu County to the south, Wuhou District to ...

, in where the church was erected, was comparatively poor, and had not the best reputation. But this had changed much by 1920. This change was due in part to the general growth of the city, in part to the opening of a new city gate in the near vicinity. According to Rev. Newton Ernest Bowles, Canadian missionaries believed this was in no small measure due to the general influence of the church itself. The present church building covers an area of more than 3,000 square meters, with a usable area of more than 1,200 square meters. The height of the church is about 18 meters. The Sichuan Theological College is located next to the church.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{coord missing, Sichuan Former Methodist churches Protestant churches in Sichuan 19th-century Methodist church buildings Churches in Chengdu Canadian Methodist Mission

History

See also

References

Bibliography