Location Fuzhou Denomination Methodist Phone +86 591 8760 5701 Status Christian Church | Country China Founded 1915 Province Fujian Material Rock | |
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Website fzhxjt.com.cn (Chinese) Former name(s) Central Institutional Church, Foochow
Siông-iū-dòng (尚友堂) Address 7 Huaxiang Alley, DongJieKou ShangQuan, Gulou Qu, Fuzhou Shi, Fujian Province, China, 350000 Similar Church of Heavenly Peace - F, Saint Dominic's Cathedral, Grandview Mall Aquarium, Fuzhou Panda World, Linzexu Memorial Hall | ||
Flower Lane Church (Chinese: 花巷基督教堂; Pinyin: Huāxiàng Jīdū Jiàotáng; Foochow Romanized: Huă-háe̤ng Gĭ-dók Gáu-dòng) is a Christian church in Fuzhou, China.
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Location
The church is located at Flower Lane (花巷) No. 7, East Street Crossroads (东街口, Dongjiekou), the most prosperous downtown area of Gulou District, Fuzhou. It is the first Methodist church built within the walled city of Fuzhou.
History
The history of Flower Lane Church can be traced back to 1863 when the American Methodist Episcopal Mission in Fuzhou secured a house and lot on East Street (东街) within the city walls. In 1864, a chapel known as East Street Church was erected there, but was demolished by a mob the next year. It was not until 50 years later that the Methodist Episcopal Mission decided to make another attempt to erect a church within downtown Fuzhou.
In 1915, Rev. John Gowdy (then superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Mission) and Rev. Yu Xingli (余兴礼, a Chinese Methodist pastor) purchased on East Street what used to be the mansion of a Ryukyuan king in Qing Dynasty and rebuilt it into a city institutional church named Central Institutional Church or Siong Iu Dong (尚友堂, Foochow Romanized: Siông-iū-dòng, lit. "church for social intercourse"). The first baptism was held on September 5 of the same year. In 1938 the building was subsequently reconstructed under charge of Rev. Xu Rongfan (许荣藩) into a large granite chapel capable of holding a congregation of some 1000 people.
In the Republic of China Era, Siong Iu Dong was an influential religious organization, working chiefly for the official and literary class. It established Jinde School (进德学校, later changed to Jinde Girls' Middle School / 进德女中) which was engaged in the teaching of modern culture and served as the preparatory school for Foochow Anglo-Chinese College (鹤龄英华中学), and also founded Siong Iu Dong Kindergarten. But all school activities were put to an end during the Japanese Occupation in the 1940s.
After the communists' 1949 victory in the Chinese Civil War, all foreign missions were forced to leave this country and forbidden from interacting with churches in China. In the 1950s Siong Iu Dong was affiliated to the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), subordinate to the communist control. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), however, even the TSPM was strictly banned, and all church services ceased. The Senior Pastor Rev. Liu Yangfen (刘扬芬) was severely persecuted for his outspoken Christian faith.
On October 28, 1979, Siong Iu Dong became the first church in Fuzhou to restore religious activities, with its name changed to Flower Lane Church, after the street name of its location. Rev. Liu Yangfen was assigned as pastor in charge.
The main building of the Flower Lane Church was renovated in 2005.