On August 10, 2025, Liufang Church in the Jiangxia District of Wuhan, Hubei Province, celebrated its 40th anniversary since the resumption of services.
Over the last four decades, Liufang Church has progressed from humble beginnings to a period of revival, overcoming challenges and experiencing significant growth. Despite a difficult start and the impact of the pandemic, the church has remained united and steadfast in its faith, always focusing on Christ.
Christianity was first introduced to this region by the Swedish Mission Covenant Church, an evangelical denomination known for emphasizing personal faith and social service, as well as a strong commitment to overseas missions. The Swedish Mission Covenant Church officially entered China in 1890, during the 16th year of the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu reign, with Hubei as its primary mission field. The church's headquarters and major activities were centered in Hankou, which was once an independent city before merging with Wuchang and Hanyang to form Wuhan and whose core area included modern-day Jianghan District. Four missionaries, including John Sköld (Han Zongsheng), arrived in Tanhualin, Wuchang, to begin their missionary work in Hubei.
In modern times, Liufangling—formerly known as Liufang Street or Liufang Town—had emerged as a significant market town and transportation hub in eastern Wuchang (Jiangxia Province, now Jiangxia District). It became a bustling commercial center and densely populated area due to its location along the ancient post road that connected Wuchang City to Ezhou, Xianning, and other regions. Establishing a base in such a key market town exemplified the Swedish Mission Covenant Church's "rural mission strategy," which aimed to broaden outreach into the southeast's rural areas.
As a result, Liufangling became more than just a location for the church's itinerant preaching; it became a permanent and fully operational "outstation," serving as a critical bridgehead for outreach to neighboring villages.
The Swedish Mission Covenant Church purchased land and property in Liufangling to establish a permanent missionary base, which included a small chapel for Sunday services, temporary lodging for visiting missionaries, and housing for their Chinese assistants.
This outstation held considerable significance. According to historical records, Liufangling, marked as "Liofangli," was one of the few core rural stations clearly identified around Wuchang on Swedish Mission Covenant Church maps. The Liufangling outstation served as a supply station and base for missionaries, allowing them to preach in more remote areas such as Longquanshan, Baoxi, and Wulijie. Missionaries could travel from Wuchang City to Liofangli, stay for a few days, and then walk or ride a donkey to the surrounding villages before returning to Liufangling to rest and regroup.
Nils Lithander, a distinguished missionary of the Swedish Mission Covenant Church, meticulously documented his experiences at Liufangling in his diaries and work reports. His accounts cover a wide range of activities, including leading Sunday services at Liufangling Church, visiting local families, conversing with both local gentry and commoners, and exploring the surrounding area.
Liufang Church, located in Wuhan's Jiangxia District, was founded in 1924 as Liufang Gospel Church by the Swedish Mission Covenant Church. The church, located on Liufang Street, had a square design and covered approximately 800 square meters. At the time, it was led by Pastor Xia Dingchuan from the headquarters in Tanhualin, Wuhan, and had about 50 to 60 attendees. The church temporarily suspended its services in 1931 due to Japan's invasion of China, but resumed them after Japan surrendered. Staff from the Swedish Mission Covenant Church began to withdraw in 1951 (or 1952, according to some sources), leaving the church in the care of two deacons until the Cultural Revolution, which forced another suspension of services.
Following over a half-century of urban-rural transformation, Liufang Street has undergone significant urbanization in recent years, becoming part of the East Lake High-Tech Development Zone. The church's original site has since been replaced by modern streets, buildings, and residential communities.
Following the implementation of religious policies in 1983, new churches began to emerge in the surrounding area. A member of the original Liufang Church reconnected with the gospel while visiting relatives and began attending church services on a regular basis, eventually inviting others to join him. Within a year, nine people had converted to Christianity. However, due to the distance and inconvenience of getting to the original church, the group decided to start their own church nearby. During Christmas 1984, Pastor Wu Qixi of Jiangxia District came to perform baptisms and informed the congregation that the central government's policy now allowed them to reclaim the old church building. As a result, in August 1985, the congregation established a church on Liufang Street, officially restoring Liufang Church.
After reclaiming 42 square meters of the old church building in 1987, the congregation became eager to spread the gospel. As the number of believers increased rapidly, they built a new 180-square-meter church in 1997. However, in 1999, due to government urban redevelopment plans, the church building fell within the designated construction zone, forcing it to be demolished once more. As it happened, the congregation was already preparing for an expansion to accommodate the growing needs of Liufang Church's outreach initiatives. As a result, the second expansion was completed quickly, growing the church's size from 180 to 260 square meters. Liufang Church's current configuration, which underwent its third expansion in 2015, now covers more than 600 square meters, with additional facilities bringing the total area to 1,800 square meters. Built through the dedicated efforts of two generations of pastors and the generous contributions of its members, the church has been relocated and rebuilt three times. Each new structure has not only surpassed the previous one in size and quality but has also served as a testament to God's glory.
Pastor Liu Jincai, a graduate of Zhongnan Theological Seminary, has served as the leader of Liufang Church since her ordination at Wuchang Church on September 4, 2018. For many years, she has dedicated herself fully to the mission of the church. She remarked, "From its humble beginnings to its current growth, every aspect of Liufang Church embodies the profound love and grace of Christ."
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times, and the author is a Christian contributor.)
- Edited by Katherine Guo and translated by Joyce Leung
