The Canadian Methodist Mission (CMM), also known as Missionary Society of the Methodist Church in Canada (MCC; zh, t=美道會, w=Mei3 Tao4 Hui4, p=Měi Dào Huì, l=Beautiful Way Society; former romanization: Mei Dao Hwei; also known as Ying Mei Hui t=英美會, w=Ying1 Mei3 Hui4, p=Yīng Měi Huì, l=Anglo-American Society, links=no, was a Canadian Methodist

Christian mission A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such ...

ary society mostly working in the province of Szechwan, which was also referred to as "West China."

History

The Canadian Methodist Mission was founded by . In February 1892, eight members of the mission society led by Hart reached Szechwan. Work began in

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 province ...

and, two years later, in Kiatingfu, with the establishment of mission stations in both cities. A

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

and a were subsequently built in Chengtu, which was the result of a team effort by O. L. Kilborn, V. C. Hart, G. E. Hartwell, D. W. Stevenson and others. After 1900, eight more mission stations were established in Jenshow (1905), Junghsien (1905), Penghsien (1907), Tzeliutsing (1907), Luchow (1908),

Chungking Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Coun ...

(1910), Chungchow (1911) and Fowchow (1913). The CMM established its own printing house, Canadian Methodist Mission Press, in Kiatingfu in 1897. In 1903, it was moved to the capital city of Chengtu. This press was responsible for the printing of '' The West China Missionary News'', first in 1899. It was the first English newspaper and the longest running journal in the province of Szechwan. The CMM was one of the four mission societies responsible for the creation of

West China Union University The West China Union University ( zh, t=華西協合大學), also called West China University or Huaxi University, was a private university in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. It was the product of the collective efforts of four Protestant, denominational ...

in 1910. By 1922, the Methodists enrolled almost one half of the Protestant Christians in Szechwan. Following the merger of the

Methodist Church of Canada The Methodist Church was the major Methodist denomination in Canada from its founding in 1884 until it merged with two other denominations to form the United Church of Canada in 1925. The Methodist Church was itself formed from the merger of four ...

into the

United Church of Canada The United Church of Canada (french: link=no, Église unie du Canada) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and the second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholi ...

in 1925, the latter assumed responsibility for the CMM. At that time, the CMM was the largest mission of the newly-founded Church. By 1934, the CMM had joined the

Church of Christ in China The Church of Christ in China ( zh, t=中華基督教會, s=中华基督教会, first=t, p=Zhonghua Jidu Jiaohui) was a coalition of churches in mainland China, established in the early half of the twentieth century. After missionaries were expelle ...

(CCC); an annual general meeting of the CCC's Szechwan Association was held on 9 February 1939.

Gallery

File:Canadian Methodist Mission in Central Szechwan.png, Canadian Methodist Mission in Central Szechwan File:Canadian Methodist Missionaries and Wives.png, Canadian Methodist missionaries stationed in Szechwan File:The West China Missionary News (vol. XI, no. 1; 1909).pdf, '' The West China Missionary News'', printed by Canadian Methodist Mission Press File:Canadian Methodist Mission Press, Kiating.png, The first Canadian Methodist Mission Press at Kiating, before 1903 File:Canadian Methodist Hospital, Chengtu.png, Canadian Methodist Hospital at

, before 1917 File:Canadian School in West China.jpg, The Canadian School of the

, Chengtu, File:Chancel, Luchow Church.jpg,

Chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...

of the Canadian Methodist Mission Church at Luchow, 1932 File:Forward Movement, Missionary Conference, Chengtu, 1908.jpg,

Forward Movement Forward Movement is the name taken by a number of Christian Protestant movements in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and other countries. United Kingdom The term "Forward Movement" is said to have been used for the first time in the mid-18 ...

, Missionary Conference, Chengtu, 1908 File:West China Mission Annual Conference, Chungking, 1914.jpg, CMM West China Mission Annual Conference,

, 1914

References

Bibliography

* * {{Protestant missions to China

History

Gallery

See also

References

Bibliography