St. John's Church, Suzhou (Chinese: 苏州圣约翰堂) is a Protestant church located in Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.[1]
St. John's Church, Suzhou | |||||||
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苏州圣约翰堂 | |||||||
![]() St. John's Church, Suzhou in 2015 | |||||||
31°18′19″N 120°38′04″E / 31.30528°N 120.63444°E | |||||||
Location | Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China | ||||||
Denomination | Protestantism | ||||||
History | |||||||
Status | Parish church | ||||||
Founded | 1881 | ||||||
Founder(s) | Alvin Pierson Parker | ||||||
Architecture | |||||||
Functional status | Active | ||||||
Architect(s) | John M. Moore | ||||||
Architectural type | Church building | ||||||
Completed | 1915 (reconstruction) | ||||||
Specifications | |||||||
Floor area | 1,855-square-metre (19,970 sq ft) | ||||||
Materials | Granite | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Simplified Chinese | 蘇州圣约翰堂 | ||||||
Traditional Chinese | 蘇州聖約翰堂 | ||||||
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History
editSt. John's Church traces its origins to the former East Soochow Methodist Church, founded in 1881 by American missionary Alvin Pierson Parker, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.[1]
At the beginning of the 20th century, the number of Christians in Suzhou increased.[1] In 1915, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South demolished the church and built a new western style church with a construction area of 1,855-square-metre (19,970 sq ft) and 800 seats, designing by John M. Moore.[1] And it was renamed the St. John's Church in memory of the St. John's Church in St. Louis, Missouri, United States for its financial support.[1] Chong-tan Lee, grandfather of Tsung-Dao Lee, served as its first chief pastor.[1]
In 1959, the church was rented by the Suzhou First People's Hospital and returned to the Church in 1995.[1] It was refurbished and redecorated from October 1996 to March 1998.[1] The church was officially reopened to the public in November 2005 with the approval of the Chinese government.[1]
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editReferences
editFurther reading
edit- Weihong, Luo (1 May 2014). 中国基督教(新教)史 [History of Protestantism in China] (in Chinese). Shanghai: Shanghai People's Publishing House. ISBN 9787208121324.