Pacific Grace Mandarin Church (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada)
As the number of immigrants from Hong Kong to the Vancouver area began to decline in the 1990s, the Chinese churches slowly began to switch their outreach focus to Mandarin-speaking immigrants, who starting immigrating in increasing numbers. The first church to have this vision was the Port Moody Pacific Grace Chinese Church. Not long after that church first opened, it discovered that it was in the middle of a large Mandarin-speaking population. A fellowship group targeted towards Mandarin-speaking residents was established in the summer of 1997. On 1 February 1998, the first Mandarin Sunday worship service was held under the leadership of Leo Chia. The attendance was less than 20. Only two families had Mandarin origin. The others were Cantonese-speaking families who came in support of this ministry. Eventually the congregation grew and experienced a number of conversions and baptisms.
In 1998 the congregation joined the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches and in July 2000 Pacific Grace Mandarin Church officially registered as an independent church. By the end of 2001 the church had 80 people attending.
By 2001 the Port Moody Pacific Grace building was no longer able to accommodate the Mandarin congregation, and so on 6 January 2002 the Mandarin congregation began meeting at the Westridge Primary School in Burnaby. On 4 April 2004, the congregation began to worship in a newly acquired facility on 380 Hythe Avenue, Burnaby.
In fall 2006 a branch congregation was established, meeting first in Port Coquitlam. On 7 January 2007 it began meeting in Maple Ridge and was organized as a separate congregation on 1 July 2007 as the Pacific Grace Mandarin Church (Maple Ridge). In 2009 a second church was planted in Surrey, the Surrey Pacific Grace Mandarin Church.
Bibliography
"PGMC History." Pacific Grace Mandarin Church website. http://www.pgmc.bc.ca/chinese/churchhistory/history-e.htm (accessed 12 December 2009).
“We Are in the Same Family.” Mennonite Brethren Herald 40, no. 21 (November 9, 2001). http://old.mbherald.com/40-21/family.html (accessed 19 May 2008).
Additional Information
Address: 380 Hythe Avenue, Burnaby BC V5B 3H9
Phone: 604-291-0600
Website: http://www.pgmc.bc.ca
Denominational Affiliations:
British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1998-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1998-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1998-2003)
Pacific Grace Mandarin Church Membership
| Year | Members | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 25 | |
| 2000 | 43 | |
| 2005 | 95 | 134 |
| 2010 | 130 | 140 |
| 2015 | 75 | 180 |
| 2020 | 100 | 200 |
Maps
Map:Pacific Grace Mandarin Church (Burnaby, BC)
| Author(s) | Richard D. Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Waylon Klix | |
| Date Published | June 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. and Waylon Klix. "Pacific Grace Mandarin Church (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2023. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Pacific_Grace_Mandarin_Church_(Burnaby,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175771.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. and Waylon Klix. (June 2023). Pacific Grace Mandarin Church (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Pacific_Grace_Mandarin_Church_(Burnaby,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175771.
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