Vancouver

Basic Demographic Information

Official Name: Vancouver Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Church

Church Administrative Unit: British Columbia Conference, Canadian Union

Date Officially Formed: 1970

Founding Minister: Jerry Chang Chung Wai

Church Website: http://vancouverchinesebc.adventistchurch.org/

Current Address: 5880 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6M 2V9, Canada

Current Membership: 154

In 1967, as Victor Loo (盧啓明), a locally born Chinese, was the only Chinese member in the Vancouver Central Church,. Pastor Jerry Chang Chung Wai (張仲偉) was called by the British Columbia Conference to build a Chinese congregation in Vancouver. With the Vancouver Central Church as the base, Pastor Chang and the B.C. Conference launched a Chinese radio program named Voice of Prophecy in 1968. Its name was changed to “Voice of Life” since 1972. This radio program ended only in January 2011. Hence it can be said to be “the longest-running Chinese Seventh-day Adventist radio program in North America.”

After the launching of the radio program, some radio listeners and Bible correspondence course students began to attend Sabbath services regularly in the Central Church. Each week, Pastor Chang provided simultaneous translation of the worship service in Cantonese for the Chinese attendees, who listened by earphones. The radio program bore first fruit with three baptisms in 1970.

The early 1970s saw major growth in the Vancouver Chinese Church. Radio listeners were baptized Spring, MD 20901 and became key members and pillars of the church. Meanwhile, some Chinese Adventist members moved to Vancouver from Hong Kong. They were Mrs. Nora Nee (倪陳樂蓮) and family, Milton Wu (吳國英), Peter Leung Hung Ngok (梁鴻岳) and family, Milton Hwang (黃燊權) and family, Ng Siu Lun (吳兆崙) and family. These pioneers bolstered the strength of the congregation and helped build the congregation.

By 1975, in a big room at the Central Church, the Chinese congregation held their separate Sabbath school and worship services all in Cantonese.

In 1976 Pastor Chang was called to San Francisco to finish building the San Francisco Chinese Church. Pastor Pang Teck Soon (彭德舜), usually known as Pang Shi Heng (彭世宏), of Singapore took over the helm of the Vancouver Chinese Church.

In the late 1970s, more key members from Hong Kong moved to Vancouver. They were Pastor Yeung Kin Shek (楊建石) and family, Leonard Lee (李熾良) and family, S. T. Khng (康紹典) and family, and Bunjee Choi (蔡昭斌) and family. The church grew and prospered. In early 1979, with generous help from Dr. Chan Shun (陳俊) and the B.C. Conference, the Chinese congregation purchased a small church at 5880 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6M 2V9, Canada and by August 1979, the church was formally organized. The first act of the new church was to hold evangelistic meetings featuring Pastor Jerry Chang as speaker. In 1980, the growing church needed more space, and again with the help of Dr. Chan Shun, the B.C. Conference and the local members, the church building was remodeled to its present configuration.

In 1982, Pastor Chang moved back to Vancouver from San Francisco to be the Youth Pastor of the Vancouver Central Church. In 1983, right after the dedication of the remodeled church building, Pastor Chang held an evangelistic meeting in the Chinese Church. For four years from 1982-1986, he preached at the Sabbath service once a month in the Chinese Church and continuously held joint youth activities between the two churches. In August 1986 when Pastor Pang retired, Pastor Chang resumed pastoral care of the Vancouver Chinese Church. When Pastor Chang retired at the end of August, 1996, he was succeeded by Pastor Johnny Yip Chi Kin (葉志堅) from Hong Kong.

Over the last few decades, the Vancouver Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Church has grown from only 1 member to more than 170 members, with services in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. Truly the Lord has richly blessed this church. Membership as of November 5, 2014 was 153. Its telephone is: (604) 263-0214.