Chino Valley

Chino Valley (奇諾谷) Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Church

Wu Chook Ying

Basic Demographic Information

Official Name: ???

Church Administrative Unit: Pacific Union

Date Officially Formed: January 9, 2010

Founding Minister: Paul Cho

Church Website: http://cvcsda.org

Current Address: 4136 Riverside Drive, Chino, CA 91710; Phone (909) 628-6262

Date on which Current Sanctuary was Established: February 11, 2012

Current Membership: 204 in 2012.

The following is a report of Betty Cooney, Communication Director of the Southern California Conference, on how a church-planting project had been implemented. Around 2000, a half dozen Chinese members came together with a vision of planting a church to minister to the Chinese population of more than 150,000 living east of the 605 freeway. Beginning with Bible study groups in members’ homes, the church planters soon met with Hacienda Heights church leadership, obtaining permission to hold Sabbath afternoon services and seminars in the church fellowship hall. With the blessing of Los Angeles, Loma Linda and San Gabriel Chinese congregations, the Hacienda Heights Chinese Adventist Fellowship was born January 14, 2006.

On July 1 of that year, the fellowship invited Paul Cho (卓甫剩), then president of Taiwan Adventist College (臺灣三育基督學院) and Griggs University Asia (安格亞洲大學), to serve as pastor. Arriving with a five-year plan to establish a church, Cho led members to implement the plan prayerfully and energetically, with health seminars, evangelistic series, Bible studies, fund-raising concerts involving the Training Our Faith in Unity, youth choir, and other outreach.

In 2008 the group organized as a company. Then on January 9, 2010, nearly a year before the five-year plan concluded, the Hacienda Heights Chinese Church (哈崗華人教會) was organized with 152 charter members. The organization service recounted the congregation’s history, thanked God for enabling them to full their vision and welcome more than 400 guests from Chinese congregations in the area. A gala dinner at a local restaurant capped the day.

Said Pastor Paul Cho, “The year 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of Chinese Adventist work in Southern California; today we are the third organized Chinese church in the area. We have a strong spiritual foundation in the six people who began our mission.”

“Evangelism outreach to the Chinese community is challenging, due to its diverse cultures,” noted Pete Lou (劉耀洲), chairman of the organizing committee. “Our members are committed to share the third angel’s message to all Chinese, including those people from other Asian countries. A fund has been established to raise funds for owning our own church building”1 .

On August 19, 2011 the church purchased a 3.99-acre property, with two buildings that formerly served as a Christian school, at Chino (奇諾), for one million dollars. It original price was four million dollars. By February 5, 2012, renovation of the Chino property was completed. On February 11, 2012, the church with a membership of 204 celebrated the grand opening of Chino Valley Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Church (奇諾華人教會)2,3 .

The address of Chino Valley Chinese church is at 4136 Riverside Drive, Chino, CA 91710. Its mailing address is P. O. Box 712, Chino, CA 91708; its telephone No. is (909) 628-6262, and its website is : http://cvcsda.org . As of April 2013, the membership is 211. According to Pastor Paul Cho, the church is planning to erect a sanctuary and multipurpose building at an estimated cost of US$1,500,000. The sanctuary will accommodate 300 people. With the completion of this project, the church will be able to render more services and ministry to the community and bring more souls to His kingdom.

References

1. Pacific Union Recorder, March 2010, p. 6.

2. Pacific Union Recorder, April 2012, p. 5.

3. The Last Day Shepherd’s Call, September 2012, p. 33.