The Church of God in
London
London Story
Dedicated Young Followers to This Day
Between 1985 to 1986, a few brothers and sisters came to study in the UK from Hong Kong. Together with a few preachers and a group of Hong Kong sisters who worked in North Ireland, God used them to set up the Church of God in London.
They began first by reaching out to a group of young Vietnamese whose hearts were sincere towards God. Though they faced disapproval and persecution at home and some even got thrown out of their houses, they remained determined to follow Jesus. Thankfully, today they have become the pivotal pillars in London’s church.
Bringing Family Members to the Lord
In the end of 1987, Aunt Mao, a Chinese Vietnamese, gradually brought many of her family members to believe in the Lord. This opened a gospel door in her family. Sister Julie, another Chinese Vietnamese, managed to bring her parents, grandparents, sisters-in-law, and a few relatives and friends to believe in the Lord. They became the important support to establish the church in Northampton and Birkenhead.
The Attraction of Dwelling in Unity
Around 1990, God led another group of University students from Hong Kong to live near the meeting place. They loved one another and pursued God together. The love and joy in God’s family attracted many brothers and sisters, and their friends to often stay in the meeting place. They had meals and chatted happily. Later, their friends believed in the Lord one by one. Even a sister’s high school teacher Mr Robin also slowly immersed himself in God’s family, later was baptised, and even moved in to dwell with the brothers. Thus, London’s church started English meetings, shepherded brothers and sisters, and outreached to English speaking friends.
Pioneering the Way of Evangelism
Near the end of the 90s, we established the Light and Love Chinese School and outreached to more than 100 students and their parents. Every Saturday morning after class, many students joined the church’s children fellowship, and they enjoyed themselves very much. In 1991, the church expanded, and we moved our Sunday meetings from a residential place to a community hall. As more and more brothers and sisters studied in universities in different cities other than London, the whole church was mobilised to visit them, and tried preaching gospel in different campuses. This brought forth the campaign of ‘Out to 8 Cities’ between 1991 and 1993 to preach gospel in Hastings, Southampton, Portsmouth, Devon, Birmingham, Manchester, Northern Ireland, and Paris.
Preaching the Gospel to Many
From 1995 to 1996, we ramped up our effort in preaching the gospel, reaching out to hundreds of western children through the Summer Bible Club, and over 200 people through our street survey in Peckham. Due to manpower shortage and challenges in the English cross-culture ministry, we did not manage to follow up with the gospel work. In 2000, we reached out to a big group of workers from Fu Jian. They did not know English and lived in a poor environment. We helped them to believe in the Lord as well as offering assistance to their daily life.
Support Various Parts in Europe
In 2005, we started to support various parts of Europe, and held a European Big Gathering in December. Later, we shifted the European Big Gathering mostly to August. At that time, we visited brothers and sisters in Holland, Belgium, and France every 4 months. Besides, we had online meetings with them every Sunday.
The Church Expanded
The London’s church has both Chinese and English meetings on Sundays. The Chinese group comprises mainly working adults, families and elderly, whereas the English one comprises mainly young local brothers and sisters from working adults, university students, to high school students and children. We expanded over the years and started to rent a community hall for Sunday meetings in 2007.
Local Brothers and Sisters Were Raised Up
Over the 35 years since it was established, the Lord has continuously raised up brothers and sisters to take up the shepherding, overseeing and gospel preaching as overseas brothers and sisters returned to Hong Kong or moved to other parts of the world. In recent years, many of our second-generation brothers and sisters also love the Lord. They left London and went to different places to live and serve the Lord.
A New Journey For London's Church
During the pandemic of Covid-19, God urged us to have meetings online. Such meetings have benefited brothers and sisters in the remote areas tremendously, in helping them to be involved in God’s will stably again and to realise the Lord’s preciousness. We have also initiated online gospel meetings and cell groups.
God has also enabled brothers and sisters in Hong Kong to migrate to London via BNO Visa. Between 2019 and 2020, though on lockdown, we offered much needed support for the newly arrived friends from Hong Kong through our online activities. Our support included assistance in renting rooms, purchasing houses, buying cars, searching for schools for their children, etc. We tried our best in every detail. Thank God that our efforts have helped many families to know God, returned to God’s families, and many brothers and sisters from other churches are happy to join our meetings, too.
In the second half of 2021, we resumed our physical meetings! We took this opportunity and held a joyful baptism meeting and a fun-filled mid-autumn celebration. With visitations, tours, and happy cell groups, we have brought more people to know God. Thank God that He has added many people to us, the old meeting place has reached beyond its limits. In December 2021, God miraculously led us to rent another 2 places for meetings and put in use our newly purchased meeting place. These additional meeting places have not only solved our space constraints, but also enabled us to start the church in Croydon where many Hong Kong people reside. We believe that God will bless us greatly and save many gloriously. In one accord, we bear good witness for the Lord, endeavour to sow the seed of the gospel in people’s heart, and wait for the glorious reaping day.
