Introduction 介紹

Perth Chinese Christian Church is a work of God in progress. As we look back over the last four decades, we see the hand of God leading and guiding us.

伯斯中華基督教會是神工作的進展。回顧過去四十年，我們看到神的手一直的引領。

1970’s – The inception of the first Chinese Church in Western Australia

七十年代 – 西澳洲第一個華人教會的成立

In the seventies, there were very few Chinese migrants living in Western Australia.  In 1978, a few Chinese Christian families from different denominational backgrounds began a weekly Bible study and prayer meeting in one of their homes. By November of the same year, the prayer group was able to make use of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Perth on a bi-weekly basis for worship service. Rev. Poh Ham Lim was invited to conduct the bilingual (English and Cantonese) worship on a voluntary basis. The first general meeting was called on 11^th March 1979 and an election of office bearers took place a week later. With an increasing number of worshippers, the church moved to two other venues conducting weekly services before settling in at the St. Barnabas Anglican Church in Leederville in 1980.

七十年代期間，在西澳定居的華人並不多。1978 年時，來自不同教派的基督徒家庭在家中開始了每週的查經禱告會。同年的十一月，禱告小組獲准使用伯斯的聖約翰路德教會，開始了每兩周一次的崇拜聚會；同時林茂安牧師應邀，以義務性質來主持雙語（華/英）崇拜聚會。1979 年3 月11日召開了第一次的會員大會；之後一周亦推選出同工。隨著聚會人數的增加，教會曾遷到不同的地點，1980 決定在Leederville 的聖巴拿巴聖公會教堂舉行每週的崇拜聚會。

1980’s – The period of growth

八十年代- 成長的時期

Rev. Poh Ham Lim became a full-time pastor of the church.  In 1981, the first Constitution was passed at the Extraordinary General Meeting held in June. The first Chinese Christian church in Perth was now established as a non-denominational, evangelical independent church – the Perth Chinese Christian Church (PCCC).  The congregation continued to grow and members were mainly English, Mandarin and Cantonese speaking. In September 1984, the church started an English Service. The Chinese Service was conducted in Cantonese and Mandarin. By 1987, the church purchased the current Doubleview venue from Scarborough Church of Christ.  A dedication service was held and lead by Rev. (Dr.) Choong Chee Pang, the then Principal of Trinity Theological College, Singapore.  With a stable venue and permanent building, the congregation continued to grow.

林茂安牧師成爲教會的全職牧者。在1981 年6 月舉行的特別會員大會中，通過了教會的第一份會章。伯斯中華基督教會正式成爲伯斯第一家華人教會，並以主張不分教派以及強調福音廣傳而獨立。會眾數目繼續增長，並操英、華、粵語。于1984 年9 月，教會開始其純英語的崇拜，而中文崇拜繼以華、粵雙語進行。1987 年，教會從Scarborough 基督教會買下現有的Doubleview 堂址，新加坡三一神學院的校長鍾志邦牧師（博士）爲堂址主持了奉獻禮拜。有了固定的堂址，會衆人數繼續增長。

1990’s – the period to establish a branch, and to build a Worship Centre in Doubleview

九十年代- 植分堂及增建聚會空間

In November 1991, the church accepted an invitation from the Lutheran and the Emmanuel Church in Parkwood to start the south branch ministry.  A Sunday school building fully funded by the church was built on Lutheran land in 1994.  Around the same time, the Chinese congregation in the Doubleview church grew into 2 congregations, one in Cantonese and Mandarin.  With a growing number of worshippers in the different services, the approval to build a new worship centre and Sunday school facilities was passed at the Annual General Meeting in 1995.  The new Worship Centre and Sunday School building in Doubleview was completed and commissioned in February 1997.

In 1998, with the blessing of the church, a large home group (Genesis) in the English congregation moved out to start a worship service in the University of Western Australia. Children’s ministry in the Doubleview church flourished under the efforts of a dedicated team of teachers. At the AGM of 1998, the church approved the purchase of land from St Luke’s church for the building of a new venue.  In the same year, the south branch congregation grew into two congregations - Chinese speaking and English speaking. 

1991 年11 月，教會應位于Parkwood 路德會及以馬内利教會之邀請，開始了河南的事工。1994 年，在教會全費資助下，興建了坐落于路德會地段的主日學校舍。與此同時，Doubleview 的中文崇拜成長並分別為華、粵單語的兩個堂會。隨著個別堂會人數的增長，在1995 年的會員大會會議中，教會通過加建新的崇拜中心以及主日學設施。新的崇拜中心及主日學措施于1997 年2 月完成並開始使用。

1998 年，英文堂最大的家庭小組（創世小組）決定遷移到西澳大學内擴展福音事工。Doubleview 堂址的兒童事工在一班忠心的老師的同心努力下發展迅速。在1998 年的會員大會，教會投票通過向路德會購買他們部分地段來建立新的分堂。同一年，河南支堂的會衆發展為兩個堂會 – 中文和英文。

2000’s – the period of consolidation and to build a Worship Centre in Parkwood

二千年年代 – 整合的時間及在Parkwood 興建新的聚會中心

In the early 2000’s, an attempt was made to establish a church in Morley.  However, the project was discontinued after 2 years.

In August 2003, approval was sought at an Extraordinary General Meeting to build a worship centre for the south branch. The project experienced significant delay due to many unforeseeable factors. The building was finally completed in 2008 after a considerable increase in the original budgeted building cost. However, once again we witnessed that His grace is abundant and He meets our needs both spiritually and financially.

In September 2005, the English congregation at Doubleview adopted the name Firstlight. In early 2008, the pastor and a great majority of the congregation moved to another location to worship, and became independent in mid 2008.  The remaining English worshippers rebuilt the English Service in Doubleview under the leadership of the Board of Elders.  

2000 年代初曾經嘗試在Morley 成立教會，可是此項目在兩年後停辦。

2003 年8 月的一次特別會員大會中通過在河南支堂興建一個新的聚會中心；由於各種未可預計的因數，整個項目屢次受到拖延，最後于2008 年落成之價格比原來的預算顯著的增加。然而教會再次經歷主恩典的豐盛、也看到祂在屬靈以及財務上的供應。

2005 年9 月，Doubleview 的英文堂啓用「晨光堂」之名。2008 年初，其牧者與大部分的會衆遷移往新的地點舉行崇拜；之後，于2008 年中宣佈獨立。未隨晨光堂遷移的部分英文堂會衆，在長老會的領導下，繼續發展英文堂事工。

2010’s – Present challenges

二〇一〇年代 – 現今的挑戰

At present, the church has 5 congregations (3 in Doubleview and 2 in Parkwood) with a total of around 350 members.

Locally, the Australian Government has accepted many skilled Chinese workers and their families to stay in Perth due to the lack of skilled workers in Australia. The south branch is well placed to accept the challenge to bring them to Christ due to their geographical advantages. Our work among students was greatly blessed as all congregations have different youth groups to minister to the young people.

Globally, the church is mission focused. We have been actively supporting and involving in both short term and long term mission.

如今教會屬下分成五個堂會聚會，一共約350 位會員。我們在Doubleview 有分別用英、華、粵語舉行的主日崇拜；在Parkwood 也分別有用英語或漢語（華、粵語翻譯）的主日崇拜。

放眼海外，我們的教會重視宣教。在短宣和長宣的工作上，我們都積極參與及支持。願主繼續祝福祂的教會來擴展祂的國度！