Development of Chinese Alliance Churches in Australia

（Update January 2019）

History of the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA)

Founded in 1887, just over 100 years ago, the C&MA has a relatively short history as compared to the Christianity and the Orthodox which can be traced back to 2000 years and 500 years ago respectively。

The C&MA was founded by Dr. Albert B. Simpson (1843-1919), who was originally raised in a Scottish Presbyterian tradition.  After his graduation from a theological college, he was called to serve in Presbyterian churches in Canada and in America successively.

Being influenced by the sacred movement and evangelistic upsurge that prevailed during the period, Simpson’s disagreement with the traditional Presbyterian view on the church’s mission was soon getting more intense. In 1881, as he decided to follow the bible‘s teaching to be baptised again, he resigned from the Presbyterian Church where he had grown up and served for many years. He went ahead to hold evangelistic meetings and planted a church — the Gospel Tabernacle — in 1882. However, Dr. Simpson and, later, the C&MA had been influenced, to certain extent, by the Presbyterian etiquette and the (moderate) Reformed Theology. One of the distinct features of the C&MA is that it has adopted the Presbyterian’s system on pastoral workers’ identity and role in the church.  This makes it different from the pure congregational church system.

In addition to preaching and pastoring, Dr. Simpson launched two cross-denominational gospel ministries with a group of like-minded people.  Firstly, he organised a group of Christians, who were eager to pursue deeper spiritual life, to meet regularly and to promote evangelism and healing ministries. Secondly, he promoted the global missions through publications and an organisation. For Simpson, these two ministries were in fact a joint movement with the same purposes: to let God’s people experience the life of Christ deeper and wider in their lives and to bravely undertake the mission that had been neglected for a long time.  Later in 1887, these two ministries brought about two organisations, namely, the Christian Alliance and the Evangelical Missionary Alliance. In 1897, these two organisations (which were originally under the same movement) merged into one, which then became today’s Christian & Missionary Alliance.

During the 40 years from the 1910s to the 1940s, the C&MA was actively exploring her identity and mission. Structure-wise, the C&MA wanted to be transited from a ministry under Dr. Simpson’s vision and charisma to a sustainable spiritual movement which had a clear direction and an effective organization. In ministry development, she had to coordinate various developing mission fields, growing local churches, and the relationship with Christian groups in the North America. In theology, the C&MA wanted to establish her own identity on faith and doctrinal statement from different spiritual thoughts and movements, and to define her similarities and differences from other spiritual movements so that the C&MA would not be excessively affected by various spiritual movements which were also developing at that time.

Having gone through a long period of instability, the C&MA had made a great progress on her missionary work after the World War II. In the 50s to 70s, the C&MA gradually established a localisation policy which encouraged and assisted various mission fields to develop into independent churches, returned the church management power to the hands of local believers, and empowered local leaders to explore their own models for church and ministry. These movements were definitely a booster for the C&MA church development in different parts of the world.  In 1975, the C&MA established the Alliance World Fellowship, which marked a new way of cooperation and church relations. The C&MA was no longer just a spiritual movement in the North America, but a global movement.

The C&MA had been striving to maintain her status as a mission movement (not only a mission organisation) by setting up a training centre for missionaries (established in 1883 and later known as the Nyack Missionary College), publishing publications and sending out missionaries to different parts of the world. In the 1910s, many independent churches in the North America linked to the C&MA and many churches were built in overseas mission fields. However, the C&MA still had no intention of becoming a formal denomination, worrying that the flexibility of unifying their believers and the spirit of establishing this spiritual movement would be compromised if she became a denomination. In fact the C&MA in the 1930s was substantially a denomination without such a name. However, not until 1974 did the C&MA formally recognise herself as a denomination.  Since then, the C&MA transited from a spiritual movement to a missionary denomination.

However, being a denominational organisation, how the C&MA maintains the original spirit of the movement, especially her focus on evangelism and missionary work, has remained to be the key concern of each C&MA member.  The C&MA first started as a gospel movement, then became a denomination.  Therefore, to be a gospel movement is far more important than being a denominational organisation.  She must continue to be a gospel movement in order to live up to the name of Christian &Missionary Alliance.

Brief Introduction of Australian Chinese C&MA

Chinese Alliance Churches

The C&MA had a late start in Australia, the first of her church being established in 1969; the first Chinese C&MA church was only established in the mid-1980s.

1. Perth Alliance Church (established in 1986)

Perth Alliance Church, being the first Chinese Alliance church, was established by Rev. Jonathan Kaan, who was sent by the Canadian Chinese Alliance Churches Association. Rev. Kaan, together with a group of believers, planted the PAC in March 1986 (Easter) in Perth, Western Australia. This church was a multicultural and multi-language spiritual family. With one heart in the Lord, the church has fulfilled social responsibilities and responded to social needs by spreading the gospel to the Henan, Hebei and other ethnic communities. Besides, through pastoring by cell groups, believers have rooted their spiritual lives in Christ and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.

2. Perth Alliance Church North (established in 2003)

Under the leadership of Rev. Thomas Auyeung, Perth Alliance Church North was planted in October 2003.

Current Ministries:

• Sunday Services:
• Perth Alliance South: Cantonese 9:00am; English 11:00am; Mandarin 11:30am

Address: 324 Belmont Avenue, Cloverdale

Email: perth@iinet.net.au

• Perth Alliance North: Cantonese 10:00am; Mandarin 10:00am

Address: Hamersley Community Centre, Belvedere Road, Hamersley

Email: graceac@perthac.org.au

• Average Attendance: 460 including children
• Leadership Team: 7 Pastors; 2 Elders; 11 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 5
• Fellowships(or cell groups): 27

3. Sydney Chinese Alliance Church (established in 1987)

Rev. Jonathan Kaan planted Sydney Chinese Alliance Church at the Easter in 1987. They first gathered in Kingsgrove Uniting Church. In 1996, they bought a church building, which was originally belonging to the Fiji Islands Assemblies of God Church, at 40 George Street, Rockdale as their permanent site. This was also a new milestone in this church’s development.  Their first Sunday service was held on 4th August 1996.

With the growth of the second generation of believers, the church started their English service in July 2001 to build up the new generation. In September 2004, another church was planted in Hurstville i.e. Sydney South Alliance Church. As the church saw a growing population of Mandarin speaking Chinese in the region, they started a Mandarin service in October 2011.

Current Ministries:

• Sunday Services: English 9:30am; Mandarin 11:00am; Cantonese 11:30am
• Average Attendance:  120 including children
• Leadership Team: 2 Pastors; 5 Elders; 7 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 3
• Fellowships (or groups) : 8
• Address: 40-42 George Street, Rockdale
• Contact: (02) 9556 3771

4. Chinese Alliance Church of Victoria (established in 1987)

In March 1987, the Foreign Missionary Society of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Hong Kong sent a missionary, Mr. Samuel Ho, to Melbourne to plant the first local Chinese Alliance Church, named Christian Alliance Church of Victoria. They first used St. David Uniting Church for their service and then moved to Canterbury Girls High School for meeting until they bought their own premises at 17 Livingstone Close, Burwood in 1993.

The early Chinese Alliance Church of Victoria was Cantonese focused. However, in order to meet the needs of the second generation, they started an English service in 1993.

Current Ministries:

• Main Services: Cantonese 10:30am  English 5:00pm
• Average Attendance:  200 including children
• Leadership Team: 3 Pastors; 3 Elders; 7 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 2
• Fellowships (or groups): 15
• Address: 46-48 Montclair Avenue, Glen Waverley
• Email: cacv@cacv.org.au

5. Chinese C&MA Church of South Australia (established in 1987)(renamed to Cowandilla C&MA Church of South Australia in 2017)

Rev. Jonathan Kaan and a small group of believers began to meet in an English church in a residential suburb of Woodville Gardens, Adelaide on 8th November, 1987. As the congregation has grown over the years, the church moved to its current meeting place at 10 Brooker Terrace, Cowandilla in 1989. Subsequently, the church bought over the premises in April 2015 and renamed the church to be Cowandilla C&MA Church of South Australia in August 2017.

The church started with Cantonese and Mandarin bilingual service, and then slowly added an English congregation in 2001 to meet the young generation needs. The English ministry has become self-managed congregation under the guidance of the Elder Board in October 2018.

Current Ministries:

• Main Services: Cantonese 11:30am; Mandarin 11:30am; English 11:30am
• Address: 10 Brooker Terrace, Cowandilla, SA 5033
• Average Attendance:  215 including children
• Leaderships: 2 Pastors;  2 Elders; 10 Deacons
• Ministry Committees:  3
• Fellowships / Small groups: 13 (average attendance 152)
• Other Ministry: Opened an Alliance Chinese school in February 1995 and passed it on to the  Parents Association to continue the operation in 2010.
• Email: ccmasaadmin@ccmasa.org.au

6. North Side Chinese Alliance Church (established in 1998)

Rev. Zhao Shi Chang and his wife, of Vancouver Chinese Alliance Church, came from Canada to Sydney in March 1988 to plant the North Side Chinese Alliance Church. The first Sunday service was held on 12th June 1988 in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ryde. Rev. and Mrs. Zhao returned to Canada in December of that year and Pastor Daniel Tam took over the church and continued to minister the church. They held their Sunday service (11:45am session) in Epping Uniting Church in December 1989, they also hired West Ryde Primary School as venue for their Sunday School and Choir rehearsal. Pastor Tam was ordained in February 1992. They bought a property at 57A Carlingford Road, Epping as their current permanent site in March 1993.

In February 1995, they planted a church in Baulkham Hills, by using the small hall of an Anglo Alliance Church for their first Sunday service. Rev. Patrick Suen came from Hong Kong to Sydney to minister the church in September 1995. The Baulkham Hills Chinese Alliance Church became an independent church in July 1998. They invited the church founder, Rev. Zhao Shi Chang, from Canada to Sydney in August to attend their 10th Anniversary Celebration Ceremony. Rev. Daniel Tam resigned from the North Side Chinese Alliance Church in September 1998. Rev. Constant Chow became the Consulting Pastor and ministered the church in December 1998. In December 1999, Rev. Chow became the Senior Pastor until now.  The induction service for Rev. Constant Chow and English Pastor Rhys Tregenza was held on 5th December in that year.

The Church bought and renovated a house next door in March 1999 for Sunday school, fellowship, library, office etc. In February 2000, the Deacon Board passed a resolution on Rev. Almon Li’s church plant proposal and authorised him to recruit and train the church plant’s core workers. The church plant, Hills Christian Alliance Church, became an independent church in October 2002.  In July 2000, an Extraordinary General Meeting was held to pass the resolution on building a church at the original site i.e. 57A, 59 Carlingford Road, and the resolution on the Hills Christian Alliance Church plant proposal and budget.  The new church building was completed in end 2005 and the Dedication and Thanksgiving Service was held on 4th December in that year.

Ms. Jessie Wei was sent to Kenya in Africa for a two-year mission trip on 7th May 2006 to support the local bible translation ministry with her IT profession. She was the first missionary sent by the North Side Chinese Alliance Church. The church had also sent two other couples from their congregation to overseas for mission, one pair of the couples are still serving in overseas.

Five Elders were elected in November 2007 and they, together with the pastors, formed the first Board of Elders (2008-2010). The term of deacons was also changed from two years to one year.

Current Ministries:

• Main Services: Cantonese 9:00am; English 9:00am; Mandarin 11:00am
• Average Attendance:  1460 including children
• Leaderships: 6 Pastors; 5 Elder; 10 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 2
• Fellowships (or groups): Cantonese: 8 fellowships and 34 small groups, English: 3 groups, Mandarin: 3 groups
• Address: 59 Carlingford Road, Epping
• Email: nscac@nscac.org.au

7. Hebron Chinese Alliance Church (established in 1987)

Rev. Peter Yip, sent by C&MA of Canada in 1989, planted this church. The first combined Sunday service was held in Parramatta on 4th June 1989 at 2:00pm. They bought a building located at 51 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead as their church property in September 1991.  The church moved into the new building in December 1991 while the Dedication Ceremony was held in June 1992.

Current Ministries:

• Sunday Services: Cantonese 8:45am; Mandarin 9:15am and 11:15am; English 9:15am and 4:00pm;
• Average Attendance: 480 including children
• Leadership Team: 8 Pastors; 6 Elder; 7 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 3
• Fellowships(or groups): Cantonese 9, Mandarin 7
• Address:  51 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead

Church Plant: Rhodes Alliance Church was planted on 2nd June 2018 by 50 members of the Cantonese and Mandarin Congregations.  The bilingual service is held on every Saturday at 5:00pm.

8. Brisbane Chinese Alliance Church (established in 1992)

Brisbane Chinese Alliance Church, founded in 1990 and first known as Antioch International Church, was established in Sunnybank Hills by a group of local Chinese Christians. The church had been ministered successively by Rev. John Mui, Rev. Ho, Rev. Kim Goh and Pastor Elwin Lai.

Due to rapid growth of attendance, the Antioch International Church gradually developed into an independent church with a Board of Deacons being set up in 1995. As the service venue in Sunny Bank Hills became insufficient, they decided to split into two independent churches: Southside International Church and Brisbane Chinese Alliance Church.

The BCAC started to build a new church building at Rochedale in 2005, turning an important page in their history. During the building project, they had various kinds of fund-raising events: garage sale, lunch fund raising, talent show, and the Opera “The Pilgrim’s Progress” in 2007 etc. Thanks for the Lord’s guidance and blessing, the new building was completed in March 2009 and the BCAC was rooted and built up in Rochedale.

Since then the BCAC had been growing rapidly.  The “adult” congregation gradually developed into a Cantonese congregation, serving the first generation Cantonese immigrants of different ages including university students, working people, retirees etc. The then “young people” started an English congregation to serve the second generation of the Cantonese immigrants as well as non-Cantonese speaking people of all ages. The Mandarin Congregation was also established in 2011 with rapid development.

Current Ministries:

• Sunday Services: Cantonese 9:00am; Mandarin 11:00am; English 11:00am;
• Average Attendance:  280 including children
• Leadership Team: 3 Pastors; 9 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 4
• Fellowships (or groups): 11
• Address: 983 Rochedale Road, Rochedale
• Email: info@bcaccmaa.org

9. Baulkham Hills Chinese Alliance Church (established in 1995)

Baulkham Hills Chinese Alliance Church (BHCAC in short) was planted by the North Side Chinese Alliance Church on 12th February 1995.

The church was planted by 20 lay believers from the North Side Chinese Alliance Church under Rev. Daniel Tam’s leadership. They started their service and called a new pastor. Thank God for bringing Rev. Patrick Suen and his family from Hong Kong in September 1995 and Rev. Suen started his ministry on 1st October in that year.

Since February 1995, the Church had used the small hall of the Hills Alliance Church at Baulkham Hills for their Sunday service. The Senior Pastor of this English church, Rev Terry Davidson, also shared the Dining Room of his house, just adjacent to the small hall, for Sunday school ministry as a temporary measure. During that period, the Church received financial and physical support from their mother church as well as the Hills Alliance Church to build a classroom for Sunday school purpose. The classroom was completed in 1996 and a dedication ceremony was held on 4th August in that year.

After establishment in 1995, the church was growing strong and rapidly within a few years. BHCAC became an independent church in July 1998. With an increasing number of attendance, the small hall and the Sunday school classroom were no longer large enough to cope with their needs. The church decided to move to Crestwood High School on 25th April 1999 for services.

Due to the continuous growth of the church and for long term development, they started to search for their own church premise since 1998. Thank God for His guidance that, after a few years of searching without success, BHCAC eventually found their permanent church site in October 2004. The Church’s Dedication and Thanksgiving Service was held on 3rd July 2005.

Current Ministries:

• Sunday Services: Mandarin 8:45am; Cantonese 10:10am; English 11:45am
• Average Attendance:  320 including children
• Leadership Team:  4 Pastors; 10 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 3
• Fellowships (or groups): 28
• Address: 2/4 Gladstone Road, Castle Hill
• Email: admin@bhcac.org.au

10. Christ Community Alliance Church (established in 2000)

Rev. Alfred Tai and his wife Sarah established a church with eight overseas students at the Easter in 2000. To start their church, it took them a year of door knockings (over 600 houses) and gospel sharing in Glen Waverley, Melbourne.

Current Ministries:

• Sunday Services: Cantonese/Mandarin  2:45pm
• Address: 46 Montclair Ave, Glen Waverley, VIC 3150
• Email: ccac.org.au@gmail.com

11. Hills Christian Alliance Church (established in 2000)

Hills Christian Alliance Church was planted by the North Side Chinese Alliance Church. Looking back, God gave the vision to Rev. Almon Li and his wife in 1999. Thanks to God for the mother church to share the vision that it was the right time to send a pastor and a group of dedicated brothers and sisters to plant a new Chinese church.

Rev. Almon Li started to look for the right people for preparing the church planting after their mother church passed the church planting plan in January 2000. The core team was formed and started training and operation in March of that year. Within half a year of preparation and training, their first open day was held at the Pennant Hills Community Centre on 23th September 2000 and their first service was held on 1st October 2000 with a total attendance of 70 people.

Mandarin Church Plant started service in October 2006. A group of believers who had the heart to share the gospel to the Chinese from the Mainland China, were sent out to set up the new Mandarin Church Plant. At about the same time, the church began an English ministry and the attendance was growing. Since June 2017, the Mandarin Church Plant returned to the Hills Christian Alliance Church as the Mandarin Congregation. At present, Hills Christian Alliance Church is one church with 3 congregations.

Current Ministries:

• Sunday Services: Cantonese 9:30pm; Mandarin 9:30am; English 9:30am
• Average Attendance:  around 210 including children
• Leadership Team: 5 Pastors;  8 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 3
• Fellowships(or groups): English 5 ; Cantonese 11; Mandarin 2
• Address:
  • Cantonese & Mandarin Services: Pennant Hills Community Centre, Cnr Ramsay Rd & Yarrara Rd, PENNANT HILLS NSW 2120
  • English Service: 3/340 Pennant Hills Road, PENNANT HILLS NSW 2120
• Email: admin@hillscac.org

12. Sydney South Alliance Church (established in 2004)

Sydney South Alliance Church was planted by the Sydney Chinese Alliance Church. The resolution on planting a church was passed by the Extraordinary General Meeting held on 9th November 2003 and accepted by the National Board. A Commissioning Service was held for Pastor Franko Chen on 29th August 2004 and a church planting team was sent to Hurstville to set up the church plant. The church plant was called Sydney Chinese Alliance Church Hurstville at that time and their first service as well as the Sunday school ministry began on 5th September 2004.

The church plant used a piano studio for service in the first year.  One year later (i.e. 7th August 2005), they then used Hurstville Boys’ High School hall for services.4 years later after planting, the church was approved to become an independent church.  The ceremony was held on 11th November 2007 and the church was formally renamed as Sydney South Alliance Church.

Due to the renovation of Hurstville Boys’ High School, they could not use the classrooms anymore and their Sunday school ministry was greatly affected. Therefore, the church started thinking about having their own property for long term development. A purchase committee was formed in 2012 to study the church’s needs and review the financial status. After multiple rounds of searching, the purchase committee found a warehouse in Beverly Hills that could be reconstructed as a worship venue. A resolution on purchasing the warehouse and renovating it into a church was passed in an extraordinary general meeting held on 5th May 2013.

Then it took 4 years to work with Council, tendering and renovation. Finally the first Sunday service was held on 16^th July 2017. The Church Dedication Service was on 17^th September 2017 and we invited Rev Patrick Suen and Rev Ming Leung to solemnize the ceremony.

Current Ministries:

• Main Services: Cantonese 10:00am
• Address: 1/159-163 Penshurst Street, Beverly Hills
• Average Attendance:  80 including children
• Leaderships: 1 Pastors; 5 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 6
• Fellowships / Small groups: 5
• Email: admin@ssac.org.au

13. New Hope Community Church (established in 2005)

New Hope Community Church was established in July 2005 as an independent church set up by a group of believers. Pastor Robert Chua and the believers saw the gospel needs of the immigrants and students from China and hoped to spread the gospel to them, and to train them so that they could testify for God when they went back to China.

At first, they met in a garage of one of the believers with around 20 people who were mostly university students. Then, they moved to Calamvale Salvation Army Church for services until now. The church joined the C&MA in June 2011 as an affiliate church and then became a developing church in June 2014.

Current Ministries:

• Sunday Services: English/Mandarin 4:45pm
• Average Attendance:  120 including children
• Leadership Team: 2 Pastors; 3 Elders; 6 Deacons
• Ministry Committees: 2
• Fellowships (groups): 6
• Address: Corner Kameruka Street & Mt. Lindesay Highway, Calamvale
• Email: Robert.chua@newhopechurch.org.au

14. Gracious Glory Christian Church (established in 2017)

Gracious Glory Christian Church, established on 2nd July 2017, first started as an independent church and then joined the C&MA in October 2017. The church is currently hiring the Scout & Guide Hall, the Crescent in Beecroft for Sunday services (9:30 am) which are conducted mainly in Cantonese with simultaneous interpretation in Mandarin.  Apart from Sunday services, there are two family groups for brothers and sisters to have fellowship and sharing.  On outreach ministry, they have an English tuition class at 10am on Monday in order to serve the community and share the gospel.

Current Ministries:

• Sunday Services: English with Mandarin simultaneous interpretation at 9:30am
• Average Attendance:  30
• Leadership Team: 1 Pastor; 6 Deacons
• Ministry Committee: 1
• Fellowships (groups): 2
• Outreach ministry: 1
• Address: 1 The Crescent, Beecroft, NSW 2119
• Email: info@g2c2.org.au

15. Rhodes Alliance Church (established in 2018)

Rhodes Alliance Church (RAC) is the church plant of the Hebron Chinese Alliance Church (HCAC). Looking back, God gave Rev Kelvin Kam, the Senior Pastor, and the Board of Elders of HCAC in early 2016 the vision of church planting. Thank God for His guidance and blessing that the vision was endorsed by all three congregations in the mother church. All agreed that it was the right time to consider church planting. Rev. Joseph Kao and his wife, together with 48 brothers and sisters from both Cantonese and Mandarin congregations, were sent to establish a new Chinese church plant at Rhodes.

Rev. Kao conducted a series of training sessions brothers and sisters and led the planting team to pray for the lost souls in prayer walks at Rhodes community. Worship services training were held twice a month to prepare the planting team for the challenges ahead. By God’s grace, RAC managed to hire the Rhodes Community Centre as their service venue.

After one year’s training and preparation, RAC officially commenced its bilingual service on 2nd June 2018, with an attendance of 85 adults and 11 youths/children including some visitors who came to celebrate their opening. Thereafter, the average weekly attendance is about 60+ adults and 6-10 youths and children.

Currently, there are 6 cell groups, 3 in Cantonese and 3 in Mandarin. Everyone in the church planting team is involved actively in newcomers caring ministry. The Church connectsthe non-believers through their weekly dinner fellowship and visitations.

Current Ministris:

• Sunday Service: Bilingual (Cantonese and Mandarin), Saturday 5:00pm
• Average attendance: 70+ (including youth and children)
• Leadership Team: 2 pastors, 2 elders, 2 deacons, 1 member
• Rhodes Ministry Committee: 14 members 
• Family Groups: 6 (3 Cantonese, 3  Mandarin)
• Address: Rhodes Community Centre, 63 Blaxland Road, RHODES
• Email: Rhodes@hcac.org.au