North America's Oldest Asian Church
Founded a century and a half ago, the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown is the oldest Asian American Christian congregation in North America. Designated a "foreign mission" by the Presbyterian denomination, the church opened its doors on November 6, 1853 with four members under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. William Speer. It was not until 1925 that jurisdiction of the church was transferred from the Board of Foreign Missions to the Board of National Missions. After changing its name from the Presbyterian Chinese Mission Church, the congregation continued to be known as the Chinese Presbyterian Church until 1958, when the current name emphasizing the church's recognition of its social context and its commitment to the San Francisco Chinatown community was adopted by its members.
北美最早的亞裔教會
華埠長老會建立於一個半世紀以前，是北美最早的美國亞裔教會。開始時，長老總會將她設在“外國傳道事工”名下。一八五三年十一月六日威廉。士比牧師帶領四名信徒聚會，成立教會。直到一九二五年，長老總會對本教會的管轄才由“國外傳道事工部”轉到“國內傳道事工部”。在一九五八年之前，教會還是以它本來的名稱“中華基督教長老會”聞於世，而現在的名稱則特顯其位於三藩市華埠並服務於華埠社會的特徵，故深受教友的歡迎而樂於採用。
The Rev. Dr. William Speer (1822–1904) — shown here with his wife, Elizabeth Ewing —founding minister of the Presbyterian Chinese Mission Church. For five years a medical missionary to Canton, China, Speer arrived in San Francisco on November 6, 1852 with a working knowledge of Cantonese and a call from the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions to evangelize to the city's Chinese population. He remained in San Francisco until 1858.
In 1955 Friends of Jesus was started as a fellowship group of the Cantonese ministry. Here, members of the group are seen gathered at a weekly meeting circa 1960, under the leadership of the Rev. Teng-Kiat Chiu (second row, second from the right).
From November 19, 1882 until the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906, the Presbyterian Chinese Mission Church met at 911 Stockton Street, in the building which had previously housed Old First Presbyterian Church. The congregation is seen here in front of that building in a photograph from 1890.
The Rev. Dr. William Speer (1822–1904) — shown here with his wife, Elizabeth Ewing —founding minister of the Presbyterian Chinese Mission Church. For five years a medical missionary to Canton, China, Speer arrived in San Francisco on November 6, 1852 with a working knowledge of Cantonese and a call from the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions to evangelize to the city's Chinese population. He remained in San Francisco until 1858.