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The Lord declares, "…for those who honor Me I will honor…" 1 Samuel 2:30 The history of the Chinese Baptist Church is a story of people seeking to honor Jesus Christ, and receiving honor from Him as well. For 113 years the Church has been a spiritual focal point for the Seattle Chinese community, a reminder that all people are created to worship and enjoy a deep and personal relationship with God. The church first began in 1896 as the Seattle First Baptist Church's Chinese Mission. A small group of Chinese Christians rented a small house at Fifth and Yesler to worship and study English. These enthusiastic and visionary Christians eventually raised funds to purchase land and build a facility on Washington and Maynard Streets. The Church was admitted into the Baptist Convention in 1902. Church membership continued to grow; and in 1922, the Chinese community raised funds to construct a new church building at 925 King Street in Seattle's Chinatown. Nursery school, weddings, baptisms, and of course, weekly Sunday services were held in this brick building for over half a century. Church members fondly remember the wooden slide on which children played, the church bell that rang when worship services ended, and many other symbols of church life in this much-loved building. The Church moved to its present site in November 1976, when the membership once again outgrew its physical home. This site on Beacon Hill was selected to ensure that the Church remained accessible to the Chinese community. In 1980 an educational annex was added to provide additional Sunday School classrooms. Eventually in 1986, a Christian Education Wing was constructed to meet an ever-increasing need. |