Shenzhen Buji Church
Shenzhen Buji Church is a Protestant church located in Buji Subdistrict, Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. It was first established in 1854, and the present main building was completed in 2017.
History
The history of Christian Buji Church dates back to 1852, when missionaries Samuel Hanspach and Rudolf Lechler of the Swiss Basel Mission came to the Buji area to evangelize and set up a preaching station. In 1854, Lechler built the Lirang Gospel Hall in Lilang Village; it was completed the following year and is regarded as the first Protestant gospel hall in inland China. He also founded the Leyu Theological Seminary.In 1901, local believer Ling Qilian led the construction of the Buji Gospel Hall in Buji Old Market Village, which was completed the next year. Worship services ceased in 1948, and the building was subsequently used as a hospital and warehouse, among other functions. It was returned to the church in 1985, approved as a temporary meeting point in 1994, and recognized as an official religious venue in 1996. Due to aging conditions, a decision was made at the end of the 20th century to relocate and rebuild. The new church was first groundbreaking in 2008 and was officially opened in 2017.