VISION
Our vision is to be a reproducing church of spiritually alive
and growing people who freely and openly worship God, reach
out to the lost and needy, fellowship with all believers and
continue to disciple one another.
ABOUT US
LCBC was established in June 1981 as a church plant of the congregation that is now Ellerslie
Road Baptist Church. Starting with an attendance of seven people, our current weekly attendance
is over 300 people every Sunday.
We have a large variety of ministries for both Mandarin and
English speakers. Join us every Sunday for both Mandarin and English worship services and Sunday School.
We also have a vibrant Children’s Ministry program. Our young people meet for Youth Fellowship every Friday.
Our church places a strong emphasis on evangelism: from our local Michener Park ministry to short-term missions
opportunities throughout the year.
LCBC is part of the Baptist General Conference of Canada.
HISTORY
From the LCBC 25th Anniversary Commemorative Book (2006)
Much can be said about the beginnings of Lansdowne Chinese Baptist Church
that will be similar to how other churches rooted and grew. If anything
is to be said of this church, some attention will have to be given to
its different locations, and some focus will have to be made on the
people who have enriched it, challenged it, and nurtured it.
After beginning in 1981 as a church plant with the Baptist
General Conference* in the pre-existing Lansdowne Baptist Church,
attendance numbers of seven became seventy in less than two years; the
fledgling Lansdowne Chinese Baptist Church (hereafter referred to simply
as "Lansdowne") began to grow. The worship service moved from the running
room in the basement to the main sanctuary for afternoon services.
Various ministries were developed quickly, including adult and children
Sunday School classes, choir, youth fellowship,
home fellowship, prayer meetings, and baptismal classes.
Of particular note was the fact that the church plant stemmed (no pun
intended) from the establishment of a youth fellowship, with humble
beginnings such as the founding pastor’s invitational approach to young
people at the University of Alberta, shopping malls, and other public
places.
Everything was developed to bring spiritual content to people’s lives,
with concentration on strengthening relationships with our Lord and
Saviour, Jesus Christ. We cannot overlook the determination and hard
work of pastors who have toiled to lead and guide the church:
- Rev. Wen Huan Toon (Founding Pastor, In Memoriam 1912-2005)
- Rev. Dennis Ngien (Youth Pastor 1984-1986)
- Rev. Henry Kan (Pastor 1986-1993)
- Rev. Wilson Hu (Senior Pastor 1994-2005)
- Rev. Kenneth Au (English Associate Pastor 1996-1999)
- Rev. Rick Gordon (English Associate Pastor 2000-2007)
Several ministry interns, including:
- Joseph Ling
- Xinwei Lin
- Leon Gu
- Christopher Xu
- Bonnie Xu
Alongside these dedicated ministry leaders are the many women and men who
have been elected as deacons over the years, and the many laypersons
- young and younger - who bring their special talents to the many
ministries offered at Lansdowne. While there are too many to name here,
it is important to thank God for their volunteer labour and contributions
over twenty-five years.
While Lansdowne began primarily as an evangelistic movement for
Mandarin-speaking Chinese people in the city of Edmonton, it soon became
a church family for English-speaking constituents. When English
translation became a part of the worship service, it was provided in a
small viewing room at the back of the sanctuary. It could always be
expected that anything amusing from the speaker would be met with
laughter, and laughter again from the group who had just heard the
translation. These few-second delays between outbursts were in themselves cause for
laughter. However, if the interpreter inadvertently adds a comical
phrase intended for clarity, the extra-loud guffaws from the back became
a distraction for the main congregation, and left the speaker wondering
if his jokes were really that funny. Above all, people could be seen
enjoying themselves during the sermons. And that was a good sign.
When the English-speaking populace of Lansdowne increased, the need arose
to provide direct translation from the pulpit. This was seen as a
necessary step in the evolution of worship services, and also alleviated
the problem with cramped, sometimes smelly, quarters in the small
interpretation room.
When one problem was resolved, another would take its place. The three
o’clock afternoon services began taking its toll on people: many wished
for a worship service that could be held at a "normal" time (ie: 10:00 or
11:00 am on Sundays) so that the rest of the weekend could be free for
jobs, relaxation, or other
purposes. For students, the mid-afternoon worship service and Sunday
School classes intrinsically split up the day and, though being refreshed
from being in the company of Christians, left one with precious little
time for study. With travel time, Sunday School, Worship service, choir
practice, and commonplace group gatherings or dinners, six hours or more
in the middle of the day was spent on church activities.
To have a service that ended before lunchtime on Sunday seemed to be
preferable. Even those who worked night shifts could head off to church
on Sunday morning and take advantage of the rest of the day to rest. A
location was found by renting the seldom-used sanctuary at North American
Baptist College (now Taylor University College & Seminary), and Lansdowne
was content to have a morning service that they could call its own
(January 1987 -Ed.). Despite the normal time, there still existed those
who just could not stay awake for the entire service, and many people
have memories of persons who doze off but jerk back to consciousness with
a rattling of the pews that everyone could hear and feel.
After becoming accustomed to the "normal" service time, many began to feel
that renting a place for church activities was somewhat moot.
Restlessness translated into a need to find a place that could be
occupied solely by Lansdowne, and that could be used for all ministry
applications.
With a significant amount of fund-raising and prayer, Lansdowne purchased
a small church building and relocated (started renting: Aug 1988;
purchased: Mar.1989 -Ed), producing a few years of growth inherent with a
sense of belonging. Not long after, however, growth in numbers spurred
the need to find an even bigger building.
God timed everything perfectly: with the pre-existing Lansdowne Baptist
Church outgrowing the original building and developing land for a new
complex, the Chinese Lansdowne could purchase the original lot and really
call it their own. After nearly 12 years of "wandering in the
wilderness" of Edmonton, Lansdowne Chinese Baptist Church completed a
full circle and planted roots in the building where everything started.
For a few years (since Sept. 1993 -Ed.), Lansdowne held co-ownership with
the Baptist General Conference in Alberta, with other ministries getting
a good start in the same
building (namely the Lansdowne Community Church, Korean Alliance Church,
and the Philipino church plant). It was just within the last few years
(ie: year 2000 -Ed.) that Lansdowne finally purchased the entirety of the
building.
With total ownership, Lansdowne could proceed full steam ahead with its
developing outreach activities: two congregations (English- speaking, and
Mandarin-speaking) are currently well-established, and plans are being
followed for growth and further development of ministry and
missions-focused projects.
Prior to the Cross, it was believed that God’s glory could only reside in
the temple erected by human beings. It is taught in the New Testament
that the church is made up of God’s people, and is God’s new residence.
Even though the church moved from location to location, and restlessness
was a catalyst for change leading to big mortgages, Lansdowne was always
made up of people looking for a time and a place to truly worship. As
the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:22, we are being built together to
become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. God took up
residence in the hearts of Lansdowne’s people, and He continues to work
in amazing ways.
* Baptist General Conference, of Canada and in Alberta
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