About Us
We are a Mandarin and English congregation serving the Community in Philadelphia.
Our mission : Proclaiming the Gospel, Equipping the saints, Sending the workers.
What We believe
We are biblical. We believe the Bible is God’s written Word. It is without error in all that it affirms and is the supreme authority in the Church. The Bible reveals the truth about who God is, who we are, and the way of salvation.
We are Reformed. Our leaders subscribe to the ancient Christian creeds (such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed) and to Reformed theology as expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith and accompanying Catechisms.
We are non-denominational. We are an independent church. We are governed by an elder board consisting of pastors and elders, who are elected by members of the church. Jesus, the chief shepherd, has given undershepherds (pastors and elders) to care for God’s people as they journey through their life of faith on this side of heaven (Ephesians 4:11-14; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
Humanity’s Condition All humanity has fallen short of God’s glory; is in a state of sin; and deserves the wrath of God. Because of our sin nature, we cannot seek out or please God on our own (Romans 3:23), and we deserve eternal punishment (Romans 1:18).
Jesus’ Solution Not only was Jesus Christ a real person in history, he is the sinless Son of God. He was put to death by political and religious leaders because of his “radical” claims to be God in the flesh, the Divine King promised in Scripture (Messiah), and his message of salvation through faith exclusively in him alone (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Jesus died for his children because he loves us and because we need a perfect Savior to turn away from us God’s justified anger (Romans 5:8-9). Jesus’ death was not permanent; on the third day he physically rose from the grave and appeared to numerous eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, when we turn from our sins and put our faith in him, we are saved from final judgment and granted eternal life (John 6:40).
Our Response The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Divine Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—Three in One and One in Three); he draws us to Christ; gives us the grace of repentance and saving faith to believe the good news; and strengthens us to live holy (albeit imperfect) lives of obedience to Jesus (Romans 8:5-11). Being a follower of Christ requires personal and often costly sacrifices (Luke 14:25-35).
Church Universal The visible Church, the Body of Christ, is comprised of all those who profess the true religion along with their children. We are committed to loving and caring for one another. Most importantly, we cultivate relationships to help each other grow in grace and love for our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 12:9-21). Prayer is a powerful gift from God through which we receive grace and forgiveness (Philippians 4:6). The Church is commanded to reach out to the world with an indiscriminate call to faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16). We are responsible to influence the world, both near and far, for the gospel (Matthew 28:19). Jesus will come again; and when he does, he will renew the cosmos and clothe his people in bodies fit to live on a renewed earth forever. Those without faith in Jesus will receive unending punishment (Matthew 25:31-46).
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Our Mission
Our Lord has given his church its mission: to go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and gathering those disciples into churches, that they worship the Lord and obey his commands to the glory of God.
Our Vision
The vision of Chinese Gospel Church is to glorify God through helping all peoples become Jesus’ disciples, beginning with the Chinese communities in the greater Philadelphia area. This is to be accomplished by building the church through basic loving communities in which the ministries of worship, prayer, bible study, edification, evangelism and leadership training are exercised in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the gospel is preached, the saints are equipped, and the workers are sent out.
Our Leadership
Rev. Charles Shin
English Ministry Pastor
Rev. Junqiang Wu
Chinese Ministry Pastor
Bill Wong
Elder
Sam Wu
Elder
Yong Xu
Elder
The Bible teaches that the church is a family (“the household of faith”). That we might better live as a family, not neglecting to meet one another, but encouraging one another (Hebrews 10:24-25), we urge our members to join a small group. Our hope is that these groups will help our people to grow in Christian maturity and to live out a gospel-centered life.
If you are interested in joining a small group, contact the office and get connected.
Church History
In 1946, a Methodist church began operating a Chinese mission in the Chinatown section of Philadelphia. This lay the groundwork for the launch of an independent, non-denominational assembly named Chinese Gospel Church. Services were held mostly in English (the majority of members were American-born Chinese) until 1965, when the first regular services in Chinese were held due to a critical mass of Chinese Christians from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. The church outgrew its space and eventually purchased the current property at 222 N. 12th Street.
Many pastors and coworkers have served at Chinese Gospel Church over the years. The following list includes the ordained pastors who have shepherded the flock of God:
Rev. Robert Downs (1946-1965)
Rev. Hermann Wang (1965-1969)
Rev. Timothy Chang (1965-1979)
Rev. Edward Knettler (1979-1990)
Rev. Kurt Teng (1990-2003)
Rev. Sunny Lee (1991-1996)
Rev. Michael Phua (2006-2008)
Rev. Shirong Chia (2009-2012)
Rev. Timothy Kao (2009-2014)
For a more detailed history, click here.