Leaders from Chinese churches across the diocese met with the Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, to share about their mission in our region.
Bishop Nick invited the leaders from five churches in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield to a lunch to speak and eat together, to learn about the ministry of Chinese churches in our area and to discuss how the Diocese of Leeds can work together with Chinese churches.
The church leaders represented churches whose members are from China, Hong Kong, and South East Asia, along with British-born Chinese, and whose congregations worship in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.
This is the first time a meeting between the Bishop of Leeds and regional Chinese church leaders has happened and represents a first step towards closer relationships between Anglican and Chinese churches in the region.
Since the arrival of large numbers of Hong Kongers in the UK after 2021, Chinese churches are now the fastest growing churches in the UK and, according to the Bible Society researcher Dr Yinxuan Huang in his report ‘Chinese Christianity in Britain’, they have grown on average by 29% in the last few years.
The meeting affirmed the important role that Chinese churches have in ministering to the Chinese community and wider society more generally, and committed to deepening relationships between our churches and working together in the future.
The Revd Dave Ho Young represented St Barnabas’ Alwoodley, which has a significant number of people from Hong Kong attending worship, and said: “The meeting between Bishop Nick and Chinese church leaders recognised the important role that Chinese churches have in the UK today.
“As the only priest in the diocese to have Chinese heritage, it was very moving to meet and deepen the relationships with other Chinese heritage clergy, and I am very encouraged by the desire for unity and to work together to share the good news of Jesus with all in our region.”
The Revd Tommy Hui, pastor of RockGate Church in Leeds, said: “We praise God for the opportunity to meet the Bishop together with the leaders of the Chinese churches from Leeds, Huddersfield and Bradford.
“We pray for unity and cooperation in the coming joint ministries.”