Our Story

Sydney – a changing city

The 1970s was a time of cultural discovery for Australia, as immigrants made new lives in this country with great hope. Chinese communities first arrived during the Gold Rush era, but there was a greater number of Asian migrants during the Whitlam era, many as students. By the mid-70s, there were around 40,000 Chinese residents in Sydney, and three Chinese churches, all located around the city centre.

In 1977, a small group of Christians gathered together with a missionary heart to share Jesus with Chinese families in the western suburbs of Sydney. The existing Chinese churches were also growing beyond their capacity. As a result, the Chinese Christian Church (Milsons Point) commissioned four families (of HL Hiu, Kim Bew Lim, Peter Chen and Pak Lim Chu) to establish the West Sydney Chinese Christian Church. The inaugural service, conducted in English and Cantonese, was held in January 1978 at the Burwood Gospel Chapel.

Unity in diversity

By God’s grace in a part of Sydney where people needed the gospel, the church grew quickly. Services were conducted separately in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, and by 1979, we moved to one of our current campuses at Strathfield. From the original group of 35 believers, we have now grown to over 800 attendees each Sunday at our seven services, held at two campuses – also at Croydon Park.

With services in three languages, our church is ministers in cultural diversity, and is unified by family worship and ministry. In many cases, our Chinese-speaking parents attend services in their own languages, and their children attend services in English. The recent influx of migrants from China can comfortably worship with similar others as a community. Our church continues to seek to live out the vision upon which it was established.

Continuing our vision

Just as the church itself was established to share Jesus in Sydney, so we too now seek to share Jesus beyond our locality. Three other branch churches have been planted from us, located in the Hills District, Auburn, and Five Dock. Many of our members have become ministers, missionaries and serve in various Christian ministries.

Further afield we have a strong tradition of sending families into global mission, both locally and overseas, long-term and short-term. Currently we have long-term missionaries serving in Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Australia.

The vision of our church is to be a people of God, growing in Christ, reaching out with the gospel until He returns. Our story is a testament of God working through our church, and we seek to continue to do so in our future.

Ministers of West Sydney Chinese Christian Church