Haggai 2:9

Celebrate the 108th Anniversary of Kum Yan MC

Today, we celebrate the 108th Anniversary of Kum Yan Methodist Church. We thank God for His faithful hand upon us — for guiding, sustaining and leading Kum Yan in His ways all these years.

More than a century has passed, yet the church has not grown fatigued or stagnant. Instead, we have seen renewed strength, fresh vision and bold faith. This is the fruit of generations before us who listened to God and responded in obedience. Above all, it is the work of God Himself — His grace and power at work in our midst, again and again.

“The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Hag 2:9)

Allow me to share a few moments from our history that have especially touched me.

We begin with our founder, Mr. Lam Iu Cheung. In 1918, he answered God’s call and came from China with five Christian teachers to serve at Yeung Ching School. When they recognised the spiritual needs of the Cantonese community, they did not hesitate. They began holding Cantonese worship services in borrowed premises. Over the years, the congregation moved from place to place, yet there was always somewhere to gather. Still, the leaders knew that borrowing space was not a long-term solution, and so they began praying for a permanent home.

This was during the Japanese Occupation, a time of great hardship. Once they were certain of God’s direction, they stepped out in faith to raise funds. When Japan surrendered, the “banana notes” that had been collected became worthless overnight. Yet the congregation did not lose heart. They pressed on. In 1950, the current site was purchased. Construction began in early 1957 and was completed by the end of that year. After four decades of moving from place to place, the church finally had a home of its own.

In the decades that followed, the church expanded several times, including the addition of the annex building. As the congregation grew, space once again became a challenge. In 2002, the leaders began praying about expansion. For some time, the sense was that it was “not yet time”. After more than two years of prayer, there was a shared conviction: the time had come. Fundraising began in earnest. Another question arose — during rebuilding, where would our worship services be held? Many possibilities were explored, but none proved suitable. Then, in God’s providence, what we needed was right next door. The international school next to us — previously Catholic High School — had just vacated the premises. Through the right connections, we approached the relevant government department, which was open to leasing the space to the church. The remaining question was the rental amount. There was no prior case of such a lease to a church. The officer suggested that we propose a reasonable figure. On the evening before the meeting, those leaders attending the meeting came together to pray and seek God. After praying, one sensed the figure of $1,500; another felt it should be five cents per square foot — which came to about $1,500. Trusting that God was leading, they proposed $1,500. The proposal was accepted, and Kum Yan rented the premises for two and a half years. In addition, during the rebuilding of the church, the congregation did not have to disperse to different locations for worship. Instead, we were able to witness the entire rebuilding process together — truly, how wonderful are the works of God.

There are many more stories of God’s faithfulness — both in the life of the church and in the lives of individuals. What I have shared here is only a glimpse. As we celebrate 108 years, may we continue to write the next chapter of Kum Yan’s story together.

To God be all the glory.

As Scripture reminds us: “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:9)