The Dunedin Chinese Presbyterian Church has a rich history. Established in 1897, it is the oldest Chinese church in the New Zealand Presbyterian Church. In the 19th century, due to the gold mines in Central Otago, a large number of Chinese came here to explore for gold. Seeing the need for the Gospel, the Presbyterian Church hired a young missionary named Alexander Don to bring the Gospel to the Chinese in Otago. This western missionary traveled to Guangdong Province, China to learn Cantonese (as most of the Chinese in Otago were Cantonese at the time) and then spent over 30 years in Chinese ministry in order to reach the Chinese with the Gospel. Due to the depletion of the gold mines, many of the Chinese returned to their homeland, but many settled in Dunedin, and in 1897 Rev. Tong established a “Chinese Mission Church” for them in Dunedin.
Originally located on Walker Street (now renamed Carroll Street) on the south side of Dunedin, the church he founded was moved to its present location on Howe Street in 1993, and was later renamed the Dunedin Chinese Presbyterian Church. The church has had its ups and downs over the past 100 years, among other things, because it has been difficult to find Chinese preachers who can serve here on a long-term basis, and sometimes the number of people is even very small. However, God's marvelous preservation has allowed it to continue to this day. In 1999, when Pastor Peter Liu and his wife, Mrs. Rosemary Liu, were called by God to pastor this church, the church grew tremendously. The growth of the church was not only in numbers, but also in truth. Both of them faithfully pastored the church for almost 20 years, and after their retirement in 2018, they passed the baton to Pastor Sun and his wife Pastor Ng to carry on the mission of over 100 years. “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
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Rev. Alexander Don, 1906
唐願高牧师，1906年
但尼丁華人禮拜堂有著豐富的歷史，它建立於1897年，是所屬紐西蘭長老會中最悠久的華人教會。 在十九世紀因著中奧塔哥地區(Central Otago)的金礦，有大批的中國人來此淘金。當時的長老教會看到了福音的需要，就聘請了一位年輕的宣教士將福音帶給奧塔哥的華人，這位宣教士的名叫唐願高(Alexander Don)。這位白人宣教士為了將福音傳給中國人，他曾到中國廣東省學廣東話(因為當時在奧塔哥的華人大部分是廣東人) ，之後他投入了三十多年在華人事工當中。因著金礦的耗盡，許多中國人回鄉，但也有許多華人就因此在但尼丁定居，所以在1897年唐願高牧師為他們在但尼丁建立了“福音堂”(Chinese Mission Church)。
他所建立的福音堂原本位於但尼丁南邊的Walker Street (現改名為Carroll Street)，在1993年才搬到現在的位置Howe Street，而後來改名為但尼丁華人禮拜堂。該教會的發展在過去一百多年當中起起伏伏，其中是因為一直難以找能夠在此長期服事的華人傳道人，也因此有時人數甚至寥寥無幾。但因神奇妙的保守讓它延續至今。在1999年廖旭方牧師以及他的妻子蘇榮美師母被神呼召來此牧會時，該教會有很大的發展。教會的成長不僅是人數上的增長，更是在真理上得到很大的造就。廖牧師夫婦忠心擺上了將近二十年在該教會牧會，2018年退休後他們將棒子交給孫學意傳道以及他的妻子吳千紅傳道，接續了這一百多年來的使命傳承。 『我栽種了，亞波羅澆灌了，惟有神叫他生長。可見栽種的，算不得什麼，澆灌的，也算不得什麼；只在那叫他生長的神。』【歌林多前書 3:6-7】
Original location of the church on Carroll street, c. 1904
教堂最初位于Carroll street的位置，1904年
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