Yu Guozhen
Encyclopedia
Yu Guozhen was a pastor and the founder of an independent Chinese Christian organization, the China Christian Independent Church
. Yu was born in Huzhou, Zhejiang province to a Chinese Presbyterian pastor of the Xinshi township in Zhejiang. In 1867 he attended the Hangzhou
Presbyterian Boys' school, organized by the North American Presbyterian church. There Yu converted to Christianity. After graduating 1872, he was appointed as a pastor of a Presbyterian congregation in Xinshi Township, Huzhou
.
In 1894, the North American
Presbyterian missionary
John Farnham
took holiday leave and returned home, handing over the pastoral responsibility of a Shanghai Presbyterian church congregation on Hanyang road to pastor Yu.
Yu became an advocate of the "self-support" movement, thus in 1903 he purchased a piece of land on Haining road near North Shanghai and the following year he formed a self-supporting Presbyterian church congregation and severed all financial ties with the mission churches. On January 25, 1906, Yu established the China Christian Independent Church
. The local congregations in Pingyang
of Zhejiang, Tianmen
of Hubei, and several others joined his group. By 1910, the General Assembly of the China Christian Independent Church was formed in Shanghai.
On November 16, 1932, Yu fell severely ill while he was conducting a sermon
on the pulpit in Wenzhou
and died.
China Christian Independent Church
The China Christian Independent Church , began before 1910 with headquarters in Shanghai. By the 1920s, this church had well over one hundred congregations affiliated with it...
. Yu was born in Huzhou, Zhejiang province to a Chinese Presbyterian pastor of the Xinshi township in Zhejiang. In 1867 he attended the Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
Presbyterian Boys' school, organized by the North American Presbyterian church. There Yu converted to Christianity. After graduating 1872, he was appointed as a pastor of a Presbyterian congregation in Xinshi Township, Huzhou
Huzhou
Huzhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzhou to the south, and the provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu to the west and north respectively.-Administration:...
.
In 1894, the North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
Presbyterian missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
took holiday leave and returned home, handing over the pastoral responsibility of a Shanghai Presbyterian church congregation on Hanyang road to pastor Yu.
Yu became an advocate of the "self-support" movement, thus in 1903 he purchased a piece of land on Haining road near North Shanghai and the following year he formed a self-supporting Presbyterian church congregation and severed all financial ties with the mission churches. On January 25, 1906, Yu established the China Christian Independent Church
China Christian Independent Church
The China Christian Independent Church , began before 1910 with headquarters in Shanghai. By the 1920s, this church had well over one hundred congregations affiliated with it...
. The local congregations in Pingyang
Pingyang
Pingyang may refer to:*Linfen, formerly known as Pingyang, county-level city of Shanxi*Princess Pingyang , Chinese princess of the Tang Dynasty*Pingyang County , of Wenzhou, Zhejiang*Towns named Pingyang...
of Zhejiang, Tianmen
Tianmen
Tianmen is a sub-prefecture-level city in central Hubei Province, Central China.It is on the west of Wuhan and east of Jingzhou. Formerly known as Jingling , it was renamed to Tianmen in 1726 during Qing Dynasty....
of Hubei, and several others joined his group. By 1910, the General Assembly of the China Christian Independent Church was formed in Shanghai.
On November 16, 1932, Yu fell severely ill while he was conducting a sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
on the pulpit in Wenzhou
Wenzhou
Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100 as of 2010....
and died.