Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations China Missions: Secretaries' Records

Presbyterian work in China commenced when the first missionaries arrived in Ningpo in 1844. Within a year a church had been established there. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, eight distinct missions were established throughout China. These included:

the Central China and the Kiangan Missions (1906)
the South China Mission (1845)
the Hainan Mission (1893)
the Shantung Mission (1862)
the North China Mission (1863)
the Hunan Mission (1899)
the Yunnan Mission (1923)

The stations of the Central China Mission predate the mission's formal establishment in 1906. Ningpo became the first permanent station to be occupied in 1844, followed by stations at Shanghai (1850), Soochow (1871), and Hangchow (1895). The stations of the Kiangan Mission also preceded the mission's formal organization and consisted of Nanking (1876), Hwaiyuan (1901), Nanhsuchow (1912) and Showchow (1919).

The station at Canton, opened in 1845, initially remained the only one in south China; because of its distance from the other stations, it was constituted as a separate mission. Stations were later opened at Yeungkon (1886), Linchow (1890), Kochow (1912) and Sheklung (1915). Hainan, originally an outgrowth of the Canton Mission, was formally recognized as a separate mission in 1893 and included the stations at Noda and Kuingchow (1884-1885) and Kachek (1902).

Missionary work in the north centered around Chefoo, which was opened in 1862. The Shantung Mission, destined to become the largest mission in China, later included the stations at Tsinan (1872), Weihsien (1882), Ichow (1891), Tsining (1892), Tsengtao (1898), Yihsien (1905) and Tenghsien (1913). Work in Peking commenced in 1863, with stations later opened at Paoting (1893) and Shunteh (1903). These three stations were later incorporated as the North China Mission in 1905.

The opening of Siangtan in 1899 signaled the beginning of missionary work in the interior province of Hunan. The advent of the Boxer Rebellion disrupted work until 1902, when the station at Hengchow was organized. Subsequent stations were opened at Chenchow (1904), Changteh (1906) and Changsha (1913). The Yunnan Mission, formerly part of the Siam Mission until 1923, consisted of the stations at Chiengrung and Yuankiang. In 1933, the former was returned to the Siam Mission and the remaining missionaries and churches were transferred to the German Vandsburger Mission.

The Church's ministry in China was primarily educational, medical and evangelical. Elementary, secondary, university and technical institutions presented western ideas that challenged the

traditional concept of a classic Chinese education. Medical facilities like the McCartee Hospital, the J.G. Kerr Hospital for the Insane and the Ming Sum School for the Blind exemplified the Church's concern for the physical well-being of the Chinese people. In toto, over 92 hospitals and dispensaries were established throughout China.

Evangelization, an integral part of the educational and medical work of the mission, was largely entrusted to the Church of Christ in China, established in 1927 and consisting of over 15 different European and American denominations plus several independent churches.