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About GICF
Guangzhou International Christian Fellowship started informally in the home of an expatriate in approximately 1983. These expatriates gathered to help each other continue their walk with God while away from their home church and other important support systems (including, often, their families!). At that time, they met irregularly, usually about once every two weeks.
By the early 90's there was a group of 25-30 meeting each Sunday in the American International School (then in the Garden Hotel), and around this time the fellowship began to have a loose governing group. The mix of nationalities, ages, and occupations began to increase rapidly. There weren't enough children or teachers to form a Sunday School yet, but the large influx of Procter and Gamble families brought a lot of BOTH to the fellowship by 1994. That year, the American International School moved to a new location, in the Greenery complex, and by 1997 there were about 60 attending each week, and separate classes for children started to be held during the sermon-time. This year, a formal Leadership Team was appointed.
Growth continued, and in the summer of 1998, when about 100 were now coming to the weekly service, GICF moved to the Star Hotel. This venue saw an expansion of the fellowship’s activities, with a fully-fledged Children’s Church, prayer nights, social activities, training seminars and so on. Growth continued over the next few years, until by 2008 we were getting over 700 on some Sunday mornings, which was more than the capacity of the hall. By the terms of our licence – like all other foreigners’ fellowships in China – only foreign passport holders can attend. This effectively prohibits local Chinese Christians from joining with us. In 2009 we came to an arrangement with a local Chinese church (legally registered) to hold an English service on Sunday mornings. Local Chinese can freely attend this, so if foreigners wish to worship with their Chinese friends, they can attend this church. This move helped offload some of our congregation, and reduce the pressure on space and resources. Now, in 2010, we have an average congregation of 550-600 on Sunday mornings at GICF.
