History

Brief History of English Congregation

The English congregation started in 2001 as there was a need to care for the younger members of our congregation and where English was becoming the common language. To appreciate the rich heritage of Living Stone and it's beginnings please continue to read the full history below.

 
History of Evangelical Free Church in Australia & Living Stone EFCA

In around 1850, there was a mass migration from northern Europe, mainly Swedish, Danish and Norwegians to North America. Christians among these migrants began to establish ethnic churches in the new home. Coincidently, at 1884, the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the Danish-Norwegian Evangelical Free Church were formed. In 1950 these two churches merged into Evangelical Free Church of America.

In 1887, Rev. Hans J. von Qualen, first missionary delegated by Swedish Evangelical Free Church of America to China. The Evangelical Free of Church of China (EFCC) was established by Rev. von Qualen in 1888. The first church of Hong Kong was built in 1937. As the Chinese political scene changed in 1949, a large number of missionaries moved southward to Hong Kong where the EFCC concentrated most of its development. At this time, the EFCC Headquarters also moved to Hong Kong to continue the implementation of its goal.

From 1980 onward, the uncertainty of the future of Hong Kong triggers mass migration of Hong Kong residents to overseas, including Australia. Sydney, being the busiest city of Australia, becomes the settlement ground of many of them. Among the migrants are some members of EFCC who wants to carry on the tradition of EFCC in church gatherings and worship by opening a Cantonese service in Chatswood Church of Christ. This is the beginning of Evangelical Free Church of Australia.

The continual stream of migrants from Hong Kong now settling in northwest suburbs lead EFCA leadership team think of planting a church in the northwest area of Sydney. In September 1993, Northwest branch of EFCA was established in North Rocks under the guidance of Rev. Sam Liu. Five years after, Northwest branch gained independence and named Living Stone Evangelical Free church of Australia.

Living Stone Church started with a bunch of young families with toddlers. In time these toddlers became youths and the need for an English congregation grew. In 2001, the deacon board decided to start an English congregation for the next generation of the church. Now Living Stone Church has grown to be a church of four congregations, namely, Cantonese, Mandarin and English. In addition another sister church, Living Spring Church was planted in the suburb of Kellyville.