When God called us to set up the Christian International Training Centre (CITC) in 2019, most Chinese churches in the UK (except those in big cities) are
so weak and small that they could hardly meet the needs of the vast mission field among the Chinese in the UK. On top of the longstanding shortage of pastors and mature lay leaders, there was scarcity of theological education offered in Chinese. CITC was set up to provide solid theological training to equip leaders for the Chinese churches with a view to strengthening the latter for the evangelization of the Chinese in the UK. As of now several certificate and diploma programmes have been launched.
The scene has undergone a dramatic change since 2021. On the one hand, with the influx of more than 140,000 Cantonese-speaking Chinese immigrants into the UK, the mission field has grown exponentially. On the other hand, among those who come to settle in the UK are a good number of educated and mature Christians who hunger for theological education as they long to be better equipped for service. We realise that God is doing amazing things and is enabling the UK Chinese churches to thrive. To keep in step with such developments, we collaborated with Evangel Seminary in Hong Kong in launching the Master of Christian Studies in January 2024 with a view to training capable and godly leaders.
CITC is the first theological college in Scotland. It is also the only UK based theological college that offers Cantonese instruction (CITC also offers
simultaneous translation into Mandarin). Our students come from more than 10 cities in the UK, Hong Kong and North Europe. Currently our registered students exceed 100, about 60 of them are regularly taking classes.
For CITC to have an environment congenial to quality hybrid classes (on-site and online), we need to have a physical place for development. After more than four years of searching, we can finally acquire our own property! In God’s good timing, He has prepared the most suitable property for CITC. It is conveniently located and very suitable for CITC’s needs. Recently the Council granted approval to our Change of Use application and the Board of Trustees has decided to proceed with the purchase. A preliminary estimate suggests that the budget of the whole project will be £900,000 (approximately HKD 9 million), including the purchase price, various fees, costs for renovations, furniture, and equipment. So far we have raised £500,000 of building fund. A foundation has generously pledged a £200,000 matching donation in advance, which means that if we can raise another £200,000 (approximately HKD 2 million), we can successfully complete the renovation project. Below is an introduction of the strategic significance of this property for your consideration.
This property is located in the Ocean Terminal area in northeast Edinburgh, where the tourist attraction royal yacht Britannia is moored. Right opposite across the road is the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. It is served by the tram and several buses. Many new residential buildings are being built in the vicinity and the area is growing in liveliness.
The floor area of the property is nearly 2,000 square feet. With a compact design, there will be room for:
2.1. Two multi-functional rooms for teaching, training, meetings, seminars and counselling;
2.2. A small library for the use of students and the Chinese community in UK;
2.3. A tea corner for outreach;
2.4. An office.
When the property is not in use by CITC, this property could offer space for Chinese churches or organisations to meet. Currently most Chinese churches do not have their own premises. They usually meet under the roof of local churches which have generously shared their
facilities with Chinese congregations, something we often give thanks for. This property could offer an easily accessible place for Chinese churches and organisations. Most importantly, it can help to promote a sense of belonging within the Chinese community.
Due to the proximity of the property to residential buildings, this property is an ideal base for outreach work. We shall set up a tea corner to host members of the community. Apart from serving affordable tea and coffee, there will be display of evangelistic and Chistian literature. CITC’s extended education department (Xpace) will also hold seminars of different topics regularly to introduce the Christian faith and values to the public. We would also consider opening the library to the public.
I longed for the training center to have a school building, having experienced the benefits of having physical gatherings. Brothers and sisters can meet physically and experience firsthand how beautiful and good it is for brothers and sisters to live together in harmony. We actually meet the instructors who take classes, and their life testimonies also inspire our growth. With the leadership of the pastor, we can be more united and walk on this journey to heaven.
“Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver to the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided this holy temple.”
1 Chron 29:3
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