Huang Guangcai (or Wong Kong-chai, Chinese: 黃光彩, 1827–1886) was the first Chinese convert, the first candidate to receive the Holy Order and was the first ordained Chinese priest from the Protestant Episcopal Church Mission (PECM).[1][2]

Biography edit

Born in 1827 in Xiamen, Fujian, he was a neighbor of the missionary William Jones Boone and was the caretakers of Boone's children, Henry and Mary. He accompanied Boone to the United States in 1843, then returned to China in 1845. In 1846, Boone relocated to Shanghai, but Huang remained in Xiamen to take care of his family. On April 12, 1846, Huang was baptized by Boone in the Bishop's House and became the first convert of the PECM. This was also the first time Boone used Shanghai dialect to baptize a local.[1]

On September 7, 1851, Huang was ordained deacon and became the first native presbyter of the PECM on November 8, 1863. Despite the shortage of funding due to American Civil War, Huang reported in 1872 that since 1859 he had baptized 103 people. From 1872 onwards, he worked at the Church of Our Savior in Hongkou (Hongkew) and by 1879, the church registered around 234 converts. He died on November 28, 1886.[3]

Personal life edit

His daughter, Huang Su'e (黃素娥) became an Anglican leader as well to help Henrietta F. Boone, wife of William Jones Boone, to establish St. Mary's and supervise student affairs.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Huang Guangcai | BDCC". bdcconline.net. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  2. ^ Wickeri, Philip L. (2017-02-02), "Anglicanism in China and East Asia, 1819–1912", The Oxford History of Anglicanism, Volume III, Oxford University Press, pp. 318–337, doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199699704.003.0015, ISBN 9780199699704, retrieved 2018-12-03
  3. ^ Xu, Edward Yihua (2007). "Pioneering Chinese Pastors of the Sheng Kung Hui". In Wang, Peter Chen-main (ed.). Contextualization of Christianity in China : an evaluation in modern perspective. Wang, Peter Chen-Main, 1984-. Sankt Augustin: Institut Monumenta Serica. ISBN 9783805005470. OCLC 213468068.
  4. ^ Kwok Pui-lan (2018). "The Study of Chinese Women and the Anglican Church in Cross-Cultural Perspective". In Chiu, Patricia; Wong, Wai-Ching Angela (eds.). Christian women in Chinese society : the Anglican story. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-988-8455-37-9. OCLC 1066226424.