History of the Development of the Orthodox Mission in Henan Province

Abstract

After the destruction of the Mission in 1900 in Beijing and some period of wandering through the cities of the north and northeast of China, it was moved to Shanghai, and this served as the beginning of missionary activity in the center and south of China. One of the most important provinces where Orthodoxy established itself was Henan Province, located in the eastern part of central China. It should be noted that the beginning of missionary activity did not arise here in the usual way, but was initiated by a large donation from a local resident, a former district chief, who, in gratitude to the mission for the help of the Russians during the unrest of 1900, donated his estate in the city of Weihuifu and more than twenty-one hectares of land, where, to begin with, he himself built buildings for a school and housing for missionaries, as well as a prayer house. Thanks to its impressive material base, this camp became the main one for the Mission’s activities throughout the province. The missionaries actively visited Weihuifu, and as a rule stayed there for a long time, making trips throughout Henan and to neighboring Hubei, where there were also many believers and those preparing for Baptism. Thus, the appearance of a missionary camp here became an important event for the enlightenment of central China, both in the province of Henan itself and in neighboring Hubei.