Chinese Church Voices

A Monument to a Swedish Missionary

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The mainland site Gospel Times recently reported on the discovery of a stone monument commemorating the life of a Swedish missionary named Anna Karlsson.

Century-Old Missionary Monument Found in Church in Mongolia

Contrary to belief, there are still monuments that remain undiscovered. Recently, during renovation work on an old house near the Tongshunjie Church in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, workers discovered two century-old stone monuments.

One of the monuments commemorates the life of a Swedish missionary named Anna Karlsson; her name is carved on the stone in English. Chinese names were listed on the other monument, perhaps the names of early Chinese Christians in the region.

Sister Feng, from the local church, told China Christian Daily that the monuments were excavated from a corner of an old house that is more than a hundred years old.

Deacon Liu Guilan said that the house had been built by Swedish missionaries as their living accommodations and that it stands out among the surrounding buildings.  The house is listed as a “protected relic” by the government.  Nobody is permitted to tear it down. Every year Swedish visitors come to visit the house and see the footprints left by their countrymen.

Situated behind a Buddhist temple in the Hui nationality area, the Tongshunjie Church has 2000 parishioners attending their Sunday service and 18 teams serving in specific areas. These areas include security, business fellowship, visitation, reception, Sunday school, and prayer. The church has a long history of approximately 94 years. 

Original article: 呼和浩特通顺街教堂发现百年前传教士纪念碑  (Gospel Times)
English translation: Century-Old Missionary Monument Found in Church in Mongolia (China Christian Daily)
Adapted and edited with permission

Header image credit: by Satbir Singh from London (DSCF2361) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 
Text image credit: China Christian Daily
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