Ward anniversary 两周年

 
两周年! 

Two year anniversary!

2012年12 月2日 唐人街支會支会成立日

   今 天标志了纽约唐人街支会的一个非常特别的日子。今天是唐人街中文分会演变成为中文支会两周年纪念日！这成果得来绝对不容易- 一切都是从一个小小的分会发芽、成长。这小小的中文小組随着越来越多的华裔接受耶稣基督的福音逐渐茁壮成长。我们邀请你看一看本支会的历史、以前所面对的困 难、和它怎样从一个渺小的中文小組演变成支会，最后享受丰盛的成果。

     Today marks a very special day for the Chinatown ward here in New York! Two years ago today the Chinatown branch became a ward! That wasn't an easy process though, many, many years ago this tiny branch was started. As more and more Chinese people accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ the branch slowly grew. Take a look at what it took for this humble branch to become a ward and some of the trials that came along with it.

     大約 1999年夏天之前，當時的紐約• 紐約支聯會會長白耀明 ( Brent J. Belnap ) 弟兄，向紐約• 紐約北區傳道部羅納德 ( Ronald Rasband ) 會長提出了在曼哈頓的華人社區裡開始傳道事工的想法。直到同年九月，新任傳道部會長 Noel Stoner 弟兄上任， 前任支聯會會長 John Stone 和來自舊金山的李長老 ( Alfred Lee ) 隨即開始接受訓練，並進行街頭接觸。

   最初只有 Stone 會長、顏姐妹、一對傳教士同伴團和一、兩位慕道友，參與曼哈頓第二支會的聖餐聚會和獨立課程。不久之後，曼哈頓二支分為第二支會和第五支會，中文小組因地域的緣故， 隨即改與曼哈頓第五支會一同聚會。Danny Ferguson 弟兄被召喚為支聯會傳教士，成為當時第一位正式的中文小組領袖。藉著所有傳教士的努力，從第一位因街頭接觸而願意到教會來聚會的陳奮松弟兄之後，漸漸地有更多的歸信者陸續加入教會。

 

   中文小組開始在曼哈頓百老匯大道 4O1 號的一個小辦公室房間內舉行安息日聚會，當時大約有十名成員。 2001年一月，潘國輝 ( Ned Butikofer ) 弟兄被召喚為當時的中文小組領袖，他隨即也召喚咨理、以及慈助會、長老定額組和中文小組的傳道領袖。  2002年三月，堅尼街(中文) 分會正式成立，潘國輝弟兄成為分會第一位會長。

 

   分會相繼舉行首度的分會大會和波士頓聖殿之旅，但隨後因傳教士返鄉和語言的問題，自 2002 年底起，分會面臨了許多的挑戰。雖然當時參與聚會的成員減少，但因為有良好的領袖們致力於分會的成長，分會反而變得比以前更加謙卑、更有信心，部分睽違己久的成員再度出現。 在長久的等待之後，2004 年三月十二日，堅尼街分會的成員在靈性上已有了更好的準備。 分會正式開始在曼哈頓伊莉莎白街41號四樓聚會，教堂並於六月廿六日由紐約•紐約支聯會白耀明會長正式奉獻，當時分會有45名成員。

    自從遷至較大的聚會場所後，再加上傳教士們不懈地致力於曼哈頓講中文的人群當中，堅尼街分會不斷地有許多的成長。每週固定參加安息日聚會的人數平均增至55～60名成員和慕道友，每個月也會平均有兩個洗禮會，成員大部份來自中國福建省。堅尼街中文分會進而成為整個紐約• 紐約支聯會中，成長最為快速的單位之一。

    繼潘會長御免之後，麥宇集 (  Matthew B. McConkie  ) 弟兄在2010年三月至2014年一月將近四年期間，被召喚成為分會的第二任會長。雖然當時己有成立其他的輔助組織，但分會裡並沒有正式的初級會。麥會長於是在2012年七月召喚解姐妹 (Aimee Brower Hsieh) 為分會初級會會長。後來，解家庭舉家遷至麻州之後，羅姐妹 （Heather Rosenbaum ）接著被召喚成為分會初級會會長，在兩位美好的前任和現任的畢姐妹( Hannah Teichert Belnap) 所帶領的初級會會長團和其他歷任同工們的不斷努力之下，目前的初級會，己經從當初不經常來的一名兒童，增加至每週約有十至十五名小朋友來參加安息日的聚會。

    麥會長服務任期中，堅尼街（中文）分會於2012年12月2日，正式成為耶穌基督後期聖徒紐約曼哈頓唐人街支會。麥主教舉家於2014年一月西遷之後，黃凱弟兄隨即被召喚成為目前的唐人街支會主教。由當初只有一名華人成員的中文小組，直到現在把整個位於伊莉沙白街41號四樓聚會所擠滿，唐人街支會在各方面都有許多顯著的成長，也將會繼續不斷地往前走。

     神真實的福音會感動世上誠實者的心。神的事工不會落敗，福音在 救主耶穌基督第二次來臨之前，會傳遍世上的每個角落。有一天，福音也會如同烈火燃燒一般，傳遍整個中國土地！

 

Canal Street (Chinese) Branch History
By Ned Butikofer

       In the summer of 1999, President Brent Belnap approached Ronald Rasband, president of the New York, New York North Mission, with the idea of doing missionary work within the Chinese communities of Manhattan. President Rasband liked the idea and immediately requested Chinese-speaking missionaries from the Missionary Department. No missionaries were called, however, until September after President Noel Stoker replaced President Rasband. At the request of President Stoker, former Stake President John Stone and Elder Alfred Lee, from San Francisco, began tracting and street contacting in Chinatown. Brother Chen Fen Song was the first person in the Chinese community to accept a meeting. Soon after, other missionaries were called and a hand full of people became converts. As the missionaries’ efforts bore fruit, the Chinese group began to meet as part of the Manhattan Second Ward and then, after the ward divided, as part of the Manhattan Fifth Ward.
 
      Ronald T. Nelson, a member of the stake high council at the time, was asked to coordinate all matters for the stake concerning the Chinese-speaking group that was set up to meet with Manhattan 2nd Ward. Not long after, Danny Ferguson, called as a stake missionary, became the first official group leader. The Chinese group separated from Manhattan Fifth Ward and began to hold independent Sunday worship services at a office suite at 401 Broadway with approximately 10 members.

      In January 2001, Ned Butikofer was called to be the group leader. Subsequently, he called Brother Kang Chen as his assistant, a member of just over a year. Others who were called included Jenny Hsu as Relief Society leader, John Thomas Slover as mission leader, and Tony Yang as elders quorum leader. The group held picnics in Central Park, celebrated Chinese New Year, and sponsored Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and Relief Society enrichment meetings.

      In February 2002, permission to form a branch was granted by the First Presidency, and on March 31, 2002, the Canal Street (Chinese) Branch was organized, with Ned Butikofer as branch president, Wong Hoi Man (Kevin) and Chen Fen Song as counselors, Lee Kun Huai (Jimmy) as branch clerk, Brett Helquist as elders quorum liaison, John Thomas Slover (Xiong) as branch mission leader, Franklin Chow as Young Men president, Lee Shui Lin as Relief Society president, and Jenny Hsu Primary president. Nancy Yam was later called as the Young Women president.


     In April 2002, a new property for a meetinghouse was located at 41 Elizabeth Street, and in February 2003, the Church signed a lease. Unfortunately, zoning problems delayed the actual move in.
 
     June 9, 2002, was the day of our first branch conference. At last we were a functioning branch with a Relief Society, Primary, Young Men and Young Women programs, and an active priesthood quorum.
 
     In November 2002, Jerry Hsieh, from California, was sustained as our first Elders Quorum President. John Slover was released as mission leader and sustained to serve as the Elders Quorum First Counselor.
 
     On June 22, 2002, the branch had its first temple trip to do baptisms for the dead. Fourteen members took the long trip to Boston, returning very late in the evening. This happy experience was followed by substantial challenges. The original missionaries had left, and a period of change began. At one point, there were only two elders, neither with a firm grasp of the language. The little branch faltered. By the end of 2002 attendance had dropped substantially. For a long time, the missionaries had no investigators. Baptisms were at a low point.
 
     The bright spot in all the gloom was the faith of a few members. Weekly temple preparation classes led by Tim Davis kept the branch alive. They were held from February to August 2003. Out of the five who attended, two were endowed. On July 31, 2003, Sister Tam Choi Yuet and Brother Chen Fen Song went to the Boston Temple.
 
     By 2004 our situation had improved dramatically. We were a smaller and humbler branch, but a much more confident branch. We had great leaders who were dedicated to the growth of the branch. We began to see members we haven’t seen in a while. We were more spiritually ready to move into our new meetinghouse. On March 12, 2004, after a wait that seemed eternal, we moved into our new home at 41 Elizabeth Street and on June 26th, 2004, a dedication was held with President Belnap offering the dedicatory prayer. We now have a membership of 45 and tremendous support from mission president Nelson Boren. He is sending us the very best missionaries. We are confident that many of the Chinese people in New York City will accept the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    The year 2005 has been a time of great growth for the Canal Street Branch.  Continuing from the trend that brought the need for a new meeting space in 2004, average church attendance has now reached 55 to 60.  With an average of two baptisms per month, the Canal Street Branch—commonly called the Chinese Branch—is now one of the fastest growing units in the New York, NY Stake.  There are now over 50 members who regularly come to church, with a steady flow of investigators in attendance on any given Sunday.
 

    Ned Butikofer was released as branch president in 2010, in March of that year Matthew B. McConkie was call to be the 2^nd Branch President of the Manhattan Chinatown branch. While he was serving as Branch President he first called Sister Aimee B. Hsieh as primary president. After a time of faithful service the Hsieh family moved to Massachusetts. The calling of primary president was given to Sister Heather Rosenbaum who accepted and magnified her calling with honor until she was released. The calling was then accepted by Hannah T. Belnap who serves faithfully in this calling to this day. Because of the hard work of these three wonderful primary presidents and the help of their councillors, the primary program has increased form one irregularly attending young boy to a weekly group of ten to fifteen young children.   

    Such growth might be explained in part by the streak of stellar missionaries given stewardship of any investigators who speak Mandarin in Manhattan. Their proselytizing efforts are devoted almost entirely to street contacting in Chinatown.

    The new location may also be a contributing factor to the branch’s increasing numbers. In June 2004, the Branch moved to its present location at 41 Elizabeth Street. In the heart of Chinatown, this new meeting place is far more attractive than its predecessor, an office converted into a makeshift chapel. The new space accommodates more people for Sacrament meeting, and allows for division into classrooms for Sunday School, Relief Society, and Priesthood. Each week the new chapel is regularly filled to capacity, which leads to speculation of how soon expansion will become necessary.

    But along with growth come challenges, the first and foremost being the transient nature of the congregation. As Chinatown is a hub for immigrants hoping to find employment in the United States, work opportunities in other states make New York only a stopping point for many who join the Church. That is why providing its members with a strong foundation in the Gospel has become a priority for branch leadership.

     Like the majority of Chinese immigrants in New York City, most of the converts who attend the Canal Street Branch are from the Chinese province Fujian. This does not ensure that everyone understands one another, as regional dialects and cultural differences vary even from town to town within the same province. Several members are not even from China. As Taiwanese native and current Relief Society President Catherine Wang puts it, “Just because everyone speaks Mandarin doesn’t mean everyone’s speaking the same language.” Factor in the additional obstacle of adjusting to Church culture, and the learning curve can seem quite steep. 

     Despite the challenges, the church continues to gain momentum in Chinatown. Many members have sincere desires to learn and serve, making cultural barriers become less significant. As long as testimonies grow stronger and if more members remain in New York, Church establishment in Chinatown will continue to prosper.