Shanghai Community Church, Shanghai

This multi-denominational church was used by European and American residents in Shanghai as their neighbourhood place of worship. It is the largest protestant church in the city.

The Shanghai Community Church is located in the Hengshan Road in the Southwestern part of the city. The locality is the preferred residential area of foreigners and expatriates. The congregation started as a small group of Americans in 1920 whose church was in Dongu Road. As the number of Protestants from different countries in Shanghai increased, funds were raised to build the present building. The church was completed in 1925. The red brick structure has an architectural style of Anglican churches in England. There are corridors, aisles and a pointed vault within the church.

At first, the congregation in the new church consisted of European and American expatriates who made Shanghai their home. Later, Chinese converts to Christianity, who came from a high social strata, worshipped along with the Europeans. Service was conducted by European priests until 1949 when Chinese priests took complete charge of the service. Today, the service and Sunday school for children are in Chinese. The English service and Sunday school sessions at the church are for foreign passport holders only. The church has hosted many foreign heads of state, including former US president Jimmy Carter, since 1983.