Planting and Budding Stage (1981-1983)

         Rev. Paul Tse, pastor from Hong Kong, was commissioned to plant a Chinese church in Arizona by the Chinese Churches Association of C & MA and the C &MA of the United States.  On the 25^th August, 1981, Rev. Tse accompanied with Rev. H.Y. Poon of the San Jose Chinese Alliance Church arrived in metro Phoenix area to survey a possible location for the new church. After many prayers and research of many locations, they finally selected Tempe and rented the McKemy Middle School for Sunday Service.  After a few months’ preparation, Rev. Tse visited many Chinese families, including workers at Chinese restaurants, the Vietnam refugees, Hong Kong students at ASU and junior colleges, and Chinese operated businesses around metro Phoenix area. On November 25, 1981, the first Sunday Service was officially held at the music room of Mckmy Middle School. There were 25 people attended the Service.

        On September, 1983, the members of the church were 29, exceeding the 25 members required by the CCA and C&MA to file for a non-profit church organization at the Arizona Corporation Commission.  On November 1982, the church was formally approved by the ACC and was legally named the Metro-Phoenix Chinese Alliance Church.  On the third year, the MPCAC was independent and self sufficient.  The church requested CCA and C&MA to terminate their financial supports.

Growing Stage (1984-1989)

        After the two years’ lease expired at McKemy Middle School, the Tempe School District declined to renew a new lease due to liability concern.  The church moved to Desert Rose Lutheran Church in Tempe.  There were ample rooms for Sunday Service and Sunday schools.  There were many Hong Kong students attending our church.  A few Hong Kong students asked the ASU foreign advisors to obtain a list of Hong Kong students that would attend ASU in the fall.  They would write to them and offer services to drive them to campus and register for them upon their arrival.  God prepared the gospel work for the Hong Kong students attending ASU.

Bearing Fruit Stage (1990-1993)

         During this period, our church had a very friendly association and good fellowship with the Tri-City Alliance Church in Tempe.  Our church had helped them to build their education building. Due to this friendship and brotherly love, the Governing Board of the Tri-City Alliance Church invited us to share their facility.  On 1989, when the lease expired at the Desert Rose Lutheran Church, our church moved to TCAC.  Our church could really upgrade all services, for we could have Sunday schools at 11:30 AM and Sunday Service at 12:30 PM.  Our church reached peak attendance of over 80 people.  There was always problem after our church reached rapid growth.  The children of the congregation in the 1980’s were now teenagers and youths.  The members began to worry about the spiritual well being of the ABC (American born Chinese).  Our church had to face the challenge of planting an English ministry for the second generation.  Rev. Tse and the Governing Board discussed the possibility of hiring an English Youth minister to meet the spiritual needs of the teenagers.  However, due to the economic downturn and layoffs to some of the congregation that forced them to move out of state, the plan of hiring an English Youth pastor was never materialized.  After serving the church for 12 years, Rev. Tse retired on September, 1993.

Maturing Stage (1994-1998)

     Rev. Philip Huynh, a pastor at the Regina Chinese C&MA in Canada became the second senior pastor of the MPCAC.  Under Rev. Huynh’s direction, all levels of Fellowships were established so as all Sunday school classes, from children to Ever Green. Some of the classes were taught in English.  In order to attract Cantonese speaking immigrants, Rev. Huynh open a Cantonese school for Chinese children.  The school had three classes of different levels.  The parents would bring their children to classes on Sunday, and would then be invited to attend the Sunday Service.  In these ways our church directly or indirectly spread the gospel to the Cantonese immigrants.

 
     The plan to hire an English Youth minister was always in discussion. Due to the tight financial situation, and the fact that the possibility to land an ABC English Youth minister was very remote, Rev. Huynh and the Governing Board decided to invite an English pastor to preach once a month at our church.   This would not really solve the problem, for the second generation American born Chinese were now in high school and college bound.  As a result, some congregation moved to other churches that could provide the spiritual needs of their children.  Rev. Huynh also actively revived the Church’s Building Fund.  During his first 3 years, the building fund was reaching to thirty thousand dollars. The real estate market rebound in the 1990’s, and the goal of purchasing a church was not reached.  The building fund was continuously growing to present of $200,000.00.

     On his seventh year, the Sabbath year, Rev. Huynh had a deep burden of missionary to his mother land, Vietnam.  He and several Christian volunteers decided to form an organization to help Vietnam to improve rural developments and to grant medical assistances so as to gain permission to enter Vietnam.  When everything was in order, he was commissioned to head this mission.  On August 30^th, 1998 Rev. Huynh resigned.

Drought Stage (1999-2001)

      In 1999, the Tri-City Alliance Church due to financial necessity rent his facility to two other churches.  As a result, our church was moved to Education Building for Sunday Service and was forced to eliminate the Chinese school due to shortage of classrooms. Our church decided to move to Lakeshore Bible Church in Tempe.  After the resignation of Rev. Huynh, the congregation continued to shrine to about 40 people.  During the years without pastor, Rev. Tse, after his retirement, went to missionary field.  He served at Venezuela in 1997 and at Reno, U.S.A. in 1998.  He came back and volunteered to preach on Sunday Service.  At the same time, our church invited Doctor Jeff Lee, who was a student of theology seminary, to preach in English on the fourth week of each month.  During this drought period, our church experienced zero growth and spiritual drought. Fortunately, with the help of Rev. Paul Tse and Dr. Jeff Lee, our church survived with the spiritual dews provided from Zion (Rev. Paul Tse and Dr. Jeff Lee).

     The Governing Board acting also as the Pastoral Search Committee began interviewing candidates for both Senior and English Youth pastor. Due to lack of experience and lack of constant prayers, lack of vision and failure to ask assistance from the C&MA, the Pastoral Search Committee spent 4 years without any success to call for  the service of a pastor.  With God’s grace, He sent his servant to answer the call.

 Revival Stage (2001-2008)

      Rev. Sing-kin So, former     pastor at the Evangelical Free Church in Hong Kong and the Love Truth Chinese Mennonite Church in Philadelphia, became the third senior pastor of the MPCAC.  During his first two years, he and the Governing Board were n the process to hire an English Youth pastor.  For a congregation of only 40 people and with only a few families with small children and with only a few college students with English background, many candidates felt that they were helpless to improve the situation. Fortunately, Joel Yuen, a young man who worked full time and studied theology seminary part-time devoted himself on the children English ministry.  He organized children and youth Sunday schools and English Sunday Worship Service for children. For his endless energy and zealous devotion, the second generation ministry grew to a very respectful number.

      Rev. So being a recent immigrant from Hong Kong, understood that being an immigrant, he had to face a lot of challenges such as language barriers, culture differences and adapting schooling for children, started to provide community services aiming for the new immigrants from China and Hong Kong. He set up free English classes and Citizenship classes.  The English classes were not very successful for most of the students worked in restaurants and could not able to attend regularly.  The Citizenship class was a huge success.  There was over 90% success rate for students to pass the English citizenship interview and become U.S. citizens.

      Rev. So was also very hospitality.  He hosted different fellowships at his home.  He offered temporary shelter for new immigrants and college students from China. He helped them to find housing, work, transportation and fill out applications until they were able to be independent.  His kindness and genuine openness and brotherly love melt their hearts and accepted Jesus as their  personalSavior.  Some became the pillars of the church.

      Rev. So wanted to take a break after his 6^th years serving as senior pastor of MPCAC for he would have served the Lord for over 20 years.  He wanted to take a time-out to ponder whether to continue further study or other ministry.  He decided to resign on November, 2007.

 Rejuvenated Stage (1997-now)