Year 2004 - Photo Sampler

It should be noted that the gas burner fired woks and other kitchen shelving was originally part of a "real downtown Victoria Chinese Restaurant" that specialized in take out food in the late 1960's. When it went bankrupt, the equipment was donated to the Church, by Mr. Harry LouPoy to which the restaurant owed back rent. (from memory of N. Chan )

Women's Missionary Society

• Watching documentary on the Christian Church in China, its trial and tribulations and blessings,
  The photo shows women in the Sunday School area of the church building watching the video on DVD recording in Mandarin with Chinese subtitles
  DVD loanded by Mrs. Mandy L.

Easter 2004

• College-University Students speak CLICK FOR PHOTOS
• University of Victoria Students & Vancouver Friend CLICK FOR PHOTO

Year 2003 - Events Sampler

• Sample photos events of 2003 including - family joining the congregation in 2003, Christmas family nite performances by:  contemporary music singspiration group, the college Bible study group skit, the senior women's choir and more.
• Rev. Paul Lam, featured in front page article of Victoria News paper article, Oct. 29, 2003 read and see scans of article
• Christmas music-family nite

Year 2002 - Events Sampler

Rev. Morgan Wong, from the Vancouver Chinese Presbyterian Church, visits and speaks at 110th Anniversay Celebrations on July 07, 2002.  the picture attached to this link shows Morgan to the left of Rev. Paul Lam, Rev. Campbell Smyth (former Interim Moderator of the Chinese Church, and Clerk of Session, Elder John Lee.

Congregation group pictures April-May 2002

Congregation in front of alter in main sanctuary of church - spring 2002 Click on small "thumbnail" pictures for enlargements

Easter Sunday combined youth choir led by Mrs. Ruth Smyth, accompanied by Terry Hong

Year 2001 Events Sampler

Nativity scene with younger children - December 2001

1970s at Victoria Chinese Presbyterian Church

Picture of Miss Watson, Deaconess and some members of Chinese Presbyterian Young People's Society taken in the basement social hall, circa 1969-1970.  Reverend Edward Ling was the minister during this time.  (click for enlargement of picture)

Note:  not present in this picture were Arthur Gee, President of the the Y.P. Society and Sharon Chow, Secretary-Treasurer, John Lee and Leona ___, John and Paul Chow, Stephanie and Joanne Sam and Lila Lee

1960s at Victoria Chinese Presbyterian Church

in the late 1960's through to 1971 there were a number of joint events between the Church Youth Group and the UVIC Chinese Club, as Neal Chan was the founding vice-president and President of the UVIC Chinese Club and an attempt was made to introduce Church activities to students at the University, particularly those who were from abroad, e.g.. Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.  In this picture we see in the front row, the dance chaperones Rev. & Mrs. Edward Ling, and Miss Watson, Deaconess.

around 1968-1969 the Vancouver Chinese Presbyterian Church youth group came to visit with Victoria's young people's group.  The Vancouver group was led by Victor Ling (then doing a post-doctoral program at U.B.C.) and Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Yuen.  The weekend included a dinner at the church and later a social-dance at the home of Miss Nancy LouPoy.  Laura Wong from Vancouver's CPC in the 1990s recognized a number of people in this picture, including her aunt Linda and uncle Keith, and Pearl Wong.  Today Gordon Yuen is a long standing Elder and Clerk of Session still at the Vancouver Church and Victor and his family are active also in the Church.

Comments on the outreach efforts of the Rev. Edward & Mrs. Ling during the 1960's and 1970's

by: Neal Chan

On his arrival in the late 1960's on his call to the Victoria church, Reverend Ling and his wife were active in promoting the revival of youth/young-adult programs in the church.  Working with Miss Watson the deaconess the CPYPS (Chinese Presbyterian Young People's Society) met every Friday evening at the church hall, while many of this group did not attend Church on Sundays, they did faithfully form a "young adult" choir and attended the major events of the year e.g. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving etc. - This was one part of the Church outreach plan. 

Arthur Gee was the President of the revived youth group and attending UVIC at this time - when Neal Chan joined him at UVIC the two of them with the support of people like Nancy LouPoy and Sharon Chow and later Stephanie and Joanne Sam extended programs to involve the University Chinese student community (then only numbering about 110 people).  Activities included picnics, hikes, tours, caroling at Christmas and dinners.  Mrs. Edna Chow and her daughter Sharon were very gracious hosts on more than a few occasions when we had special dinner/dances/sing-a-longs at their home (how many of you remember singing "Moon River" accompanied with their footpump player piano?]  Nancy LouPoy and her family (Harry and Alice) also were generous hosts on occasions where a big rumpus/family-room was a welcome social centre.

Reverend Ling recognized the new trend of Hong Kong and other Asian families sending their children to private highschools in Victoria in the 60's and 70's.  Attending private highschools was a way to to give overseas students a better chance to attend University in Canada and the USA.  Reverend Ling initiated opportunities to welcome students to the Church and Youth group activities, e.g.. with special dinners (always a big hit with students living in residences - remember also there were also fewer Chinese Restaurants then too).

In 2002 we forget how much more isolated overseas students were 25-35 years ago , there was

• - NO EMAIL / LISTSERVS --- you wrote letters by hand or typed on a typewriter and mail took days and sometimes weeks to get to places outside of Canada
• - No INTERNET / WORLD WIDE WEB / CHAT ROOMS
• - NO VOICE MAIL,
• - NO CHEAP LONG DISTANCE PHONE CARDS OR CELL PHONES, and long distance phone calls were prohibitively expensive

We need to remember that during the late 1960s and 1970s the church was challenged by the "boomer generation" in rejecting many of the values and belief systems of their parents generation.  I certainly remember Rev. Ling's living his faith by welcoming people into his homes in Victoria and his family home in Toronto.

It is only now 30 years after the fact that I appreciate more of the challenges faced by the church of my youth.  Today in 2002, the challenge remains for the Church, to develop and recruit and maintain its next generation of families.

Rev. Lam | 2002 - 2001 | 1990s | 1980s | 1970s | 1960s | 1940s - the war years | 1930s | 1920s | 1910-1919 |

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