Our History

In April 1988, about 70 people from the Kowloon Tong Alliance Church began an English-speaking worship service at the YMCA at Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The name Evangelical Community Church (ECC) was chosen to reflect the interdenominational character of the fellowship as well as the shared vision to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the Asian and ex-pat English speaking community in Hong Kong.

The founding members of the church believed that the formation of ECC provided a unique opportunity to examine afresh the New Testament teachings of what it means to be the church in an international urban culture. They believed that the church ought to be one which reflected the ‘priesthood of the believers' involving their active participation, thus creating a dynamic place for the corporate worship of Jesus Christ, mutual encouragement and accountability, care and concern, growth in Christ and training for service in the world and for its needs.

From April 1988 to January 1989, the church met at the YMCA and our numbers increased and although those who led the worship were not ‘vocational Christian workers' those who were a part felt a sense of belonging and ownership in an atmosphere of anticipation enthusiasm and fellowship. The church continued to grow with average attendance approaching 300 and opened an administrative office in Mong Kok for the two new pastors and a secretary.

In October 1991, we began another morning service in the newly renovated YMCA on Salisbury Road (where we are today). By spring 1994, one single service would not suffice and we began a second morning service as we were then over 600.

In September 1999, a group of 200 were sent out to begin the ECC Island congregation meeting at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Center. In April 2002, we adopted a "sister church" model to allow the Kowloon and Island congregations the freedom and autonomy to respond to their unique needs by having separate elder boards, financial and legal structures.

Both congregations have continued to grow and evolve. In spring 2007, after many years of prayerful discussions, under the recommendations of the joint elder board, the membership approved the Island congregation to become Island ECC, a separate and independent church, which took effect in September 2007.

The Kowloon congregation retains the name ECC and we hope by God's grace to continue to, ‘prepare people for God in Hong Kong and beyond through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.'