Rochester Christian Chinese Church (Rochester, N.Y.)

The Rochester Christian Chinese Church (RCCC) is a total immersion baptism, non-denominational Christian Chinese church in Rochester, New York. Samuel Chen was born in Taiwan and came to the United States as a student in 1973. He received his Ph.D. from Purdue University in Indiana. He has been in Rochester since 1985 and works as a scientist at Eastman Kodak Company. He is married to Eulalia Chen, a physician born in the Philippines of Chinese descent. They have three daughters. Samuel is currently the Chairman of the Deacon Board at the Rochester Chinese Christian Church. Allen Lee and Shirley Lynn are founding member of the RCCC.

RCCC originated in 1958 as the Rochester Christian Fellowship (RCF), a group of international students who met on Friday evenings for Bible study and fellowship at the home of the Ernsts. In the 1960s, Lucy and Nea-Yea Woo became the first Chinese couple married in the Brighton Community Church (by Pastor Miller Crawford). During the 1970s, the Brighton Community Church provided Mandarin translation of some of its services. In 1973, RCF moved from the Ernst home to University of Rochester Medical Center. In 1980, the Brighton Community Church became Browncroft Community Church. During the period between 1980 and 1984, scheduled services changed from monthly to biweekly, and finally to weekly.

In 1984, RCCC was incorporated as a separate institution to enable Chinese-speaking parishioners to have their own church. However, some Chinese families stayed with Browncroft Community Church. Initially services were performed in Mandarin but in 1987, bilingual English/Mandarin services were introduced. In 1995, separate English and Mandarin services were introduced. Beginning in 1998, Mandarin services were also translated into Cantonese. In 1990, RCCC moved into its own church building. From 1992-1994, additions were made to the original church structure.

In 1995, RCCC's plans for the future included: 1) starting a daughter church; 2) expanding the existing church; and 3) having an English-speaking pastor. In April 2003, approximately one dozen core members founded RCCC West in Henrietta. Membership included approximately sixty adults and thirty children.

Former pastors of RCCC include Samuel Yau (1989-1990), who studied at Trinity Seminary in Chicago and was ordained by RCCC; and Mitchell Herring (1991-1995), who studied Chinese at Rutgers University in New Jersey and also studied at China Evangelical Seminary (CES) in Taiwan and Trinity Seminary in Chicago. Although he was not himself Chinese, Herring was fluent in Mandarin was married to a Chinese woman (Lily). As of 2003, Herman Tang was pastor and had held that position continuously since 1996. Tang studied at Alliance Bible Seminary in Hong Kong and Trinity Seminary in Chicago (Masters & Ph.D.).

Pastors are the only paid staff of RCCC; all additional staff are volunteers. Originally the various church fellowships took turns cleaning the church. In 2003, they had hired cleaners, paid for with proceeds from the rental of a building on church property. In 2003, RCCC had 104 official members and approximately 200 regular attendees.

From the description of Rochester Christian Chinese Church records, 1958-2003. (New York State Historical Documents). WorldCat record id: 155424298