When asked about building costs, Wu said the new structure was of no cost to the church, but that 5 million yuan was spent on interior decoration. Rooms in the church are rented out, and the money covers water, heat and electricity bills, according to Wu.

A general view of Beijing Haidian Christian Church July 18, 2007. [Sun Yuqing/chinadaily.com.cn] Entrance of the old Beijing Haidian Christian Church [Courtesy of Liu Yang]

Helga Reimund, an architect with GMP International, said in an email interview that the new church "distinguishes it from the surrounding commercial buildings. At the same time it creates exiting spaces to the surrounding buildings." She also said that "the facade columns give the church a homogeneous shell allowing natural lighting of the interior."

A variety of materials were used to build the church, including cherry wood paneling, visible concrete beams with sound absorbing suspended panels, and concrete columns with thermal insulation and plaster for the facade.

A harmonious society

Wu, who is also the deputy chairman of the Beijing Christian Council and member of Beijing People's Congress, has led this church since 2001. At the opening ceremony of the church in late May, he said, "The new church provides the new start point for us to return Jesus' love to the people and contribute to the efforts of building a harmonious society."

Besides managing the church, Wu had a busy schedule everyday, especially on Sunday. "We have English services on Sunday, and some 50 foreigners usually came to the church." In total over 4,000 people attend weekend services.

More people become to believe in Christianity because of China's growing involvement into world community and other social, economical or spiritual reasons, said Wu.

An undergraduate student from Tsinghua University, a relatively new churchgoer, took her father to the church for the first time. "I heard a story of Paul today, and it's beneficial," said the father surnamed Guo. His daughter said she got to know Christianity because there are some groups interested in the Bible on campus. "It helps me to better think the purpose of life."

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