King’s Church is a mainstream Christian church, holding beliefs similar to many
churches throughout China. It is a part of the worldwide “Free Methodist Church” which has churches in America, Canada, Greece, India, Egypt, Africa, Japan, the Philippines etc. Our church in Penwortham  is a “British” church, but has a special care for Chinese students and visiting staff who are at UCLan, and many special activities and features
for them.

The Methodist church has a long history in China. Sun Zhongshan (孫中山), the first president and founding father of the Republic of China became a Christian and was baptised. The Wikipedia article on him states: “His conversion to Christianity was
related to his revolutionary ideals and push for advancement.” He married Song
Ching Ling (宋庆龄), the daughter of a Methodist missionary and who was educated
in a Methodist college – later Ching Ling herself became an important figure in China.

At King’s church we seek to practise the Christian faith as taught by Jesus and in the New Testament. We usually have a full time senior pastor but at present are looking for a replacement for Rev Geoff Williams who recently left us to take up a position as a chaplain in the National Health service.

Over the last 7-8 years King’s Church has developed a special involvement with the Chinese students and visiting Chinese staff at the University of Central Lancashire. 

Our Initial meetings have seen something like 70-80 attending, often there may be 10 or more in Church on Sunday, and throughout 2017-2018 some 50-60 Chinese were involved in the various housegroups which mix British and Chinese. 

Many social activities are also arranged, and the aim is to get to know and befriend you as visitors to our country. We aim to offer love and support to you when who are far from home, often for the first time, in an alien culture, and also to present spiritual truth as revealed in the Christian faith.

A number have made commitments and been baptised, but for others this may be a part – sometimes the very first part – of their spiritual journey, which can continue through Christian contacts in other UK cities if they move on to do Masters Degrees, or back home in China.  We try to keep in touch, and several in the team involved have been to China.

Janice and Paul Marston are the overall leaders of the activities at King’s Church aimed at Chinese students and visiting scholars, and they also run one of the housegroups.

Paul is a Lay Minister in the church, has long been a senior lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire (now part time) and has also written 18 Christian books, some with international evangelist and teacher Roger Forster. Janice is a retired senior educational administrator. They have a married son living in Texas, and a married daughter living locally. They have had 5 trips to China, each of about one month, visiting many Chinese friends in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Xiamen, Yangshuo, Guilin, Nanjing, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Huangshan, Zhangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Xi'tang and Zhangjiajie. These trips were in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

It must be emphasized, however, that the activities are very much dependent on a team of some 25 British and Chinese Christians in various roles, without whom these could not run. Housegroup people are those you will most often meet.