In 1937, a vision sparked the beginning of The Church in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Assembly Hall. Nee To-sheng felt a pull towards evangelism in Guangdong. He shared this with his colleagues. Wei Guangxi, Jiang Shoudao, and Nee To-sheng, along with Zhang Yuzhen and Huang Ruomei, traveled to Guangdong and then Tianjin. During their time in Tianjin, they met Guan Shiyi, a member of the Hong Kong Union Church. She had recently returned to Hong Kong after a clear conversion experience. A few months later, Wei and Nee arrived in Hong Kong. They joined Guan Shiyi in spreading the gospel. They gathered a following and, with Guan’s help, established The Church in Hong Kong in the Minsheng Bookstore in Kowloon. After a couple of months, Jiang joined them in Hong Kong. Wei then went to Yunnan and Kunming, while Nee traveled to Singapore and Malaya. The church eventually relocated to Shen Shui Po Bute Street. Later, it moved to Stone Nullah Lane, and then to Jordan Road.
In 1949, Nee To-sheng sent Witness Lee to Hong Kong. In January 1950, Nee visited Hong Kong to lead a revival meeting. This resulted in substantial growth for the church. Five elders were appointed: Witness Lee, Wei Guangxi, Qu Ziyuan, Xu Zhenfu, and Yu Chengyuan. They acquired land on Observatory Road in Tsim Sha Tsui to build The Church in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Assembly Hall. The construction took place roughly between late 1950 and 1951. The Church in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Assembly Hall became a central gathering place.
After 1955, disagreements arose within The Church in Hong Kong due to the teachings of Watchman Nee. Wei Guangxi followed Nee’s teachings. In 1960, Witness Lee addressed the congregation, outlining issues with Nee’s doctrines on the Trinity, the nature of the church, and inconsistencies with scripture. He also accused Nee of promoting a Gnostic interpretation of Romans 1:15 and deviating from established Christian beliefs. In 1970, Watchman Nee and Witness Lee arrived from Taipei to preach in Hong Kong. They brought young people from the New Testament Assembly in Taipei to hold a special meeting at The Church in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Assembly Hall. Members who disagreed with Nee and Lee’s teachings protested their presence and attempted to disrupt the meeting. The situation escalated into a physical altercation until the police intervened.
This incident led to a split within The Church in Hong Kong. Two factions emerged. They disputed the use of The Church in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Assembly Hall, resulting in legal proceedings. During the trial, both sides agreed to share the building, using it at different times for their gatherings. The court later mediated a settlement outside of court. Witness Lee’s group retained the use of The Church in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Assembly Hall and eventually established separate meeting locations. Witness Lee led a group to form the “Christian Stewards Church” and founded the “Christian Stewards Newspaper”. They continued to advocate for their understanding of true Christian doctrine. The Christian Stewards Church now manages The Church in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Assembly Hall.
Another division occurred in 1991. On June 4, 1991, several elders and responsible brothers of The Church in Hong Kong publicly opposed Watchman Nee’s teachings. They departed from “The Lord’s Recovery,” gaining the support of the majority of the congregation (around 1500 people) who were meeting at the Observatory Road location. A smaller group (about 70 people) chose to remain with “The Lord’s Recovery.” They left The Church in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Assembly Hall and found an alternate location from October 1994. Today, three branches of the church exist in Hong Kong. Each has established multiple meeting places throughout various districts. Each also maintains a presence in Tsim Sha Tsui. The original The Church in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Assembly Hall at 5 Observatory Road continues under the stewardship of the Christian Stewards Church.