The Diocese of Western China (), also known as Diocese of Szechwan () or Hua Hsi Diocese (), was an Anglican diocese in late-Qing-dynasty and Republican China, established in 1895, under the supervision of the Church of England. It had belonged to the Church in China since its outset, and had been part of the Chinese Anglican Church since 1912. In 1936, it was divided into the Diocese of East Szechwan () and Diocese of West Szechwan ().
History
The Cambridge Seven, who were missionaries to China through the China Inland Mission (CIM), arrived in Shanghai in 1885. Four of them —William Cassels, Arthur T. Polhill-Turner, Cecil H. Polhill-Turner, and Montagu Proctor-Beauchamp— were sent up by the CIM into the Western Province of Szechwan, where they established a proper Church of England diocese. Arthur's elder brother, Cecil, felt drawn towards the people of Tibet, went to Tatsienlu, a Khams Tibetan city located in western Szechwan, and he had laboured on the Sino and Indo-Tibetan borders since then.
At the close of 1891, Rev. James Heywood Horsburgh of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), along with his wife Mrs Horsburgh, Rev. O. M. Jackson, three laymen, and six single women missionaries, entered Szechwan as the first band of CMS missionaries to take up work in that province. By 1894, CMS work had started in Mienchow, Chungpa, Anhsien, Mienchu and Sintu, all of which are in the west of the region. Meanwhile the CIM workers, based in Paoning, were also breaking ground in East Szechwan.
In 1895, steps were taken for the formation of a new diocese, due to the fact that the Church was represented by two Societies on the field. Cassels was eventually consecrated Bishop of Western China on 18 October 1895, in Westminster Abbey. As aforementioned, the CMS worked the western portion, the CIM the eastern portion. But after Cassels's consecration, the work was being more and more co-ordinated under his guidance.
The diocesan newsletter, The Bulletin of the Diocese of Western China, was founded in 1904. It was renamed several times during its 54-year run, with the last print published in 1958.
A Chinese translation of the Book of Common Prayer was published in 1932, revised and authorized for use in the Diocese of Szechwan.
The Diocese was split into Dioceses of East Szechwan and West Szechwan in 1936.
Bishops and assistant bishops
Western China 1895–1925: William Cassels 1926–1933: Howard Mowll 1933–1936: John Holden Assistant bishops 1922–1926: Howard Mowll 1929–1936: Ku Ho-lin 1929–1936: Song Cheng-tsi
East Szechwan 1936–1940: Frank Houghton 1940–1950: K G Bevan 1950–19??: Assistant bishops 1936–1947: Ku Ho-lin
West Szechwan 1936–1937: John Holden 1937–1950: Song Cheng-tsi Assistant bishops 1936–1937: Song Cheng-tsi 1943–1950: H A Maxwell
See also Brook Hannah Frederick Boreham Vyvyan Donnithorne Canadian Methodist Mission in Szechwan Protestantism in Szechwan Roman Catholic dioceses in Szechwan :Category:Anglican dioceses in China Category:Anglican missionaries in Szechwan Category:Former Anglican church buildings in Szechwan
References