Home from home for Hong Kong worshippers 

Over the last six years more than 170,000 Hong Kongers have moved to the UK following the introduction of restrictions imposed by the Chinese government, many of them settling in the North West.

Stockport St Mary’s has become a haven for Christians from the country as both Vicar Revd Chris Blunt and Curate Revd Andy Crook speak Chinese dialects.

Andy says he learnt to speak Cantonese whilst working for a Missionary charity helping drug addicts in Hong Kong more than 30 years ago. He said he never imagined it would one day prove so useful.

“A few months into my curacy here, people from Hong Kong started coming and looking for opportunities to minister with a church and the fact that we both had backgrounds in Hong Kong and China make it a very easy relationship to create.”

What started out as a monthly service in 2024 has expanded and is now held every Sunday at 2pm. Between 30-40 worshippers regularly attend the worship and Bible study at St Mary’s. In addition St the church hosts monthly Asian food events, as well as participating in twice-yearly open-air worship in Stockport’s Merseyway Shopping Centre. 

“I think I struggle to understand the dislocation that’s involved in moving to another country,” Andy added. 

“To come into a church that looks so English and see something so Cantonese is hugely reassuring. What we try and do is get English people sitting with Cantonese people to learn from one another. We even have a small group of English people who are learning Cantonese.”