Research Centre

Centre for Global Chinese Church Research
(CGCCR)

Our Story

Housed at CGST Toronto, the Centre for Global Chinese Church Research (the Centre) is an interdisciplinary, ecumenical research centre dedicated to the study of the global Chinese Church. The mandate of the Centre is to enhance research and teaching in a wide range of topics relevant to the Chinese congregations worldwide. By undertaking contextual ecclesiological research, the Centre endeavors to advance understanding of the many facets of contemporary culture and the shifting socio-political environments in which the global Chinese churches are situated. 

The Centre will serve as a research hub by bringing together a community of pastors, denominational leaders, lay leaders, scholars, and other external stakeholders from diverse disciplinary and theological traditions and institutions in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, and beyond. Centre initiatives are intended to engage in critical inquiry and research in order to identify culturally sensitive and context-relevant practices that will enable the Chinese Church to live out the gospel and fulfill the Great Commission in diverse settings and communities. We believe that research-informed ministry strategies can assist church leaders in the development of effective strategies to address the needs of their congregations and support churches to thrive in the evolving sociocultural landscape of the 21^st century.

世界華人教會研究中心（Centre for Global Chinese Church Research，簡稱CGCCR）設於中神多倫多，是一間跨學科、具普世性的研究中心，專門從事世界華人教會的研究。本中心旨在加強與世界華人教會相關的研究和教學，透過進行處境性的教會研究，致力促進世界華人教會對置身其中的當代文化及流動多變的社會政治環境的理解。

本中心將致力成為一個研究樞紐，匯聚來自北美、英國、澳洲、香港及其他地區不同學科和神學傳統及機構的牧者、宗派領袖、平信徒領袖、學者和其他外界持份者。本中心的各項倡議旨在開展批判性的探索和研究，藉以辨識具文化敏感度並切合處境的實踐，使華人教會能夠在繁雜多變的環境與社群中，活出福音，完成大使命。我們相信以研究為基礎的事工策略，有助教會領袖發展有效對應會眾需要的策略，並支持教會在二十一世紀不斷演進的社會文化環境中茁壯成長。

Our Mission

Aligned with CGST Toronto’s mission, the mission of the Centre is to:

• Undertake interdisciplinary research that addresses significant challenges confronting the Chinese Church in the 21st century by harnessing the methodological strengths of theology, biblical studies, and social sciences.
• Examine public data to evaluate trends and patterns, thereby identifying knowledge and practice gaps, and informing future ministry and research directions. 
• Support church leaders in understanding, interpreting, and applying research findings for data-informed ministry practices and leadership. 
• Foster research-informed theological education by equipping church leaders and emerging scholars with essential research skills for undertaking rigorous interdisciplinary research and for effective knowledge translation in diverse ministry contexts. 

本中心的使命與中神多倫多的使命一致，即

• 發揮神學、聖經研究和社會科學的方法學特長，進行跨學科研究，以回應二十一世紀華人教會所面對的重大挑戰。
• 審視公共數據，以評估趨勢及模式，藉以找出知識和實踐上的差距，得知未來的事工與研究方向。
• 支援教會領袖理解、詮釋和應用研究結果，從而實踐以數據為參考的事工和領導。
• 培養以研究為基礎的神學教育，裝備教會領袖和新進學者，使他們具備進行嚴謹的跨學科研究和在不同事工環境中有效轉化知識的基本研究技巧。

Our Objectives

The Centre has four main objectives:  

• To support, conduct, and promote research on the study of the global Chinese Church. 
• To disseminate research findings through Centre publications, conferences, seminars, and workshops.
• To contribute to and support informed public discourse on a variety of issues relevant to the global Chinese congregations.
• To build a research community of church practitioners, denominational leaders, scholars, graduate students, and others interested in the study of the Chinese Church worldwide.

本中心有四個主要目標：

• 支持、開展及推廣有關世界華人教會的研究。
• 透過中心的刊物、會議、研討會及工作坊，發佈研究結果。
• 就各項與世界華人教會相關的議題，促進及支持有研究基礎的公開討論。
• 建立一個由教會事奉人員、宗派領袖、學者、研究生及其他有志於世界華人教會研究人士組成的研究社群。