After the First Opium War (1839–1842), Hong Kong came under the control of Great Britain and ports on the mainland, including Canton and Shanghai, become open to Europeans.

[3] The CMS establish hospitals with William Welton beginning work in Fuh-Chow in 1850; followed by Dr B Van Someren Taylor who trained medical catechists.

[2] In 1849 George Smith was made bishop of the new diocese of Victoria (Hong Kong) and warden of St. Paul's College.

Anglican priests William Russell and Robert Henry Cobbold began working in Zhejiang (Cheh-kiang) province at Ningbo (Ningpo) in 1847.

George Moule (another Anglican priest) arrived at Ningpo in 1848; after which he established a mission at Hangzhou (Hangchow).

Moule established Trinity College in Ningpo, which was an elementary school and also trained teachers, catechists and pastors.

[2] Cobbold (who was made deacon in 1844 and ordained priest in 1845, both times by the Bishop of Norwich) was Archdeacon of Ningpo, 1836–1858; he returned to England, where he was Vicar of Field Dalling (1858–1859) then Rector of Broseley with Linley, Shropshire[9] (1859–1873)[10] At his death on 16 September 1893, he was Rector of Ross-on-Wye and a prebendary of Hereford Cathedral.

[2] In May, 1850, an English ship turned into the Min river on the south China coast some 400 miles north of Hong Kong.

[12] The Revd George Smith was the next arrival in 1859 yet only a year later the CMS was considering abandoning Fuh-Chow where not a single conversion had been achieved.

However, that year yielded baptisms and in 1862 Revd John Richard Wolfe was appointed as missionary minister in Fuh-Chow.

[12] Slowly numbers of adherents began to increase, such that within the next fifteen years, three thousand Chinese converts could be counted, many living in country districts such as Lieng-Kong (Lianjiang), Lo-Nguong (Luoyang), Ning Taik (Ningde) and Ku-Cheng (Putian), places Wolfe and Cribb regularly visited, and being considerable journeys (itinerations) of some days from Fuh-Chow.

Earlier in 1860 St John’s Church on Nantai Island had been built by the English trading community.

He was known among the Christian Chinese as the “Fukien Moses.”[13] In an article in the CM Gleaner in 1893, he wrote of the bleak outlook for the Mission in 1862.

[14] He further describes the progress such that by 1893 the Mission had extended its operations into five of the largest prefectures or provinces of Fuh-Kien which covered an area half the size of England.

[14] Medical work expanded further in the next decades with Wolfe, particularly gratified, when a hospital was opened in 1905 near the North Gate of Fuh-Chow.

[15] Dr. Wilkinson was in charge, assisted by his wife Amy Oxley/Wilkinson who opened a blind school for boys in which much was achieved through her efforts and for which she was awarded the very rare Chinese Government Order of the Golden Grain in 1917.

The dangers and hazards of missionary life were considerable and included health risks arising from insanitary conditions and anti-European feelings expressed in hostile actions towards people and their buildings.

[17] A year after Archdeacon Wolfe’s death in 1915, Revd Llewellyn Lloyd wrote of the many changes taking place in China following the Revolution of 1911 and in the growth of the Mission.

[20] He was further honoured at the eighth Synod of Fuh-Kien held in 1917 when money was pledged by European and Chinese delegates to build a cathedral in his memory.

[22] On the right hand side of the main entrance an inscription in Chinese characters marked in stone reads in translation as “with the ancient moon shining upon modern men we commemorate Archdeacon Wolfe who ministered here.” (John Wolfe’s name in Chinese sounded very like the English sounds in ancient moon and became his longstanding nickname.)

[24] During his time the CMS passed control of the mission to the diocese and he was a careful organiser and manager of this process.

From uncertain beginnings and through many difficulties, development and consolidation, evangelisation had effected the building of churches, schools, hospitals and a body of European and Chinese people united in an Anglo-Chinese Christian world.

[27] There was a gradual transfer of responsibility from the CMS to the Anglican church which occurred in the 1920s and 1930s; although it was not until 1937, with the invasion of China by the Japanese, that substantial authority was given to the Chinese clergy.