First built in 1905, on Yanhe West Road, by China Inland Mission missionaries,[1] the church was relocated to its present location in 1958.

[3][4] In 1905, James Huston Edgar (1872–1936), an Australian-born New Zealand CIM missionary,[5] arrived in Kangding and established the traditional Sichuanese-style Gospel Church.

Two years later (1907), Robert Cunningham (1883–1942), a Scottish ex-gymnast turned missionary, was sent to Kangding by CIM as Edgar's assistant, who was going to serve as the pastor of the church until his death in 1942.

'Even the Archbishop of Canterbury can not dwell in contemplation and prayer day and night', Cunningham introduced some Western games to the Tibetans, tiddlywinks, ludo, halma and snap, the remit is to 'evangelise in an entertaining way'.

The old church building was demolished shortly after, in order to support a city construction project.