San Francisco Evangelical Free Church (三藩市播道會, SFEFC) meets at 756 Union Street, on the northern edge of the city's Chinatown and just south of Russian Hill. Cantonese is the working language of the congregation, though English is used freely in the youth and children's programs, and Mandarin-speaking members take part in the life of the church as well. The congregation runs two Cantonese worship services on Sunday, a slate of in-depth adult Bible classes, and an after-school learning center that has served neighborhood students for years. Both Sunday services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel.
Two congregations become one
SFEFC traces its roots to two earlier Chinese-language ministries of the Evangelical Free Church of America (播道會) in San Francisco. In February 1964, Pastor Hsieh Hsien-fan (謝獻燔牧師), who still serves as consultant pastor to the present church, began a home Bible study at 1858 Mason Street in response to the growing number of new immigrants. The group grew, moved to 2155 Mason Street, and in 1972 acquired property in the Richmond district, becoming known as the Richmond Evangelical Free Church.
A second work began in September 1987, when Pastor Wing So (蘇穎睿牧師) and a group of believers concerned for the Chinese-speaking population of Chinatown started the Chinatown Evangelical Free Church (三藩市播道會華埠福音堂), assisted by retired EFCA missionary Rev. Carleton Ladd. The two congregations recognized that they were serving the same city and the same community, and in April 1989 they merged under the present name, San Francisco Evangelical Free Church. The unified church moved in August 1991 to its present home at 756 Union Street, where it has continued to grow in both worship and ministry.
The fourfold mission
The congregation describes itself as a community church with four commitments, expressed in Chinese as 四大堅持:
- 堅持領人歸主 - leading people to Christ and welcoming them into God's family.
- 堅持一同成長 - building up brothers and sisters in the faith and helping them grow in the Lord.
- 堅持造就信徒 - training believers to become disciples who serve and complete the Great Commission.
- 堅持高舉基督 - exalting Christ as the head of the church in every activity and decision.
Members affirm the Statement of Faith of the Evangelical Free Church of America, which sets the doctrinal tone for preaching, teaching, and outreach.
Sunday in Cantonese and English
Two Cantonese worship services fill the Sunday at SFEFC. The morning service (中堂) runs from 10:15 to 11:30 AM, and the afternoon service (午堂) follows from 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM. Both take place in the main sanctuary and are livestreamed simultaneously on the SFEFC YouTube channel, allowing members who travel or are homebound to follow along. Sermon recordings and outlines are archived on the church's sermon archive, which stretches back through hundreds of messages covering books of the Bible, topical series on Christian living, and book-by-book studies.
For English-speaking students in middle school and high school, the J-Walkers youth ministry meets at 10:15 AM each Sunday in Rooms 103-104, with a parallel online gathering via Zoom (Meeting ID 712 959 397). The youth program aims to make disciples who make disciples, with a structured rhythm of community, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and service.
Children's ministry: Kids For Christ
Children in first through fifth grade join Kids For Christ during the 10:15 to 11:00 AM hour in Rooms 103-104. The Christ-centered and gospel-focused curriculum is designed to help young students understand the Bible and respond to it in age-appropriate ways. An infant nursery is also open from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the basement, providing care for babies whose parents are attending services or classes.
Although a children's fellowship gathering for 1st-3rd and 4th-5th graders used to meet from 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM, that program is currently suspended. The church expects to relaunch it when volunteer leaders are available.
Adult Sunday School: deep Bible teaching between services
Between and around the two worship services, SFEFC runs four adult Sunday School classes in Cantonese, each meeting weekly in the church's 101-102 rooms or on the third floor:
- 啟示錄研讀 (Revelation Study), 9:00 to 10:00 AM, taught by Pastor Wing So.
- 福音性研經 (Gospel Bible Study), 10:15 to 11:30 AM on the third floor, also taught by Pastor Wing So. Designed to introduce seekers and new believers to the substance of the Christian faith.
- 快樂的追尋 (The Pursuit of Happiness), 10:15 to 11:30 AM in Rooms 101-102 and online, taught by Mrs. Liu So (蘇劉君玉師母). The current semester explores a healthy self-image, stress, depression, anger, and related topics through the lenses of psychology, sociology, and biblical spirituality.
- 新約綜覽 (New Testament Survey), 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM in Rooms 101-102, taught by brothers Ho Siu Wah and Lo Ying-kuen.
Classes are open to members of other churches and to seekers. Sign-up is online, and Zoom links and handouts are emailed to registrants.
Fellowship groups across the week
SFEFC maintains a generous network of small fellowships (團契小組) that meet at various times during the week, mostly in Cantonese, for Bible study, mutual encouragement, and shared meals:
- 成人團契 (Adult Fellowship) meets every Saturday from 1:00 to 2:30 PM at the church, with a focus on seniors.
- Honor Him, the Cantonese young-adult fellowship, gathers at 756 Union Street on Sundays from 2:15 to 4:00 PM for worship, teaching, and community.
- Young Adult Fellowship (YAF) meets online via Skype on Fridays from 9:00 to 11:00 PM, geared toward working young adults.
- Eirene Fellowship gathers by Zoom on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 AM for young married couples.
- Friday Night Fellowship meets at a rotating member's home on the first Friday of each month at 7:30 PM for potluck and Bible study.
- Family of Grace Fellowship meets online for Bible study on the second Friday of each month at 8:00 PM and gathers at the home of Pastor Mak for potluck and sharing on the fourth Friday at 4:00 PM.
- Join Joy Fellowship (頌恩團契) meets at the church on the second Sunday of each month at 1:00 PM.
- United In Christ (UIC) meets at the church office on the first Sunday of each month from 1:00 to 3:30 PM, welcoming members who serve but have not yet joined a fellowship.
- Men's Fellowship meets at Sherman and Annie's home on the third Saturday of every three months from 10:00 AM to noon for a light breakfast and conversation.
Twice a month, the church also gathers for an online prayer meeting (網上禱告會) on Zoom (Meeting ID 996-512-541), alternating between Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings.
Community outreach: after school and summer day camp
SFEFC reaches beyond its own members through two programs that serve neighborhood children and families. The After School Learning Center (課後學習中心) accepts students entering first through eighth grade and runs Monday through Friday from 2:00 to 6:00 PM during the school year, excluding school holidays. Tuition is $500 per semester at the regular rate and $300 for families at the lower-income level. Activities include supervised homework time, enrichment, and outings; recent excursions have included ice skating, spring and Christmas outings, and a year-end celebration.
During the summer, the church hosts the Kingdom Quest Day Camp, a multi-week program that has run under different themes for several years. Past summers have included Discovery: On Adventure Island and other themed programs, with counselors recruited from the congregation and the wider community. The day camp draws on the same volunteer base as the after-school program and is closely tied to the children's ministry.
The church also participates annually in the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift ministry, gathering filled boxes during the fall to be shipped to children around the world.
Learning, reading, and retreats
Outside the regular weekly rhythm, SFEFC organizes a number of ongoing learning and fellowship opportunities. A monthly online book club reads works that engage Christian thought and culture; recent selections have included Philip Sampson's Six Modern Myths about Christianity and Western Civilization. A church-wide Bible reading movement distributes an annual New Testament reading plan with Psalms and Proverbs, encouraging members to read Scripture together across the year. The annual Summer Retreat (退修會) brings the congregation away for concentrated teaching and fellowship, with recordings made available afterward, and a separate annual Bible Conference (聖經研討會) draws visiting speakers for a multi-session study weekend.
Smaller programs round out the week. A table tennis ministry, a knitting class, a calligraphy class, and a walking group called 樂同行 have organized outings around the Bay Area. Online health workshops on stretching and body-mind-spirit wellness, along with lectures on Cantonese history, culture, and current events in a long-running program called 天南地北, are also part of church life, though some are currently paused.
Pastors and staff
The pastoral team is led by Senior Pastor Stephen Mak (麥耀民牧師), who joined SFEFC in 1997 after graduating from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and has served the Chinese ministry in youth, associate, and now senior pastor roles. Assistant Pastor Terence Ng (伍凱明助理牧師) oversees the youth and after-school programs and holds an M.Div. from Christian Witness Theological Seminary. Honorary Consultant Pastor Wing So (蘇穎睿牧師), who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong and graduate degrees from Westminster, Princeton, and Fuller seminaries, helped found the Chinatown work in 1987, served as senior pastor of the merged church until 2000, and returned from Hong Kong in 2013 to assist with pastoral care. Ruth Chung serves as church administrator.
Giving and getting connected
Visitors and newcomers are welcomed through a short online welcome card and a response card for those wishing to follow up after a service. Offerings can be made by check mailed to the church, by direct deposit to the church's Bank of America account, or by Zelle to offering@sfefc.org. Donors may direct their gifts to the General, Building, Mission, or Mercy funds. Office inquiries are handled at (415) 391-0699 and sfefcoffice@gmail.com.