The birth of the Canaan Christian Music Ministry can be dated back to December 8, 2011. At that time, a large-scale music evangelistic meeting known as “Tian Ge (Song of Heaven) 2012” was to be held at the Sydney Opera House, which recruited more than 300 choir members from more than 60 Chinese Christian churches in Sydney, along with 80 instrumentalist to form the Canaan Philharmonic. The supervisor of the troupe was Mr. Huang Anlun, a well known music composer, and the artistic director was Karl Yang, a famous Australian Chinese conductor. Under their careful guidance and training, from 2012 to 2015, CCMM members participated in a total of eight grand music evangelistic and revival meetings over the four consecutive years. In 2015, several members were moved by the Holy Spirit that Canaan singers and musicians should become a team of elite musical soldiers to continue and sing for the glory of God and His kingdom. So they applied to the government to register Canaan Christian Music Ministry as a non-profit organization and recruited the permanent members for its choir. Since then they have been training diligently with the purpose to offer the best to their capability to God. They also prayed to become a Christian group to encourage music ministry in Chinese churches and their missionary.
On September 3, 2016, the CCMM hosted the “Hallelujah Sacred Concert” for the first time at St Stephen’s Uniting Church. The program included traditional and newly composed works. There was a range of renditions including solo, duet, lead and chorus, a cappella and cello and Piano, string ensemble, organ solo and other vocal and instrumental repertoires. The entire musical meeting aimed to worship and praise, with sermon brought by Rev. Peter Wongso. Three months later, the CCMM recorded its first published CD known as “The Good Voices from Heaven”. On February 11th the same year, CCMM also joined the International Marriage and Family Association announced to the world the sacred meaning of monogamous marriage as the 4th “Heavenly Love” conference.
On March 18, 2017, the premiere of the film “Missionary” (two performances) was held at the Zenith Theater in Sydney, Australia. The Sydney Canaan Orchestra also presented songs to praise the Lord in conjunction with the message. On September 23rd of the same year, CCMM successfully hosted the “If You Can Earn the Whole World” music evangelistic meeting at the Chinese Real Estate Alliance Conference Hall in Olympic Park. More than 500 people attended the meeting that night and many confessed Jesus as the Lord.
On March 24, 2018, CCMM Choir sang at the Rev. Zhang Bo Li Evangelical Meeting at St Stephens Cathedral. After that, CCMM went to the Chinese churches in various districts of Sydney, bringing choral singing into many local churches. On March 3, the Canaan Holy Orchestra participated in the Western Sydney Chinese Christian Church to support the ministry of the Penrith Chinese Presbyterian Church, and sang for the New Year Gospel Fellowship. On May 12th, CCMM sang in the evangelical meeting led by Rev. Luke Yuan themed “Unload Your Burden” at the Sydney Mandarin Christian Church in Hurstville. In the same year, two singing sessions with the theme “Looking Up to the Lord” were held at the Chinese Christian Church in West Sydney on September 1, and also at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Bankstown on September 8. Thanks to the Lord for showing His grace in these two gatherings.
On September 21, 2018, CCMM organised a short term mission to Taiwan and Japan for a 16-day trip and returned on October 8. This trip gave the group members the opportunity to participate in a grand praise meeting with five local sacred music choirs in Taiwan. The meeting was part of a fund-raising campaign to relieve victims of the Hualien earthquake. God gave our members and the local singers the opportunity to praise, exchange and learn together. It was also a precious time where our members the could travel and share together. In Japan on October 5th and 6th, there were two evangelistic meetings hosted by the Tokyo International Church. The title is “The Way, the Truth, and the Life”, and Elder Huang Xiaoshi from the United States was preaching, in which we also sang.
On April 13, 2019, the “Seven Words of the Cross” sacred music evangelistic meeting was jointly held at the Kogarah Chinese Grace Christian Church. Through the Passion hymns, we commemorated the Lord’s suffering and death for us. On October 26 that year, CCMM hosted a major scale concert to perform “The Anointed One” composed by Professor Ma Geshun at the Verbrugghen Hall of the Sydney Conservatory of Music. This time, there was a 60-member choir and a 40-member symphony orchestra. We also invited three professional singers from overseas to lead the singing. Through this conference, more people will have the opportunity to serve with us, so as to glorify and praise Jesus Christ for He is the highest king of all kings.
On July 8, 2023, the “God So Loves the World” gospel praise meeting will be held at the St. Barnabas Anglican Church near the center of Sydney CBD. This is the first major event held by the CCMM after the epidemic. It is a time to remind the people about God’s great love of salvation, and let everyone think about the meaning of life in the midst of illness and difficulties.
Thank you for the prayer and support you have offered to our ministry.