Our History
In 1988 after one year of intensive prayer Pastor David felt he was ready to begin working in an area notorius for its drug dealing, gambling and triad activites. He knew that his new church would be radically different. This church had to be a life changing, significant force; and influence that would strike deep in the heart of the community.
Since Brisbane had many churches catering to predominantly middle-class Caucasian congregations, David also resolved that as in Luke 14:15, he would go to the highways and by-ways to reach out and minister to the poor, the blind, the lame,’ bringing them into a caring community that would meet their needs and help them integrate into mainstream society. David was already operating a restaurant in the Chinatown Mall called ‘Restoran Malaysia,’ so we began the first restaurant church in Australia.
Every Friday night, Cornerstone Cafe was opened to bikies, street kids and anyone wanting friendship and coffee. Even until recently ICC has supported a popular feeding program every Friday and Saturday reaching over 150 people in Spring Hill and the Valley.
By 1989, the church which began with six people had grown to over fifty. It was time to go fulltime and it was necessary to move across the Chinatown Mall to a fully designated church building and office.
Today
When numbers increased to over 200 it was time to find a new place. The building at 977 Ann Street was purchased and in 1999 it became our new home.
Today, the International City Church family is made up of over forty nationalities. It also runs the Multicultural Community Centre and the Asian Pacific Institute, which comprises the International Christian College and a Cross-Cultural Training Centre.
The church regularly holds conferences and seminars that equip people to handle the challenges that are inevitable in the Christian life and help them to live the life God intended them to.
Every Sunday around 600 people come to worship at our services. We have an English service, with translation into the various Chinese dialects and a Chinese service, with English translation available. We also have a ‘Faith and Healing’ service in the evening where signs and miracles are often experienced.
In keeping with the Multicultural vision, all congregations gather once a month for a combined service where simultaneous translations occur and truly multicultural worship is a hallmark of that celebration.
Chinatown Christian Assembly: the Restaurant church in the Australian Woman's Weekly Magazine 1988
God has used Pastor David and Jeannie to spear head multicultural churches in Australia and they are regularly sought after speakers in Australia. Pastor David and Jeannie have an Apostolic anointing upon their lives and have encouraged and inspired many church leaders and churches locally and abroad in countries like Malaysia, Kenya, China, USA and New Zealand. ICC is in regular fellowship with Full Gospel Assembly in Melbourne (Ps Roland & Evelyn Seow) and ELIM Pentecostal Church in Wellington New Zealand (Ps Mike & Jeannie Knott).
You can watch a photographic history of ICC on ICCBRISBANE Youtube channel.