Before 1992, a Chinese Sunday School class was taught by Brother Bruce Enz in the Rockville Ward. In 1991, President Ralph Hardy of the Washington DC Stake requested that a Chinese branch be organized. In 1992 the Montgomery Chinese Branch was organized under his direction. Nine members convened in the basement of the Potomac Chapel at 11700 Falls Road, Potomac, MD. Vincent Breglio was called as the first branch president, with Frank Chow as 1st Counselor and Wei-Peng Zhao as 2nd Counselor. By 1995, the branch had over 100 members on record.
When the branch started in 1992, President Vincent Breglio assumed a great responsibility of building a branch from less than ten members to over 100 members today. President Breglio established the foundations of the branch with only the Sacrament Meeting, adult Sunday School, Priesthood Meeting, and the Relief Society Meeting. Next, the home teaching program was established to take care of the needs of each family in the branch. A branch mission leader was called to coordinate missionary work, and the branch's first two Chinese-trained elders arrived in 1993. The pinnacle of President Breglio's service was in moving the Sacrament Meeting from the small Seminary room in the basement, which could only hold a maximum of sixty people, to the chapel in January of 1995. Our feelings were one of gratitude and joy when we met for the first time in the chapel. In addition, that year, the Primary, Young Men, and Young Women's organizations were added. Also, the Gospel Essentials class was begun.
President Sid Foulger only served for 18 months, but during his administration, the missionary work really advanced. Over 20 new members joined the branch each year in which he presided. The main reason for this membership boom was due to the enthusiasm and leadership from President Foulger. He and Sister Foulger were called as full-time missionaries, and they were involved in every aspect of missionary activity in the branch. During President Foulger's service from June of 1996 to December of 1997, the branch sent off the first two full-time missionaries from our branch, Sister Eva Yang to the Temple Square Mission and Elder Wei-Lun Chuang to the Texas Houston Mission. Elder Tai, then a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, and his wife visited our branch in 1996. In 1996, the branch made a trip to the Hill Cumorah Pageant, and in 1997, President and Sister Foulger led the branch in a pilgrimage to Utah.
President George Chiang was the first Chinese native speaking branch president of the Montgomery Chinese Branch.
When the branch started in 1992, President Vincent Breglio assumed a great responsibility of building a branch from less than ten members to over 100 members today. President Breglio established the foundations of the branch with only the Sacrament Meeting, adult Sunday School, Priesthood Meeting, and the Relief Society Meeting. Next, the home teaching program was established to take care of the needs of each family in the branch. A branch mission leader was called to coordinate missionary work, and the branch's first two Chinese-trained elders arrived in 1993. The pinnacle of President Breglio's service was in moving the Sacrament Meeting from the small Seminary room in the basement, which could only hold a maximum of sixty people, to the chapel in January of 1995. Our feelings were one of gratitude and joy when we met for the first time in the chapel. In addition, that year, the Primary, Young Men, and Young Women's organizations were added. Also, the Gospel Essentials class was begun.
President Sid Foulger only served for 18 months, but during his administration, the missionary work really advanced. Over 20 new members joined the branch each year in which he presided. The main reason for this membership boom was due to the enthusiasm and leadership from President Foulger. He and Sister Foulger were called as full-time missionaries, and they were involved in every aspect of missionary activity in the branch. During President Foulger's service from June of 1996 to December of 1997, the branch sent off the first two full-time missionaries from our branch, Sister Eva Yang to the Temple Square Mission and Elder Wei-Lun Chuang to the Texas Houston Mission. Elder Tai, then a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, and his wife visited our branch in 1996. In 1996, the branch made a trip to the Hill Cumorah Pageant, and in 1997, President and Sister Foulger led the branch in a pilgrimage to Utah.
President George Chiang was the first Chinese native speaking branch president of the Montgomery Chinese Branch.
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