长沙市城南堂前身是基督教中华内地会的教堂--福音堂,始建于1901年(清光绪二十七年)。
内地会系中华基督教的一个教派,创始人为英国人戴德生牧师。戴于1865年在英国创立基督教内地会,正式加入组织负责会务的成员中有中、英、美、德、挪威等15国的传教士。
1898年, 内地会美籍葛荫华博士来到长沙,在学院街组织小规模的布道工作,1901年,在学院街租房建诊所并创建长沙内地会福音堂,1902年购房改建为教堂(民居教堂);
1905年6月1日,戴德生牧师来长沙内地会视察,2日,登南门城墙,远眺麓山湘水,近望长沙全城,心潮起伏,感慨丛生;6月3日上午讲道,下午参加长沙传道人茶会,后返楼卧床休息、阅书信,无疾而终,归主怀中,终年73岁。6月4日经湘江入长江,葬于镇江。
1903年,内地会德国里本则差会派吴立德牧师夫妇等五位传教士在长沙社坛街租房建内地会临时教堂开始传福音,1907年在社坛街购地建内地会福音堂及住宅三栋,1909年6月建成。
1908年4月,德国传教士顾蒙恩、甘蒙安女士在社坛街创建内地会瞽女之家,后发展为瞽女学校,1951年5月交由政府管理;
1909年,内地会美、德两个差会协商,将学院街内地会与社坛街德国内地会合并;葛荫华等美国差会人员开始组织逐家布道队;
1910年,长沙发生“抢米风潮”,教堂房屋焚毁,同年修复,瞽女学校迁往学院街与诊所同址;
1918年,葛荫华创建湖南圣经学院;
1923年,由差会派德籍安德医生来长沙办医院,遂将学院街房屋全部作为医院之用,改名为德生医院,以纪念内地会创始人戴德生。
1946年,罗步云担任湖南中华内地会董事会副董事长;
1949年,中华人民共和国成立,外国传教士逐步离开中国,瞽女院、德生医院移交政府管理,瞽女院与盲哑学校合并,现为特殊教育学校;德生医院先后改为长沙市工人医院、长沙市第三医院;
1950年,湖南中华内地会董事会改名为中华内地会湖南联合会,罗步云、田心培为正副主委;罗步云任社坛街福音堂主任牧师;
1954年,加入湖南基督教三自爱国运动委员会;
1958年,为了打破宗派界限,长沙市十几个不同宗派的教会实行联合礼拜,社坛街内地会福音堂更名为中华基督教城南堂,为长沙市城南地区基督徒聚会礼拜的场所。
1966年,受“文化大革命”的冲击,教会停办。城南堂的房屋被某些单位作为仓库或车间使用。
1982年,经长沙市人民政府同意,城南堂作为宗教活动场所重新开放,经过认真落实党的宗教政策,市房产局于1985年将教堂交还给长沙市基督教三自爱国运动委员会管理,但由于长久失修,教堂房屋已成危房。市基督教两会自筹人民币20多万元对之进行重建,经过两年的努力,于
1987年底竣工,1988年元月1日正式举行复堂典礼。
2023年10月,长沙市城南堂迁建于环保西路,教堂迁往新址。
The South Christian Church Of Changsha City,whose predecessor is the Evangelical Church of China Inland Mission, was founded in 1907, the 33rd year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu during the Qing Dynasty. Inland Mission is one of the sects of Christianity in China, initiated by the British minister Hudson Taylor. He founded the Christian Inland Mission in 1865 in Britain, whose members in charge of the affairs were the preachers from the fifteen countries, such as China, Britain, Germany, Norway, etc. In 1898, Dr. GeYin-hua from the Inland Mission came to Changsha , preaching in Xueyuan Street in small scale. Later in 1902, he rented a house in Xueyuan Street and set up Changsha Inland Mission. In 1907, Dr. He Lu-wei and Dr. Gumeng-en from Germany bought a piece of land in Shetan Street and established the evangelical church of the Inland Mission including the three dwelling buildings. Rev.Hudson came to inspect the Inland Mission in Changsha on June1st, 1905. The next day, he went to the city wall at the southern gate of the city to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Xiangjang River and the distant Yuelu Mountain. The surge of his emotion was stirred greatly. On the morning of June 3rd, after giving a sermon, Rev.Hudson went home to have a rest. While reading letters in bed, Rev.Hudson passed away, resting in Lord’s arms peacefully. In 1909, American and German Inland Mission consulted the combination of the American Inland Mission in Xueyuan Street with that in the German Inland Mission in Shetan Street. In1923,German doctor Ande was sent by the Mission to establish a hospital in Changsha. Later the houses in Xueyuan Street were turned to be a hospital named Hudson Hospital to honor the founder of China Inland Mission, Hudson Taylor. However, the church was ruined twice. In 1910, the buildings of the church were burnt in the “ Rice Robbing Disturbance” and were repaired the same year. In 1930, the houses of Changsha Inland Mission were burnt in the war and were repaired the same year. It was maintained till 1949.