In Ningde City, Fujian Province, twenty pastoral workers attended a panel regarding the 13th "Good Shepherd Sunday" of Pingnan County, which falls on April 28 this year.
In 2012, Pingnan CC&TSPM started to celebrate the special day, which is the fourth Sunday of Eastertide every year. The festival aims for believers to learn to show respect, encouragment and appreciation for their pastors.
At the Chengdong Church in Pingnan County on April 22, Rev. Xiang Zhirong, chairman of Pingnan TSPM, delivered a speech titled "How to Be a Good Shepherd," stating that God, the good shepherd, guaranteed prosperity, provision, protection, and healing for believers, reported Pingnan CC&TSPM.
Subsequently, the present pastors shared their experiences in ministry and their views on the church council and CC&TSPM; they reflected on whether they were good shepherds and conducted self-assessment of their work; they discussed the main difficulties and challenges faced in practical pastoral work; and they mentioned that to gain believers' respect, they should have a nurturing heart like that of a father or mother.
Next Sunday, the pastor in each church in the county will deliver sermons titled "How Should Believers Treat Pastors Properly?"
Pingnan County CC&TSPM prepares a custom-made suit and shirt for each full-time pastor as a gift, organizing free health check-ups for them, which take place every two years.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
