Over the past 40 years, the Church in China has experienced both prosperity and revival. However, with the complex influences of globalization, secularization, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church of China is currently facing a declining trend.
Recently, Rev. Zhang Chenguang (pseudonym) from East China shared insights on the current situation of the church with a Chinese online Christian newspaper, the Christian Times.
Zhang, born in the 1980s, received his calling to the ministry in a rural church and later received theological training. He has also been involved in providing theological training in his hometown. Ten years ago, his family moved to a city in East China to lead a small church, and he has served full-time for over 20 years.
This pastor believed that the Church in China was currently facing a developmental bottleneck, identifying three reasons for this: the crises of the congregation, church staff, and the church. He suggested that the solution lied in pastors continuing to look to Jesus in challenging circumstances, rediscovering their initial purpose, and setting an example.
Crisis in the congregation
During the past three years of the pandemic, in-person church gatherings were restricted, which led to online gatherings becoming the mainstream way of worship. During this process, the sense of belonging of believers to their local churches was affected. For instance, if believers felt they were not being sufficiently fed in their local church, they were more likely to watch or listen to sermons from different pastors online. Some popular theological perspectives, such as prosperity theology, hyper-grace theology, and extreme charismatic churches, could attract members away from their churches. If believers accept new ideas without discernment, it can be challenging for pastors to bring them back.
"If believers want to be equipped with the truth, pastors have a responsibility to help them develop spiritual discernment. Otherwise, believers may pursue what aligns with their personal preferences and what sounds pleasing to their ears. Additionally, many believers in the church are not locals. If they lose their jobs, they may leave the city, and their mobility is high. Some individuals have been nurtured by pastors for several years but, for the sake of better jobs, have abandoned their calling."
Due to the demand of the Israelite people, Aaron made a golden calf. Some church workers, in order to cater to those in power or influential members of the congregation, abandoned their principles. They would compromise the message of the gospel and owe God all the glory.
Problems of church workers
Zhang observed that when a full-time staff worker served in the church for a long time, they might accumulate ministry experience without waiting for God's revelation.
In a world that emphasized materialism and comfort, many full-time church workers became lax and less vigilant. When faced with diverse temptations, some of them became weak and even deviated from their initial calling to serve, he continued.
Due to the demand of the Israelite people, Aaron made a golden calf. Some church workers, in order to cater to those in power or influential members of the congregation, abandoned their principles. They would compromise the message of the gospel and owe God all the glory.
Crisis of the church
Regarding the crisis of the Church, Zhang discussed it from three aspects: church management, intergenerational relationships in the church, and role models.
Zhang stated, "Currently, the mainstream church management models in China are the Presbyterian system and the patriarchal system. In most cases, many rural indigenous churches and urban churches transitioning from rural ones still use the patriarchal system for governance. When the church leader with high executive power speaks, each believer follows. However, its drawback is that it can lead to a one-man show. If the pastor is wrong, the whole church is wrong."
"Older generation pastors are unwilling to delegate authority, even after training some workers for a long time. Nonetheless, they are still hesitant to let church workers take on certain ministries or church leadership roles. Lacking respect for younger ones, older pastors often don't take them seriously when younger ones offer well-intentioned suggestions. With rich experiences in serving the Lord in the past, older pastors need to continue to be role models for younger ones in their current ministry, which would be more convincing to young workers," he added.
"Jesus is the example for all of us, and the blood of the missionaries has become the seed of the Church of China. In a church, the pastor needs to be an example to the believers in upholding the truth, receiving believers, and advancing the ministry as he practices what he preaches."
"Regardless of how well a pastor delivers sermons from the pulpit, if they do not love the church and believers, the congregation will not truly follow them. Today, many pastors often emphasize authority, but authority is not for self-glory or self-interest. Jesus showed His authority through actions and words," he concluded.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
