Three months ago, Gao Jun, a co-worker from a church in Inner Mongolia, and Brother Zhao Yizhong launched the "grant ministry for seminarians".
In the first phase, the ministry collected a fund of 20,050 yuan through a social networking crowdfunding platform called Qingsongchou within a month. Then, it has distributed an education grant of 1000 yuan to each of the 20 financial disadvantaged seminarians selected for the program.
The aided seminary students come from six seminaries which includes Yanjing Theological Seminary, Chinese Mission Seminary and other provincial seminaries located in Hubei, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Beijing. Candidates should be recommended by the seminaries and those who qualify and pass the check will receive grants.
Co-founded by many Christians, the grants for seminarians aim to support poor but excellent students. It has no connection with any church or local CCC&TSPM. For the purpose of "assisting theology with donations", it works to "make its contribution to theology construction."
Talking about why it was founded, Gao Jun, one of the initiators, tells CCD that this summer, a couple who quit their jobs to studying theology after having experienced God's grace had to work part-time to feed themselves on holidays or leisure time. Knowing this, Gao gave a donation to support their living. Having received it, the wife told him that they only had 20 yuan that couldn't pay their meals for the next day in the pocket that day. She thanked God for preparing this for them. Moved by this, he started to give donations to poor seminarians.
He says, "Everyone donates a bit, donates the daily expense used to buy cigarettes, wine, clothes, cosmetics, jewelry or bags to assist theology (construction) ! Every day we forward it to the friend's circle and WeChat groups, which is all assistance..."
Gao continues that it is onerous to do this ministry by the two and hopes for more people to join in it.
