Rev. Zhang Zhongcheng, chairman of Hangzhou CCC, encourages Christians to pay attention to society in his charity-themed lecture held in Jiangxi on Nov 24.
He states that actually Christians have done a lot of charities in China, while out of step with modern society. Churches need to reflect on what the church is like in the eyes of society.
The pastor introduces several charity ministries initiated by Christianity in Hangzhou as well as his opinions on some challenges the ministries face. The ministries include Zhejiang Agape Rehabilitation Center for Children with Autism, Zhejiang Light & Salt Agape Foundation, Hangzhou Home for the Aged and Hangzhou Christian Council Agape Hospital as well as Hangzhou YMCA and YWCA. There is also a local Christian service center for the elderly, co-founded by Hangzhou CCC & TSPM and YMCA in July 2005. The statistics suggest that it serves 2000 seniors living at home every year. Besides, the local Christian business and industry council set up by the city's CCC & TSPM runs a program that sends winter clothes to economically disadvantaged students in Yunnan and Guizhou.
He stresses that the best committing way for the church and Christians is to give daily testimony, for instance, paying visits on Christmas or providing assistance to disaster areas.
He confesses that running charities is not easy and those in charge of the ministries should have devoting hearts. In his eyes, when it comes to charities, don't pressure to any side, the recipients or helpers. He opposes the type of charity ventures "holding the Bible in one hand, and bread, in the other", which means they give Christians bread but refuse non-Christians. Respect others when doing charity work.
However, some challenges exist in the charities. The pastor says that first of all, the church should remind and educate believers with the concept and necessity of charities. Since the foundation of churches, charitable enterprises are placed at an important position in the Bible and the church history. But some churches find it unnecessary to operate charities and even if they carry out charities, they don't give a hand to non-Christians.
Secondly, the church should encourage all the members and staff to engage in charities. He states that only local CCC & TSPMs participate in charitable ventures rather than all the church members, even some of whom don't know what charities they should promote. The church should also encourage campuses or gatherings to join in charities.
In the end, he shares the situation that charities ignore small-scale but urgent assistance the civil society needs, yet promote large-scale and influential "charitable projects." "This is ignored by the whole society and should be abandoned by the church. Mother Teresa once said, 'We can do small things with great love.' The modern church should also do this."
Translated By: Karen Luo
