Editor's note: A church in Yunnan Province features ethnic minority believers who can sing and dance with pure faith. However, many challenges exist in the area, such as a sizable lack of full-time preachers and a backward economy.
The Gospel Times recently interviewed a pastor who has served in the local church in Yunnan for more than three decades. He focuses on cultivating young preachers, provides pastoral training in local churches. This is the situation of the church in Yunnan from his view.
Below is the interview:
Gospel Times: Hello, Pastor Li. Could you share the status of the local churches in Yunnan you have been to?
Rev. Li: With the social development in recent years, young believers migrate to major cities for jobs, so there are only elderly people, children, and married women left in the rural church. Since the rural church has just a few believers and receives small donations, plus that there is no full-time preacher, it's hard to develop, barely maintaining the status quo of holding Sunday services. However, these preachers in rural churches are almost all volunteers who serve in the church only on Sundays. Busy with their own businesses at other times, they seldom have time to carry out visitation or care ministries.
Gospel Times: How did the volunteer system form in the local church of Yunnan?
Rev. Li: When foreign missionaries evangelized in Yunnan, they were supported by their missions rather than local churches, but the church experienced changes after they left. The volunteer system was there when the church resumed services (the church activities were suspended due to the Cultural Revolution )--- preachers served the church without payment while working part-time to support their families.
Gospel Times: How is the urban church today? What is the living condition of urban church preachers?
Rev. Li: Compared to those in rural churches, preachers in urban churches live much better. Some churches afford to pay preachers. There are six or seven full-time preachers working in a church of Qujing city that have salaries. Although they are not paid well, it reflects that the church attaches importance to their life. Though some urban churches are rich, they don't grow but, instead, remain unchanged. For example, the attendance of Yuxi Church reaches less than 100 in Yuxi city, which has a population of 250,000.
Gospel Times: What do you think caused their stagnation?
Rev. Li: Many people believe that a church with better financial conditions grows, but the reality is that rich local churches are affected by the worldly environment. Despite good living conditions, believers are busy making money, losing enthusiasm and fervor for evangelism.
Gospel Times: What are the common challenges both the urban and rural churches of Yunnan you have visited face?
Rev. Li: The current common problem is that they lose their first love.They were no longer the same as before when the congregation loved and cared for one another. In the early days when the church reopened, believers had great love and faith, caring for each other, and the church revived, full of testimonies, which attracted more people to join the church.
Gospel Times: Why do believers lose fervor ?
Rev. Li: In the past the believers lived in poor conditions. Most of them had to walk to the church and needed accommodation when they arrived at the church, which created chances for their mutual communication. The church also launched many activities, like holding funerals and visitation. The non-Christians were moved by the unity of the church as well. However, now believers hardly have time to talk with others since they can drive cars to the church and leave immediately after services.
With the rapid social development, the living conditions of Christians are improving. People can eat three meals a day even in the poorest place. Material impacts the church a lot. Actually it's good for God to bless the church with material, yet people fail to control them.
I think the primary reason is that the church is affected by secularization.
Gospel Times: How should the church deal with this situation?
Rev. Li: I hold that first of all, pray to God to raise up faithful and wise servants. Ministries cannot be launched without church workers producing testimonies and development. Old pastoral staff should be conscious to give way to and train younger workers: "He must become greater, I must become less." (John 3:30) The church should give priority to cultivating the younger generation to develop ministries.
Gospel Times: We notice that it's not unusual to lose young preachers.
Rev. Li: Eight or nine years ago, seminary graduates hoped to work full-time in the church, yet things have changed for the church struggles to take their living into account. Ethnic minority believers including Miao, Lisu, and Jingpo return to their hometown churches (after graduation), get married, and participate in ministries. The majority of them become volunteer preachers. For some local churches like in Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County, seminary students stay in cities, serving the church while working part-time. Though few preachers work full time, a large portion of them work for the Lord.
Young people live a stressful life, especially married men who have to support their families. Some of them serve God while working part-time, yet some have to give up ministry.
Gospel Times: Since young preachers become volunteer preachers after graduation, it seems that the church doesn't need full-time workers.
Rev. Li: In my opinion, the church should bring up full-time workers and care for them, or church revival will be difficult. A couple I know are preachers who used to serve in the same church, but now one of them has to work outside the church to earn a living while the other stayed in the church. A sister from Jianshui Church is given 900 yuan monthly as a stipend. The congregation doesn't give her a raise. It's bearable while she is single, but how about after getting married?
Gospel Times: Is it because the church is poor or something else?
Rev. Li: I think the main reason is that the church doesn't have faith to support a full-time preachers. Grace comes from God. If a church allows preachers to work full time with faith, it will definitely grow. The church development is never limited by how much income it receives.
Gospel Times: What does the church in Yunnan need the most for its development and revival ?
Rev. Li: What the church lacks the most is the work of the Holy Spirit and God's word. The church struggles to be a mirror of God's word and sermons just go through the motions, not stinging people's hearts as they used to. In addition to these, believers should join together in prayer. A portion of people prayed together in the early church, so it grew constantly with hope.
Afterword: Rev. Li worries about the status of the church in Yunnan. He believes that church revival comes from, above all, full-time workers who trigger testimonies and church growth; second, the congregation praying together, caring not only for their personal matters, but also the house of God; third, believers finding their first love, loving each other, and strengthening communication to avoid losing the original flavor of a church.
Translated by Karen Luo
