Hulugou Church in Chencang District, Baoji, Shaanxi started a three-day autumn retreat on October 5, 2018.
Around 150 rural villagers took part and four people were baptized into Christ on the third day.
The church has a two-story complex, a main hall, a kitchen, and a make-shift shed used for meals. Founded in January 1982, it developed from only a gathering of five people into a congregation of 264 members.
Brother Ge, the head of the church, shared the challenges it faced during the retreat.
During its revival time, the Sunday attendance averaged over 300; but currently, only about seventy to eighty Christians attend the church on Sunday, most of whom are the elderly.
The loss of believers resulted from the fact that young people moved to big cities for jobs and some stayed there and senior villagers looked after their grandchildren in urban areas.
What was worse, there was no ordained pastor, elder, or teacher working in the church. Only some church co-workers or preachers invited from other brother churches serve in the pulpit ministry.
At first, the church funded four or five young people to advance in Bible schools, but after graduation, they left the church due to the low salary for church workers.
The bright side was that the majority of the congregation has firm faith and a love for ministry. The church was hailed by the local government and villagers for its positive impact to the stability of village order.
- Translated by Karen Luo
