The seventh seminar on the Sinicization of Christianity was held in Yaodu District Church, Linfen, Shanxi, with more than 90 pastors attending.
The symposium was chaired by Rev. Yang Senlin on September 24. Thirteen pastors from all counties and areas in Linfen conducted in-depth discussions on church management, social services, sinicization of pastoral management, hymns, spiritual practice, and Christian architecture, as well as cultural adaptation.
The paper “An Analysis of Bishop K. H. Ting’s Thoughts on the Inculturation of Theology in China” was made by Rev. Wang Zhigang. He introduced the thoughts on the enculturation of theology in China of Bishop K. H. Ting, the late Chinese theologian and former Dean of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, from three aspects of Western theology, universal church, and domestic theological research and education.
The paper “Exploration of the Integration of Christian Faith With Chinese Traditional Culture” was delivered by Elder Yan Haibin. He shared that the integration of Christianity and Chinese traditional culture should be actively promoted from two paradigms: the spread and extinction of Nestorianism and the breakthrough in the integration made by James Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission.
The article “Talking about Filial Piety Culture from Ruth” by Chen Zimin presented the inheritance of filial piety in Chinese excellent traditional culture and Christians’ duty to respect the elderly from Ruth’s companion, choice, and filial duty in the Bible.
The paper “Music is the Most Beautiful Gift given by God to mankind- the Sinicization of Church Music” by Pastor Li Wenyan said music was the main medium of grace and that Chinese churches should develop a good voice belonging to China.
The paper “Moistening the Heart, Nourishing the Nature and Nurturing the Spirit-Thoughts on the Practical Direction of Spiritual Practice in China” by Pastor Guo Lingquan discussed the practical direction of pastoral care and devotion in grass-roots churches. It summarized the spiritual practice of the church from aspects of group leaders and individuals by analyzing the spiritual cultivation tradition in church history and combining it with the pastoral status of the church.
Elder Zhang Xiaohua gave a speech titled “Thoughts on the Innovation of Pastoral Care in China in Post-epidemic Era”, analyzing the impact and opportunities of the epidemic in the past three years, as well as the new challenges faced by the church in the epidemic era. He also detailed the comprehensive improvement of pastoral care and the development of new pastoral care methods. Another Zhang’s paper “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself to Show Lord’s love, and Honor Your God and Benefit People as Light and Salt-Thoughts on Practicing Sinicization of Christian” involved the lessons of public charity in the Bible, and the historical process of Christianity in China and the practice of Christian social service in Linfen, exploring the development direction of social service in the future.
After that, they selected two first-place winners, five second-place winners, and six persons for the excellent prize. Two groups and one individual were awarded the Outstanding Organization Award and the Outstanding Creation Award respectively.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Stephen Huang
