A church in China’s southeastern coastal Zhejiang Province held a choir exchange conference on the sinicization of sacred music and ordination.
Nine choirs from urban churches in Hangzhou City took the stage to sing together in the Gulou Church on the evening of November 16, according to Hangzhou CC&TSPM.
The exchange conference was divided into two parts. Before the ordination service, Sicheng Church Choir, Banshan Church Choir, Enyou Choir in Chongyi Church and Gulou Church Choir participated. After the ordination ceremony, another four churches’ choirs presented hymns. During the exchange, each church choir sang two sinicized hymns.
The performance by the Sicheng Church Choir brought the exchange to a climax. The first hymn was "Praise the Lord", accompanied by traditional bells and castanets (wooden percussion instruments and body-sound instruments). The other was "Tears of Gratitude" accompanied by the traditional Chinese instrument erhu (a two-stringed bowed musical instrument).
The ordination ceremony was hosted by Rev. Pan Xingwang, chairman of Zhejiang CCC&TSPM. Three pastors and four elders were appointed after sharing their understanding of the office to which they had been called. They received clerical stoles, certificates, and Bibles.
Rev. Pan preached a sermon based on 1 Peter 5:1-6 entitled "Be Like a Holy Person on the Inside and Like a King Outside.” He encouraged the ordained clergy to be poor in spirit, do wonderful things and obey the laws of God. They were urged to be examples to believers in word, deed, love, faith, and purity, bearing a good testimony for Christ while nurturing the congregation by preaching the pure Gospel.
Rev. Chen Jianjun offered a prayer of benediction on behalf of the newly ordained pastor.
- Translated by Livingstones
