The Media Ministry Committee of the current session of CCC&TSPM convened its annual work conference in Jiangsu in 2023.
During the conference held in Wuxi from August 21st to 22nd, prior to the meeting, Rev. Yan Xiyu, deputy editor-in-chief of its flagship magazine named Tianfeng of CCC&TSPM, delivered a sermon, citing Luke 10:2 and 2 Timothy 2:15. Sharing insights into the service of Jesus, he encouraged attendees to learn from Jesus and pay closer attention to the reality of the church and the training of talents. He also reminded them to adapt to the times, transform their understanding of service, and better serve believers, reported CCC&TSPM.
Rev. Hao Zhiqiang, editor-in-chief of Tianfeng, or the Heavenly Wind, reported on the situation of the integrated media ministry of CCC&TSPM from the perspectives of opportunities and challenges in religious media, the integrated media matrix of Chinese churches, the implications of "blockchain" formed by the authors, editors, and readers of the magazine, and the ongoing efforts in church media integration. Chen Hongli, head of the publishing and distribution group of the media ministry, reported on the achievements, opportunities, challenges, and breakthrough efforts in the past three years of the publishing and distribution ministry.
The attendees collectively studied the "Administrative Measures for Internet Religious Information Services" (Measures hereinafter), and committee members shared the implementation status of the Measures in their respective provinces. Rev. Hao discussed how to promote the attention to church media ministry of CC&TSPMs, emphasize the training of a variety of professional talents, and strive to excel in the new era's church multimedia ministry. They also discussed the five-year work report of the specialized committee.
Rev. Shan Weixiang affirmed the work of the Media Committee over the past five years. He pointed out that the magazine Tianfeng and the website of CCC&TSPM served as windows for the Church in China, greatly satisfying the spiritual needs of believers through the publication of the Bible and spiritual books. He also mentioned the challenges faced by the media publication and distribution ministry, such as the decline of traditional print media, the rise of multimedia, difficulties in publishing and distribution, and changes in distribution channels. Saying challenges were opportunities, he emphasized that Christian publishing and promotional work were not only necessary for spreading the gospel but also windows for the church to showcase itself to society. The church should open its doors to present itself, engage in social activities, and tell the story of the Church in China.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
