Rev. L is the head of a county in southern Fujian, where most of the churches there have only one preacher. In his opinion, the most important thing for pastors is to deliver sermons well in the pulpit.
He said, "The Bible tells us the principle that apostles shall make it their mission to prayer and the ministry of the word. The most important thing for believers is to supply them with spiritual words and pray for them so that they can feed on grass and water."
He believes that the work of visitation and evangelism depends primarily on believers. They shall encourage and visit each other with testimonies, attracting others to know the Lord. As for pastors, the most important guidance for the congregation is to let the believers feel the Lord's grace and love and be willing to participate in the ministry. He often tells the believers to do five things well, including praying, reading the Bible, attending church services and gatherings, tithing, and evangelizing.
He mentioned that when missionaries came to China to evangelize, they built schools and hospitals first to give food to the hungry. Many people converted to Christianity in this way. In his opinion, only love can change a person. "Only a soft rope can bind people's hearts."
Pastors must now be practical in their guidance of believers by using everyday language to teach the Bible in a way that is understandable to them.
He summarized, "Our grassroots pastors are not theologians or theorists, but are fighting on the front line, teaching believers how to practice their faith in their lives practically. God is love, which is concrete. Pastors need to think about how people can know and feel the truth of the cross in their daily lives."
- Translated by Olinda Wang
