Jinxi County, located in Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, is known as the hometown of Lu Jiuyuan, the founder of the school of Universal Mind, the book town in the south of the Yangtze River, and the fragrance capital of China. At present, there are more than 20 churches in the county, with nearly 3000 believers.
Christianity was introduced to Jinxi in 1887 by a German pastor, who belonged to the China Inland Mission. After the reform and opening up, the gospel was introduced again in 1982, and worship services resumed in 1985. In 1987, Jinxi County established CC&TSPM to carry out personnel training, pastoral care, external exchanges, and social services.
Rev. Jin Changjian, who is currently the third president of the Fuzhou Christian Council and the ninth secretary-general of Jinxi County TSPM, became a Christian in 1987 to serve in the church, helping churches in the county grow.
From 2022 to 2023, three churches in Jinxi County won the title of provincial “Five-Good” religious activity venues (good in propaganda and education, good in daily management, good in safety and stability, good in cultural development, and good in serving society). All 25 Christian sites in the county opened corporate accounts and entrusted a third-party financial company to manage their financial records. They have also established democratic management organizations and formulated financial management systems, with major issues being decided through collective discussion and democratic decision-making.
Additionally, local church leaders successfully obtained real estate registration certificates for the land of 25 Christian sites and passed safety assessments, which resolved historical issues that had plagued the county's religious community for many years.
Meanwhile, Jinxi County CC&TSPM has sent 12 people to Jiangxi Bible School for training, with 2 ordained as pastors, 3 as elders, and 5 as teachers, and holds training sessions and retreats twice a year.
Since 2017, the CC&TSPM in Jinxi County has paired with and supported three impoverished students. In addition to regular visits and providing daily necessities, church workers often have heart-to-heart talks with them, encouraging them to study diligently.
Since becaming a member of the Jinxi County CPPCC in August 2009, Rev. Jin Changjian has put forward proposals on people's livelihood issues, social hotspots, and religious development at the county CPPCC meeting. He has helped primary school students have safe back-to-home experience, ensured the safety of residents in old streets, managed rural farmland water use and waterlogging, and promoted environmental improvement.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
