The reburial ceremony of Dr. John Sung Shang Chieh’s remains and the memorial service of the 80th anniversary of his death were conducted at his newly completed cemetery in his hometown on August 18.
Starting in 1928, the renowned Chinese evangelist known as the "Wesley of China," Dr. John Sung began preaching in China. In 1935, he made five mission trips to Southeast Asia, healing the sick, casting out demons, and spreading the gospel. He is hailed as the greatest revival evangelist in modern Chinese Christian history and one of the most influential Chinese Christian evangelists worldwide in the 20th century. On August 18, 1944, Dr. Sung passed away due to illness in Xiangshan, Beijing, and was buried in Xiangshan, Beijing, on August 22.
In 2009, with the consent of Dr. Sung’s family and the relevant cemetery authorities, his remains were relocated from Beijing to Putian, Fujian, and placed at the Kengbei Church in his hometown, Xiuyu District. Due to the relocation of the local church, his remains were temporarily moved to a prefabricated house. After continuous efforts by his family and the church, a new cemetery was finally established near Liucuo Village in Xiuyu District in the summer of 2024, where his remains were reburied. The previous tombstone in Beijing bore the inscription: "Resting Place of John Sung, Servant of Jesus Christ, Who Was Born on September 27, 1901, and Slept on August 18, 1944," with "I Am Coming Soon" engraved on the left side and "Even So, Come, Lord Jesus" on the right.
It is said that Sung’s cemetery will be open to the public in the future.
Last Sunday marked the 80th anniversary of Dr. Sung’s death, and the ceremony was attended by nearly a hundred members, including staff members and believers from Xiuyu District CC&TSPM, Hushi Pastoral Area, Kengbei Church, and descendants of Dr. Sung.
After staff workers and choir members performed the hymn "John the Baptist of China" in commemoration of his 110th birthday, Rev. Huang Songyan, a retired pastor from Xiuyu District, was invited to deliver a sermon titled "Imitate John Sung," based on Hebrews 13:7.
In his sermon, Huang began by exhorting the congregants on the importance of imitating spiritual role models throughout history from both the Old and New Testaments. He first explained the essence of spiritual role models, their significance to the times and the church, and the importance for Christians to emulate such models. Based on this, he introduced Dr. Sung as the first doctor from Putian, the 20th-century John the Baptist, the apostle of the Chinese church, a pioneer of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, a prophet of church unity, and the first missionary from Putian to work overseas, who bore abundant fruit in God's kingdom. He encouraged Christians to imitate Dr. Sung, who was mindful of the Father’s work, did what the Lord did, and walked with the Lord. They were urged to be faithful servants of God, saints, messengers of the gospel, and role models for the nation and people.
After the sermon, a Christian woman named Du Xinmei, a representative of Dr. Sung’s descendants, was invited to speak. In her speech, she expressed gratitude to God for the final resting place of Sung’s remains, which had finally been laid to rest. She also prayed that the Holy Spirit would continue to be with all believers and staff workers and lead them to follow Dr. Sung in spreading the gospel and saving souls with the hope of the Lord’s return.
(This translation is a combined excerpt of two articles, "The Reburial Ceremony of Dr. John Sung's Coffin and the Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of His Passing Held in Putian, Fujian" and "Dr. John Sung's Coffin was Returned to His Hometown in Fujian Many Years Ago and is Currently Stored in a Temporary Shelter," originally published by the Gospel Times and edited by China Christian Daily under permission.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
