Born into a Christian family, Pastor Wang was less accompanied by her busy father, who is a pastor, but her mother created a nurturing religious atmosphere for her and her younger sister. From childhood to middle school, their mother required them to handwrite the Bible every day and pray every evening. For decades, their mother has been waking up at four in the morning to pray, and often to pray for them.
"Since we were young, our mother taught us to fear God and develop a habit of reading the Bible and listening to sermons," she recalled, "But my parents never intentionally guided me to become a pastor. I believe this was from the Holy Spirit and chosen by God."
Growing up in the church, she discovered a phenomenon in the early days: elderly believers were the majority, while educated pastors were very few. A seed of change was then planted in her heart. At 12, she wrote the words "Young Pastor Wang" in her own Bible. When choosing her academic track in high school, she selected art without hesitation and later successfully gained admission to a well-known university in China. After graduating from university, she followed the inner calling to pursue theological studies and eventually realized her dream—becoming a pastor.
However, the journey of servanthood wasn't always smooth. She faced various challenges and trials in her early days of ministry.
"The congregation seemed respectful to me when I started to work in the church, but that was for my father's sake, not from their inner recognition." She said, "My church emphasizes the gift of a pastor. If my ministry couldn't convince them, I would never be embraced by them."
"Thanks to God that He gave multiple gifts such as preaching, music, and dancing, enabling me to handle several church ministries. They couldn't find fault in my ministry, so they had no words for that."
Pastor Wang also talked about her family and hardships she had been through. "Many times I wanted to quit, and even give up the full-time ministry. But thank the Lord who gives me strength in prayer every time so that I could come so far."
After almost eight years in ministry, she has formed her own pastoral approach: preaching, praying, and church order.
Pastor Wang puts preaching as a priority. She explained that she often felt something vague when listening to sermons; thus, her primary goal was to make her message clear. At first, she aimed to ensure that she understood what she was saying and that the congregation comprehended it. In her daily communication with the congregation, she paid attention to their spiritual conditions so that her sermons would address them.
She mentioned that she would consult many materials when encountering theological issues in sermon preparation until she resolved them, as she stressed the wholeness of a sermon. A small mistake would matter. Later, her mother reminded her, "The most important thing does not depend on how the sermon looks. Your effort on your knees must be deeper than the sermons. Because when God opens the hearts of brothers and sisters, a sermon can truly enter into theirs."
Now she spends more time in prayer, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit before preaching. In the pulpit, she adjusts the key message based on the different congregations and circumstances. A church staff member said, "I used to be mystified by those sermons, but I can understand them now as Pastor Wang preaches clearly."
Experiencing the importance of prayer, Pastor Wang conducts an early morning prayer service every day to help the congregation develop a consistent prayer habit. A prominent transformation has taken place in their prayer life: they could only pray for ten minutes at first, but now they can enjoy one hour of prayer. "Praying doesn't mean you have to keep speaking all the time," she often reminds them. "You can be slow in prayer, and don't be quick with your mouth. Being quiet in meditation can be a form of prayer."
In terms of church order, she sticks to the principle of "speaking the truth in love." In the early years of her ministry, she noticed that some believers talked about people behind their backs. Once, she prevented some choir members from doing so, warning that anyone who violated this should have to leave.
In daily life, she also points out the problems of the congregation directly and corrects them with biblical principles. She believes that a pastor is obliged to show the direction for their congregation rather than gloss over problems out of fear of offending people. "If a pastor fails to resolve a problem due to fear of offending or hurting people, that is not tolerance but irresponsibility." Some believers said that those reminders have helped them become aware of their problems and correct them.
Meanwhile, she stressed that pastors should lead by example. "Believers should be inspired by pastors." She said, "Leading by example is the most difficult lesson, which requires us to establish a sincere and smooth relationship with God. When a pastor has a good relationship with God, He will lead our ministries step by step."
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought challenges to in-person meetings, she started the cell group model, through which the congregation studies basic doctrines. She also encourages them to write down key points, digest them, and apply them to their lives. A Bible reading contest is also held for cell groups every year.
"Although having been a Christian for many years, I've come to understand the fundamental truth and become closer to God after joining the cell group," a believer said. Another confessed, "I left the church immediately after only listening to a sermon in a Sunday service, and I didn't know who sat beside me. But through the cell group, I'm more grounded in biblical foundation and have learned to care about the needs of other members."
Talking about her own growth in ministry, she said with tears in her eyes, "I've experienced God's amazing healing in my weaknesses, which lets me know that I'm merely a vessel in God's hands. These weak moments make me aware of my limitations, which drives me to depend on God more deeply. For when I am weak, then I am strong. The eight-year servanthood has convinced me more and more that He leads all my work as well as watches over and blesses my family."
Originally from the Gospel Times
- Edited and translated by Karen Luo
