Last Sunday, Holy Trinity Cathedral in Shanghai baptized 34 seekers in a conversion ceremony.
According to the church, during the service on July 6, Rev. Chen Xiaoyong delivered a sermon titled "Three Important Things for Spiritual Growth," based on Galatians 6:7–16. He emphasized three key foundations of spiritual development: guarding the heart and avoiding self-deception, examining one's conduct under the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and boasting only in the cross of Christ while living as a new creation. He further expounded on the radical nature of Galatians 6:14, "boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," highlighting how the cross challenges secular value systems, redefines life's purpose, and demonstrates that spiritual life is not merely a moral endeavor but a continual process of allowing the Holy Spirit to dismantle the old self and restore the image of Christ.
Following the sermon, Rev. Xu Xiaohong, chairman of the national TSPM, administered the baptism through sprinkling. As the organ played, the candidates approached the altar individually, professed their faith, knelt, and received baptism. The church presented them with baptism certificates and Bibles.
The service concluded with the Holy Communion, during which the newly baptized believers received the bread and cup for the first time.
