On August 27, the CC&TSPMs of Yangpu and Hongkou districts jointly held a "Preaching in Shanghai" exchange meeting to discuss the theme of "Promoting the Sinicization of Religious Rituals and Customs."
According to Shanghai CC&TSPM, Fudan University Distinguished Professor Xu Yihua noted that exchanges among pastoral staff in the two districts reflect both Shanghai's local characteristics and theological insight. He recommended strengthening historical reviews, summarizing both broad and specific experiences of sinicization, highlighting contributions of key figures, drawing on the sinicization practices of other cities and religions, and guarding against excessive innovation that could lead to extremes. He also stressed the importance of maintaining thorough basic data and enriching reports with both narratives and statistics.
During the meeting, pastoral representatives explored the sinicization and innovation of Christian liturgy from multiple perspectives: Rev. Wang Xingxiao stressed remaining faithful to truth while integrating with culture; Rev. Zheng Yue highlighted the impact and opportunities of the Internet on liturgy; Rev. Liu Song explained the significance of writing the character "Fu" (福, blessing) during the Spring Festival; Rev. Wang Wei advocated blending Christian music with traditional Chinese culture; Pastor Wang Lipin proposed linking Pentecost with Shanghai's "East Meets West" cultural heritage; and Rev. Xu Wei emphasized that liturgy should cultivate inner love and avoid superficiality.
