The Lenten path of a new generation of church leaders in China

By the Rev. Steve Ray, executive director of ChinaConnect and pastor at Elim Lutheran Church of Port Orchard

Since the new millennium, churches in urban areas have rapidly grown and developed in China. Compared with rural churches, urban churches have characteristics which are more in common with this fast paced age, such as openness and diversity. God has raised up a number of leaders, especially in urban churches, who are carrying the mission of this generation, to find a pastoral model for Chinese churches.

The older generation passed down to them a precious spirit, namely keeping the faith; however, the older generation did not pass on their experience in providing pastoral care. Therefore, it is necessary for the leaders of this generation to search for proper models of pastoral care to further develop the churches in China.

Many younger church leaders in China are taking a path that has never been taken before. Especially in the urban church, with its many challenges and ministry needs, many of the pastors and leaders don’t have teachers to show them how to respond to ministry in this new age. Without this valuable mission experience, the new generation of pastors feel ill-equipped to lead and care for this new generation of Christians.

As with all pastors and leaders in every place and time, those in China’s church, especially in urban settings understand the need to be humble and honest. For leaders to find the right path, they must trust in the Lord God more than themselves. While building their congregations and seeing to their members many pastoral needs, many leaders and pastors of this new generation have expanded their thinking and are beginning to learn from foreign churches with a history of service and revival. The hope is that the experience of these foreign churches can assist leaders in Chinese church not only to be more pastoral, but also better equip them as servants of society.

Like the people of Israel before them who wandered in the wilderness for forty years, following God and Moses, when they entered Canaan the faced all kinds of temptations and difficulties. This not unlike the Chinese church today.   The mission for the Chinese church in general, and urban churches in particular, is to find a model of pastoral care that is appropriate for Chinese churches. If this generation cannot navigate the challenging roads ahead for the next generation to follow, it will be even more difficult for them.

The path through the Lenten Season is a difficult one. The path to the cross isn’t meant to be easy. The path is full of potholes and stumbling blocks, but the path is also loaded with opportunities for prayer, fasting, and renewal. Today is a difficult and transitional period for Chinese churches and their leaders. In order to keep faith, the older generation passed on a spirit, the spirit to struggle and to fight.  Today the social environment has changed.  It is not as harsh as before, and in this environment churches have come into being. 

There is no precedent in China to show how to develop churches during these challenging days, but we know that the Lord is faithful. Like Moses and people of Israel, they trusted that God would lead them and be with them.  This, too, is the hope for the church in China as they seek the path to not only serve their Lord and Savior, but also minister society and to a new generation of Christians and their needs.