The uproar about the “chained woman of eight” incident finally came to an end after the release of the report by the special investigation team of Jiangsu Provincial Government. A total of 17 officials were punished due to the human trafficking issue over a mother found to be chained in a hut of Xuzhou in the winter. All related social groups and government departments made some reflections on this incident. For example, lawmakers wondered whether the penalty for the crime of abducting and trafficking women and children is not heavy enough, which may not be enough to stop kidnappers from doing this.
As a social group, the Church should also reflect on this incident. In the future, “Five Balances” should be kept in our minds in the domestic ministry.
I. The balance between ministry in cities and countryside
The mission of the church, according to the words of God, is to “spread Gospel, train disciples, charity voluntary service, social transformation and conservation of the earth”. Therefore, the church burdens the mission of “social transformation”.
According to the incident of the “chained woman”, we can see that the evil practice of buying a wife still exists in some underdeveloped villages, and it’s still deep in some people’s minds. Obviously, the Church should undertake the task of changing people’s minds about this, but it failed to do so.
The main reason for the failure is that the focus of the ministry of the Church in China is mainly the cities, and the villages are largely ignored. This incident is a strong reminder that both cities and villages should be the focus of our ministry.
II. The balance between building our own church and supporting the churches in rural areas
The Bible tells us, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)
With the commercialization and urbanization of China, young and middle-aged believers in rural churches have been gradually transferred to urban churches. Missionaries who stay in rural churches are also facing a growing existential crisis. Thus, some preachers of rural churches either started their own businesses to make a living or were transferred to urban churches to serve. Therefore, urban churches should support and back-feed rural churches.
I propose that the churches in the city should encourage their preachers to serve in the rural churches under administration (with a salary). That is to say, when the church is big enough, aside from the building of itself, it should concern and support the ministry and management of the churches in the rural areas under its administration, so as to promote the ministry in the rural areas.
III. The balance between indoctrination and spiritual cultivation
One possible reason for the failure of social transformation in rural areas is: Though churches were built in some rural areas, the spiritual cultivation of believers is not enough. The faith of believers in rural areas is too weak, and the churches in rural areas are not strong enough to change the tide.
This is a reminder for domestic churches. When emphasizing the indoctrination of God’s words, the spiritual cultivation of believers should not be ignored. Only when believers grow up spiritually can they burden the mission of “social transformation” and speak out against the injustice of society and the unrighteousness of men.
IV. The balance between total service and care for the individual
The chained woman moaned, “The world never cares about me.” Undoubtedly, the charity voluntary service in domestic churches is really excellent and we’ve done a lot of work. However, this chained woman was never cared for by the Church (or she got very little care from the church). Because I believe that if she ever felt the love from Christ, she would never have moaned so desperately.
In terms of charity voluntary service, the total service in some major disasters is not enough. We should also care for disadvantaged individuals. That’s the balance between total service and care for individuals.
V. The balance between “icing on the cake” and “timely assistance”.
The “icing on the cake” is that when some major disasters occur, we Christians provide disaster relief with other social groups under the call of the government, out of love for all the people.
The chained woman is a person ignored by all of us who needs care most. Nevertheless, the church in Fengxian County never cared for this poor woman who lost her own freedom and was abused, and no timely help was offered. This shows that the Church did little in “timely assistance”.
Therefore, the church should emphasize both “icing on the cake” and “timely assistance”.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
国内一度沸沸扬扬的“锁链女”舆论风波，随着江苏省政府专案组调查通报的公布，已经基本平息。社会相关团体和政府相关部门在此事件上也作出了反省。比如，法制建设人员反思，刑法对拐卖妇女儿童罪的量刑是否过低，从而纵容了拐卖妇女儿童的犯罪分子。
笔者认为，教会作为社会团体之一，也应当就“锁链女”事件作出深刻的反省。笔者认为国内教会在今后的福音事工中，应当注意以下五个方面的平衡——
一、注意城市与农村福音事工的平衡。
神颁布给教会的大使命包含了“宣讲福音、培训门徒、爱心服务、社会转化和保育地球”等五大要素，即基督徒的“整全使命”（参《Mission in the 21st century》）。可见，教会肩负着“社会转化”的使命。
从丰县“锁链女”事件看，买妻这一恶习在丰县农村等国内某些农村地区依然存在，并且根深蒂固。显然，教会应当承担转化这一恶习的使命。也很显然，基督教在丰县农村等国内某些农村地区没有发挥转化这一恶习的功用。
那么，为什么在国内教会里出现上述现状呢？笔者认为其主要原因是：多年来，国内教会的福音事工偏重于城市，忽略了农村。从而，“锁链女”事件提醒国内教会，在为主赢得城市的同时，也应该为主赢得乡村。
二、注意建设本堂与扶助友堂的平衡。
圣经告诉教会信众：“各人不要单顾自己的事，也要顾别人的事。”（腓2:4）
随着国内产业工商业化和人口城镇化的社会发展进程，农村教会的青壮年信徒逐渐转移到了城市教会。坚守在农村教会的传道人，也面临着日益严重的生存危机。进而，导致农村教会的某些传道人下海谋生，或转移到城市教会服侍。因此，城市教会应该支持和回报农村教会。
笔者建议，城市教会应当鼓励本堂的传道人，带薪下沉到本辖区内的农村教会服侍。也就是说，具有一定规模的城市教会，在加强自身建设的同时，应当关注与扶助本堂所在地区农村教会的管理和牧养，推动农村福音事工。
三、注意教义教导与灵命栽培的平衡。
笔者在第一点分析了教会在某些农村地区没有发挥好“社会转化”作用的一个可能原因是：某些农村地区，虽然建立了教会，但是信徒在灵命建造上还很不够。从而，信众整体上灵命幼小，教会在那些农村根本发挥不了对买妻这个恶习的转化作用。
这就提醒国内教会，在加强基督教教义教导的同时，应当加强信徒的灵命栽培。只有信徒的灵命成长了，才能承担起“社会转化”之福音使命，敢于为社会的不公和世人的不义发声。
四、注意整体服务与个体关怀的平衡。
丰县“锁链女”低吟，“世界不要我了”。 可以肯定的是，国内教会在“爱心服务”（或“社会关怀”）方面，做了大量的工作，且较为出色。然而，也可以肯定，丰县那位“锁链女”没有得到教会的关怀（或有，但也可以肯定，她得到的应该极少）。因为，笔者相信，若是她曾领受过基督徒的爱，就不会如此绝望地呻吟——“世界不要我了”。
在“爱心服务”方面，不仅当做好大灾大难人员的救助和关顾等社会整体服务，而且也应该做好身边某个弱势个体的关怀，即做到整体服务与个体关怀的平衡。
五、注意锦上添花与雪中送炭的平衡。笔者在这里提出的“锦上添花”，指教会在社会关怀方面，在大灾大难临到某一地区或某一人群时，本着基督的爱，随从其他社会团体，主动参与或者被动响应政府相关部门的号召，从事救灾和扶困济贫的事工。
丰县“铁链女”就是当今社会里，被社会所遗漏，却是最需要关爱和关怀的极个别人士。然而，丰县教会却没有关注到这位失去人身自由、饱受暴徒蹂躏和摧残的妇女，也没有为她提供获取人身自由的些微帮助。这也表明，教会在“雪中送碳”方面做得不够。
从而，笔者呼吁，教会在社会关怀上不仅要“锦上添花”，而且还必须注重“雪中送炭”。
“锁链女”事件提醒教会在福音事工上当注意五个平衡
The uproar about the “chained woman of eight” incident finally came to an end after the release of the report by the special investigation team of Jiangsu Provincial Government. A total of 17 officials were punished due to the human trafficking issue over a mother found to be chained in a hut of Xuzhou in the winter. All related social groups and government departments made some reflections on this incident. For example, lawmakers wondered whether the penalty for the crime of abducting and trafficking women and children is not heavy enough, which may not be enough to stop kidnappers from doing this.
As a social group, the Church should also reflect on this incident. In the future, “Five Balances” should be kept in our minds in the domestic ministry.
I. The balance between ministry in cities and countryside
The mission of the church, according to the words of God, is to “spread Gospel, train disciples, charity voluntary service, social transformation and conservation of the earth”. Therefore, the church burdens the mission of “social transformation”.
According to the incident of the “chained woman”, we can see that the evil practice of buying a wife still exists in some underdeveloped villages, and it’s still deep in some people’s minds. Obviously, the Church should undertake the task of changing people’s minds about this, but it failed to do so.
The main reason for the failure is that the focus of the ministry of the Church in China is mainly the cities, and the villages are largely ignored. This incident is a strong reminder that both cities and villages should be the focus of our ministry.
II. The balance between building our own church and supporting the churches in rural areas
The Bible tells us, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)
With the commercialization and urbanization of China, young and middle-aged believers in rural churches have been gradually transferred to urban churches. Missionaries who stay in rural churches are also facing a growing existential crisis. Thus, some preachers of rural churches either started their own businesses to make a living or were transferred to urban churches to serve. Therefore, urban churches should support and back-feed rural churches.
I propose that the churches in the city should encourage their preachers to serve in the rural churches under administration (with a salary). That is to say, when the church is big enough, aside from the building of itself, it should concern and support the ministry and management of the churches in the rural areas under its administration, so as to promote the ministry in the rural areas.
III. The balance between indoctrination and spiritual cultivation
One possible reason for the failure of social transformation in rural areas is: Though churches were built in some rural areas, the spiritual cultivation of believers is not enough. The faith of believers in rural areas is too weak, and the churches in rural areas are not strong enough to change the tide.
This is a reminder for domestic churches. When emphasizing the indoctrination of God’s words, the spiritual cultivation of believers should not be ignored. Only when believers grow up spiritually can they burden the mission of “social transformation” and speak out against the injustice of society and the unrighteousness of men.
IV. The balance between total service and care for the individual
The chained woman moaned, “The world never cares about me.” Undoubtedly, the charity voluntary service in domestic churches is really excellent and we’ve done a lot of work. However, this chained woman was never cared for by the Church (or she got very little care from the church). Because I believe that if she ever felt the love from Christ, she would never have moaned so desperately.
In terms of charity voluntary service, the total service in some major disasters is not enough. We should also care for disadvantaged individuals. That’s the balance between total service and care for individuals.
V. The balance between “icing on the cake” and “timely assistance”.
The “icing on the cake” is that when some major disasters occur, we Christians provide disaster relief with other social groups under the call of the government, out of love for all the people.
The chained woman is a person ignored by all of us who needs care most. Nevertheless, the church in Fengxian County never cared for this poor woman who lost her own freedom and was abused, and no timely help was offered. This shows that the Church did little in “timely assistance”.
Therefore, the church should emphasize both “icing on the cake” and “timely assistance”.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Chained Woman Incident Reminds “Five Balances” in Church Ministry
