Pastor D of eastern China said that the Chinese churches that tended to be more pastoral should grow to be "apostolic" with the changes of the times.
"In fact, the Chinese churches have had a large number of believers, but to be objective, there are too few who can be like the 300 strong warriors in Gideon." Pastor D who pastors a house church said, "Instead of the number of believers, Chinese churches need to improve the quality of believers."
The so-called apostolic church would center around the pastoral ministry, but more should be done, as the pastor explained. Instead, the church must equip believers to be disciples under the guidance of visions, awaken their identities, and send them to be the servants of the church and society.
As the apostle Paul mentioned, there are five roles in the church - apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. Only when these roles match each other could the whole body of Christ be fulfilled. In the church, everyone could be sent only when they find their own role called by God.
The pastor explained, "Not everyone is an apostle or a prophet. But every believer is born apostolic and prophetic. The believers have great potential, and they are apostolic and prophetic people of God."
"Believers can pray for others by laying their hands on them. They don't need pastors to do these things. Every believer needs to grow up and be empowered. That's why it is important for everyone to be equipped: to be given the power of God. Then there is empowerment: let believers awaken their spiritual authority in their identity. This ability and authority is not given by the pastor but is naturally drawn on the ability and authority of God's children when a believer realizes his identity. Therefore, when a believer is empowered, they can be sent," she added.
"Everyone is built, everyone is a disciple, and everyone is sent by the Lord."
"This doesn't mean that everyone comes to the church to serve full-time as a job. The church is a place where believers are equipped. When a believer is equipped in the church, they need to be sent into their own field to serve."
"Many churches and believers attach great importance to fulfilling the Great Commission entrusted by the Lord Jesus and spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. But today in the 21st century, when the gospel has been spread for about 2,000 years, maybe not everyone is called to go to the faraway 'unreached' land."
Pastor D reminded, "The unreached lands and the unreached people are actually in every field you are, including the company where you work, or even a person right next to you."
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
日前，一位华东牧者D牧师分享了自己的看见，谈到之前中国教会更多是一种“牧养性”的模式，或者说是一种“牧者喂养信徒”的“喂养型”、“牧养型”的模式，但伴随着教会的发展和时代的变迁，教会需要成长为“使徒性”的模式，即“人人被建造、人人做门徒、人人被派遣”的模式。
“中国教会信徒的数量其实可以说并不小了，但是客观来说成为基甸三百勇士一样的人的数量太少了、成为精兵的人太少了。”D牧师说，“所以比起来数量，中国教会的信徒们更加需要提升的是质量。”
所谓使徒性的教会，这位牧者解释说，教会牧养是重要的，但教会并非只要围着牧养转。而是必须以异象为指引，装备信徒成为门徒，唤醒每个信徒的身份，以至于进入使徒性差派，成为教会与社会的服侍者。
如同使徒保罗提到的，教会当中有五重职份——使徒，先知，传福音的，牧师和教师。这些职分相互配搭，才能够成全整个的基督的身体。在教会中，每一个人都找到自己被神呼召的职分，他/她才能够被差遣。
D牧师澄清说：“并不是每一个人都是使徒或先知。但是每一个信徒都生来具有使徒性和先知性。可以说信徒里面有一个极大的潜能，他们是使徒性与先知性的神百姓。”
“信徒可以为别人按手祷告，不需要都是牧师来做这些事情。每一个信徒都需要成长成熟，并且都需要被赋能——这就是人人受装备的重要：要把神的能力赋予给他。然后就是赋权：让信徒在身份中觉醒自己属灵的权柄。 这个能力和权柄并不是牧师给予的，而是当一个信徒意识到自己的身份以后，就自然而然的可以支取神儿女的能力和权柄。所以，当一个信徒被赋能和赋权以后，就可以被差遣。”
“这个意思并不是说大家都到教会来全职服事，都来教会上班。教会是一个装备信徒的地方，当一个信徒在教会得到装备以后，是需要奉差遣进入到各自的领域参与服事的。”
“很多教会和信徒都很重视想要完成主耶稣托付的大使命，把福音传到地极。但是其实在21世纪的今天、在福音已经被传播了2000年后的今天，也许并不是每一个人都被呼召要去到“远方”未得之地。”D牧师提醒说：“未得之地、未得之民其实就在每一个你所在的领域，就在你上班的公司，就在每一个信徒的身旁。”
访谈|中国教会需要从强调“牧养性”转型为强调“使徒性”
Pastor D of eastern China said that the Chinese churches that tended to be more pastoral should grow to be "apostolic" with the changes of the times.
"In fact, the Chinese churches have had a large number of believers, but to be objective, there are too few who can be like the 300 strong warriors in Gideon." Pastor D who pastors a house church said, "Instead of the number of believers, Chinese churches need to improve the quality of believers."
The so-called apostolic church would center around the pastoral ministry, but more should be done, as the pastor explained. Instead, the church must equip believers to be disciples under the guidance of visions, awaken their identities, and send them to be the servants of the church and society.
As the apostle Paul mentioned, there are five roles in the church - apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. Only when these roles match each other could the whole body of Christ be fulfilled. In the church, everyone could be sent only when they find their own role called by God.
The pastor explained, "Not everyone is an apostle or a prophet. But every believer is born apostolic and prophetic. The believers have great potential, and they are apostolic and prophetic people of God."
"Believers can pray for others by laying their hands on them. They don't need pastors to do these things. Every believer needs to grow up and be empowered. That's why it is important for everyone to be equipped: to be given the power of God. Then there is empowerment: let believers awaken their spiritual authority in their identity. This ability and authority is not given by the pastor but is naturally drawn on the ability and authority of God's children when a believer realizes his identity. Therefore, when a believer is empowered, they can be sent," she added.
"Everyone is built, everyone is a disciple, and everyone is sent by the Lord."
"This doesn't mean that everyone comes to the church to serve full-time as a job. The church is a place where believers are equipped. When a believer is equipped in the church, they need to be sent into their own field to serve."
"Many churches and believers attach great importance to fulfilling the Great Commission entrusted by the Lord Jesus and spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. But today in the 21st century, when the gospel has been spread for about 2,000 years, maybe not everyone is called to go to the faraway 'unreached' land."
Pastor D reminded, "The unreached lands and the unreached people are actually in every field you are, including the company where you work, or even a person right next to you."
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
Interview: Chinese Churches Need to Transform From Being 'Pastoral' to Being 'Apostolic'
