Over a hundred years ago, Western missionaries came to China from far and wide to share the good news. In addition to building churches and preaching, they opened schools and established hospitals to plant the seeds of the Gospel.
A male believer C (pseudonym for safety reasons) is a leader of a medical ministry in southern China. Interviewed by the “Christian Times”, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, he shared the importance of medical services and the unique advantages of Chinese medicine.
Brother C said that the Chinese church has been slowly emerging over the past few decades, but in the process, it has made a serious mistake: The Chinese church has lost its most effective means of evangelism.
Brother C believes that the best way to evangelize is to show someone that you love them before you even say to them: "Jesus loves you.” When people see that you love them, they will ask: "Why do you love me so much?” But then you give them the message that it is not really me who is loving you - it is Jesus who is loving you.
C added that there were several ways to express love: The first one is to pay attention to their physical and mental health through medical care and education. This was why C and others were determined to do medical work.
Compared with direct evangelism, medical and educational missions have a great advantage, that is, a kind of prior love. It is an effective strategy of evangelism to serve people first with love, and then share the Gospel.
C found that for Western medicine, professionals are needed in each department with many examination instruments. "If you provide medical services with Chinese medicine, one doctor of traditional Chinese medicine is almost enough without needing to bring along too many instruments. He just takes along traditional Chinese medicines plus acupuncture equipment. The doctor is a general practitioner who manages many common diseases," he said.
But Western medicine is different, C continued. The division of labor in Western medicine is very detailed and many doctors can’t treat diseases outside of their specialty. Moreover, Western medicine needs professional equipment too expensive for a regular medical service. Moreover, it is inconvenient to take this equipment along on visits. Western medical services are too specialized or target a too-small group of patients.
Brother C urged that God has given a great mission and commission to the Chinese church and that Chinese believers need to make good use of the unique advantages of Chinese medicine. "We need to vigorously carry out medical services and give people first of all our love."
- Translated by Abigail Wu
百多年前，许多西方传教士远涉重洋来到了中国，除了建造教堂直接布道之外，他们还开设学校、建立医院播下福音的种子。
C弟兄是南方某地一医疗事工的参与者，与中国一基督教网络报纸基督时报分享了医疗服务的重要性以及中医在医疗服务的独特优势。
C弟兄说，中国教会在过去的这几十年的时间里面确实慢慢的兴起了，但是在这个过程当中，C弟兄却发现中国教会却犯了一个很严重的错误，或者说很严重的一个忽略，那就是中国教会把传福音的最有效的方法给丢掉了。
C弟兄认为传福音最好的方法是什么呢？就是在还没有给别人说“耶稣爱你的”的时候，首先就让别人看到你在爱他。(==当summary）
等人家看到你在爱他的时候，人家会问你，你为什么这么爱我？然后你给他说，其实并不是我在爱你，是耶稣在爱你。
C弟兄说，表达爱的方法有几种，第一种就是关注他们的身心健康，比如教育和医疗。这也是C弟兄他们决心做医疗事工的理由。
跟直接传道相比，医疗和教育宣教有着非常大的优点，那就是是一种先行的爱。先去服事人，爱人，然后再给他们传福音，这样的成功率很高。
C弟兄发现如果以西医诊疗是需要每科室都要有专业人员，而且检查的仪器很多。
”中医开展医疗服务的话，基本上中医大夫过去就差不多了，不需要带太多的仪器什么的。顶多就是带一些中药，然后就是针灸用具。而且中医医生普遍是非常全面的，一些常见病基本上都能看。”
可是西医那就不一样了。西医的专业分工非常细致，很多疾病都看不了，甚至有时候基本上什么病都看不了。而且西医非常依赖专业仪器，但是开展医疗服务的时候不可能带上这些仪器。另一方面是因为那些医学仪器非常昂贵，医疗服务事工根本负担不起。西医医疗服务，针对性太强，或者说面向的人群太小众了，
C弟兄呼吁说，上帝给了中国教会和信徒很大的使命和托付，我们需要看到和利用好中医的独特优势。大力开展医疗服务，给人们先行的爱，去医治更多的人。
专访|南方某医疗事工负责人：医疗服务是先行的爱 更多发挥中医的独特优势去服事
Over a hundred years ago, Western missionaries came to China from far and wide to share the good news. In addition to building churches and preaching, they opened schools and established hospitals to plant the seeds of the Gospel.
A male believer C (pseudonym for safety reasons) is a leader of a medical ministry in southern China. Interviewed by the “Christian Times”, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, he shared the importance of medical services and the unique advantages of Chinese medicine.
Brother C said that the Chinese church has been slowly emerging over the past few decades, but in the process, it has made a serious mistake: The Chinese church has lost its most effective means of evangelism.
Brother C believes that the best way to evangelize is to show someone that you love them before you even say to them: "Jesus loves you.” When people see that you love them, they will ask: "Why do you love me so much?” But then you give them the message that it is not really me who is loving you - it is Jesus who is loving you.
C added that there were several ways to express love: The first one is to pay attention to their physical and mental health through medical care and education. This was why C and others were determined to do medical work.
Compared with direct evangelism, medical and educational missions have a great advantage, that is, a kind of prior love. It is an effective strategy of evangelism to serve people first with love, and then share the Gospel.
C found that for Western medicine, professionals are needed in each department with many examination instruments. "If you provide medical services with Chinese medicine, one doctor of traditional Chinese medicine is almost enough without needing to bring along too many instruments. He just takes along traditional Chinese medicines plus acupuncture equipment. The doctor is a general practitioner who manages many common diseases," he said.
But Western medicine is different, C continued. The division of labor in Western medicine is very detailed and many doctors can’t treat diseases outside of their specialty. Moreover, Western medicine needs professional equipment too expensive for a regular medical service. Moreover, it is inconvenient to take this equipment along on visits. Western medical services are too specialized or target a too-small group of patients.
Brother C urged that God has given a great mission and commission to the Chinese church and that Chinese believers need to make good use of the unique advantages of Chinese medicine. "We need to vigorously carry out medical services and give people first of all our love."
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Traditional Chinese Medicine Is Unique in Medical Evangelism: Medical Ministry Leader
