Editor's note: It's the fifth article of a series of interviews under the topic: Cultivate a New Generation of Chinese Christian Leaders (see article one, article two, article three, and article four). In this episode, a pastor in southern China emphasizes theological training and encourages the next generation of Chinese church leaders to acquire income skills outside of the church.
Pastor Nai Guohui (pseudonym for safety reasons), a 60-year-old pastor from southern China with extensive pastoral experience, shared his opinions on this topic with the Chinese online Christian newspaper, the Christian Times. He believes that churches need to do a good job of discipleship and theological training in order to raise up successors. At the same time, it is important for preachers to have income skills outside of the church in order to cope with difficult times.
Pastor Nai said: "Good theological training is essential for raising up a new generation of successors. For example, in a city or rural area where the Gospel is widely preached, the church needs to recruit students who love the Lord and the church and offer them good discipleship training and theological education. Without good theological training, many problems will arise in their future ministry. For example, the accuracy of the preacher's teaching on the Bible, how to endure hardships and overcome difficulties, how to defend the church and protect it when disrupted by heretics, etc. While many young people are now rushing to make money, I continue to teach online theology. The classes are held in the evening and completed in four years. I believe an excellent new generation of successors can only be selected when the church does a good job of theological education and discipleship training at the grassroots level."
The pastor shared his own unique experience and advice when discussing the challenges of training a new generation of successors. The next generation of pastors should be encouraged to develop additional income skills. Pastor Nai confessed, "Many full-time preachers in churches have to quit their God-called jobs because of low salaries. Some pastors will be sad and helpless, while others will view it as a significant personal chance. I wish to find a way for all of them and to be their spiritual companion."
Pastor Nai continued, "Preachers are also human beings and have certain necessities that they need to purchase. They have the freedom to establish a family, the responsibility to raise a wife and children and the obligation to support the elderly. The preachers' helplessness and pain in obtaining a sufficient salary from the church can become a sore point in their ministry."
"Before liberation, a missionary trained a local theology student, Brother X, in eastern China. The missionary advised Brother X: 'Besides serving the Lord with fervor, you need another income skill.’ Later, after graduating from theology, Brother X learned ophthalmology. Then he worked as an ophthalmologist and served the church after work. He enjoyed complete freedom in his life and service to the church,” he recalled.
“Later, this brother X trained a new generation of successors including Pastor Nai (me). Brother X also encouraged the young pastor N to learn additional income skills. So I learned the skills of tailoring and making clothes. On the way to serving the Lord, Pastor N’s family encountered many financial hardships. When the family was poor, he supported a family of four by relying on the skills of tailoring. After the family’s economic recovery, he and his wife continued to serve the church fervently."
Pastor Nai cautioned, "It is helpful to have a spiritual partner or pastor to supervise and accompany preachers who want to develop another income skill. People are weak, and during the pursuit of money, they often lose their enthusiasm and hope to continue serving God. Therefore, working outside the church requires boundaries. The extra skill should be used to meet basic needs of life such as raising children, supporting parents and other expenses. After completing these tasks, the preacher should stop working outside and return to the church to serve."
"There was a preacher couple whose financial situation was often difficult when their children started elementary school. They relied on the meager living allowance provided by the church. However, because the wife was skilled in Chinese medicine and massage, she opened a pediatric massage clinic with her husband. As soon as financial relief kicked in, she asked her husband to quit his job at the massage clinic so that he could dedicate himself to being a preacher and serving the church.” “Furthermore, she could arrange her work in massage clinics and substitute service schedules in a reasonable manner. While the husband was a full-time preacher and the wife was a substitute co-worker, they could fully cover the family's daily expenses. There are many things we can learn from them," Pastor N added.
Afterword:
The theology of suffering has, to some extent, been an encouragement and blessing to church pastors and preachers throughout the history of the modern Chinese church. Over-interpreting and applying the theology of suffering to preachers can also seriously harm the Chinese church's development. As a result, the church's vision will become narrow and it will lose its ability to serve as a light and salt to the community.
There is a strong support system in a healthy church and full-time preachers can have a stable and long-term ministry in it without needing to work part-time elsewhere. However, not all churches have the systems and funds to do so. As a contingency plan, pastors today may want to consider the need for full-time preachers to obtain additional income skills.
- Translated by Richard Zou
继上次华南一牧师分享如何培养中国教会新一代接棒人?(五)亟需给年轻人更多事奉的机会和岗位 ，华南一牧师分享：牧者需要重视神学培训及鼓励传道人拥有一技之长
一位来自华南有着丰富牧养经验的60的奈国辉牧师（化名）向一中国网络基督教报纸基督时报就这个话题展开了他的分享。
他认为对于培养接棒人的事情，教会需要做好门徒训练和神学培训。与此同时，要鼓励传道人拥有一技之长，以应对特殊处境下的生存需要。
N牧者分享说：“我觉得培养新一代接棒人，很重要的一点是需要做好神学培训。比如，在一个福音传得比较广泛的城市或农村，教会需要从这个基础上招到一些爱主爱教会的神学生，针对他们做好门徒培训和神学教育。因为没有好的神学培训，这些工人日后的事奉会出现很多问题。例如，传道人对圣经教导的准确性和体系性，以及面对艰难处境如何忍耐得胜，以及受到异端搅扰时如何护教和保护教会的问题等等。虽然现在很多年轻人都急着去赚钱，但我现在仍然在做的线上神学课程。晚间上课，四年时间完成。我相信，当教会从基层开始做好神学培训和门徒训练，这样才能选出优秀的新一代的接棒人。”
关于对培养新一代接棒人会遇到哪些难题的交流中，N牧者给出了他自己独特的经历和建议。他认为，牧者要重视和鼓励新一代牧者拥有一技之长。
N牧者感慨：“教会里的全职传道人因薪资待遇过低而不得不选择离开上帝所呼召的岗位。对此，有的牧者会伤心、无奈、甚至是悔改，但也有牧师会认为这只是个人的选择。就我而言，我更乐意为他们寻找出路并做他们属灵的陪伴。”
N牧者接着说：“其实，传道人也是人，他们也要食人间烟火。他们有建立家庭的自由，有养育妻儿的责任，有赡养老人的义务。面对生活中各项开销，传道人在得到供养上的无奈和痛苦成为他们事奉道路上的痛点。”
N牧者回忆到：“在解放前，有一位宣教士在华东地区培养了一名本地的神学生X弟兄。这位宣教士劝告X弟兄说：‘你除了为主火热事奉之外，你还要有一技之长。’后来神学毕业后，X弟兄学习了眼科技术。然后与教会事奉相配搭，也在生活和事奉教会上都有充分的自由度。”
“再后来，这个X弟兄培养出了新一代的接棒人N牧者，X弟兄也如此劝慰那时年轻的N牧者一技之长的道理。于是年轻的N牧者后期学习了裁剪制衣的技能，在为主事奉的路上，当N牧者全家遭遇许多艰难。家里一贫如洗的时候，他靠着所学到的裁剪制衣的技术 ，养活了一家四口。并在家庭经济恢复之后，他再次和夫人开始火热地事奉教会。”
N牧者提醒说：“在鼓励传道人一技之长的应用方面，传道人需要有属灵伙伴或者牧者的监督和陪伴为好。人都是软弱的，在赚钱的过程中，也容易让人丧失为主继续做工的热情和盼望。所以，一技之长的应用需要有界限，是为了满足生活的基本需要为目的，养育子女，赡养父母的等开支等需要。如果这个目的得到满足后，传道人需要做出及时的断舍离。”
“有一对传道人夫妇，他们的孩子刚上小学时，仅靠教会的微薄的生活补助，他们的经济情况常常是捉襟见肘。但因妻子有中医推拿的一技之长，后开了小儿推拿店。经济得到缓解后，她让丈夫离开推拿店的工作专心做传道人，侍奉教会。 她自己也会合理安排工作和代职侍奉的时间表。最终，夫妻二人，一个全职，一个代职，也同时维持了家庭日常开销的需要。这样的例子也值得借鉴和思考。”N牧者补充说。
编后语：
从近现代中国教会的发展历史来看，苦难神学从某种程度上给教会牧者和传道人带来很多鼓舞和保守。但牧者若把苦难神学过度解读并应用在传道人身上的时候，也会给中国教会在可持续发展的层面上带来严重的负面影响。教会的视野会变得狭隘，反而会容易失去光和盐的影响力。
健康的教会生态是应该具备完善的供养体系和能力来帮助全职传道人在事奉教会的道路上走的更稳健与长远，传道人不需要兼职打工也可以衣食满足。但并不是所有教会都具备完善的体系和经济实力。但若是作为应急之策而言，当下教会的牧者在培养全职传道人的时候，或许可以思考是否需要让传道人拥有一技之长的做法。
话题•如何培养中国教会新一代接棒人?(六)|牧者需要重视神学培训及鼓励传道人拥有一技之长
Editor's note: It's the fifth article of a series of interviews under the topic: Cultivate a New Generation of Chinese Christian Leaders (see article one, article two, article three, and article four). In this episode, a pastor in southern China emphasizes theological training and encourages the next generation of Chinese church leaders to acquire income skills outside of the church.
Pastor Nai Guohui (pseudonym for safety reasons), a 60-year-old pastor from southern China with extensive pastoral experience, shared his opinions on this topic with the Chinese online Christian newspaper, the Christian Times. He believes that churches need to do a good job of discipleship and theological training in order to raise up successors. At the same time, it is important for preachers to have income skills outside of the church in order to cope with difficult times.
Pastor Nai said: "Good theological training is essential for raising up a new generation of successors. For example, in a city or rural area where the Gospel is widely preached, the church needs to recruit students who love the Lord and the church and offer them good discipleship training and theological education. Without good theological training, many problems will arise in their future ministry. For example, the accuracy of the preacher's teaching on the Bible, how to endure hardships and overcome difficulties, how to defend the church and protect it when disrupted by heretics, etc. While many young people are now rushing to make money, I continue to teach online theology. The classes are held in the evening and completed in four years. I believe an excellent new generation of successors can only be selected when the church does a good job of theological education and discipleship training at the grassroots level."
The pastor shared his own unique experience and advice when discussing the challenges of training a new generation of successors. The next generation of pastors should be encouraged to develop additional income skills. Pastor Nai confessed, "Many full-time preachers in churches have to quit their God-called jobs because of low salaries. Some pastors will be sad and helpless, while others will view it as a significant personal chance. I wish to find a way for all of them and to be their spiritual companion."
Pastor Nai continued, "Preachers are also human beings and have certain necessities that they need to purchase. They have the freedom to establish a family, the responsibility to raise a wife and children and the obligation to support the elderly. The preachers' helplessness and pain in obtaining a sufficient salary from the church can become a sore point in their ministry."
"Before liberation, a missionary trained a local theology student, Brother X, in eastern China. The missionary advised Brother X: 'Besides serving the Lord with fervor, you need another income skill.’ Later, after graduating from theology, Brother X learned ophthalmology. Then he worked as an ophthalmologist and served the church after work. He enjoyed complete freedom in his life and service to the church,” he recalled.
“Later, this brother X trained a new generation of successors including Pastor Nai (me). Brother X also encouraged the young pastor N to learn additional income skills. So I learned the skills of tailoring and making clothes. On the way to serving the Lord, Pastor N’s family encountered many financial hardships. When the family was poor, he supported a family of four by relying on the skills of tailoring. After the family’s economic recovery, he and his wife continued to serve the church fervently."
Pastor Nai cautioned, "It is helpful to have a spiritual partner or pastor to supervise and accompany preachers who want to develop another income skill. People are weak, and during the pursuit of money, they often lose their enthusiasm and hope to continue serving God. Therefore, working outside the church requires boundaries. The extra skill should be used to meet basic needs of life such as raising children, supporting parents and other expenses. After completing these tasks, the preacher should stop working outside and return to the church to serve."
"There was a preacher couple whose financial situation was often difficult when their children started elementary school. They relied on the meager living allowance provided by the church. However, because the wife was skilled in Chinese medicine and massage, she opened a pediatric massage clinic with her husband. As soon as financial relief kicked in, she asked her husband to quit his job at the massage clinic so that he could dedicate himself to being a preacher and serving the church.” “Furthermore, she could arrange her work in massage clinics and substitute service schedules in a reasonable manner. While the husband was a full-time preacher and the wife was a substitute co-worker, they could fully cover the family's daily expenses. There are many things we can learn from them," Pastor N added.
Afterword:
The theology of suffering has, to some extent, been an encouragement and blessing to church pastors and preachers throughout the history of the modern Chinese church. Over-interpreting and applying the theology of suffering to preachers can also seriously harm the Chinese church's development. As a result, the church's vision will become narrow and it will lose its ability to serve as a light and salt to the community.
There is a strong support system in a healthy church and full-time preachers can have a stable and long-term ministry in it without needing to work part-time elsewhere. However, not all churches have the systems and funds to do so. As a contingency plan, pastors today may want to consider the need for full-time preachers to obtain additional income skills.
- Translated by Richard Zou
Topic: Acquiring Income Skills Outside of Church May Be Essential for Next Generation Pastors
