An elderly man, 94, died of COVID-19 in China's southeastern coastal Zhejiang Province after all rescue efforts failed.
An obituary was released, saying Elder Yuan Xiangzhong of the port city of Ningbo died on January 19.
On January 3, Elder Yuan told us on WeChat, "Thank you for your concern, Hallelujah! I am hospitalized." His family immediately rushed to the hospital from Shaanxi and other places thousands of miles away.
Elder Zhou Fenglou, over 70, from Pulandian Church in Liaoning, said, "Elder Yuan, a loyal servant of God, shepherded believers without complaint or regret and got to heaven at the end."
Hearing the news, a believer left a message: "We are saddened to hear about the death of Elder Yuan." "He gave us Bible messages every morning, and we will always remember his loyalty to the church."
Elder Yuan wrote 81 articles for the Gospel Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, and many other faith-related articles for Christian media throughout the year.
When the staff members of the Gospel Times paid visits to him in 2021 and 2022, the old servant in his 90s planned their morning, afternoon, and evening routines in documents, helping for smooth visits. He also got up early in the morning to buy breakfast and cooked in the evening, praying for them when the time came to part.
The articles written by the elder not only revealed the truth about faith but also recorded the church's history in Ningbo, particularly the testimonies of some well-known old pastors and folk preachers.
Staff workers of the Gospel Times shot a documentary interview for him in June 2022, adding subtitles to the video content and "translating" them into Mandarin after hearing his past stories and testimonies.
Elder Yuan Xiangzhong set a good example for us by giving his whole life to God and fighting for the gospel for decades. Now he stopped service and went back to heaven, where no tears and sufferings, diseases, or bonds of sin exist.
The memorial service for Elder Yuan Xiangzhong was hosted on January 20 in the small square of the church where Yuen lived. Hosting the service, Rev. Huang Mingde commemorated the life of the elder, who dedicated his life to evangelism. Rev. Jin Ruijuan, the person in charge of the church, gave a sermon during the ceremony.
Starting on January 19, pastoral staff and believers came one after another to mourn and keep vigil for the elder.
The next day, more than 200 people from the church and congregation went to the funeral and memorial service.
On January 21, Lunar New Year's Eve, the cremation remains of the elder were buried together with his wife, who had returned to heaven in the early years.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
中国东南沿海的浙江省的一个长老因新冠肺炎病毒感染，经多方努力抢救治疗无效，被主接到天家，享年94岁。
一则讣告发布，说宁波市的袁相中长老于2023年元月19日离世，
2023年1月3日下午4点12分，袁长老还通过微信告诉我们“谢谢关心，哈利路亚！我住院了。”他的家人们闻讯即刻从千里之外的陕西等处赶往宁波。
正如古稀之年的辽宁省普兰店的周凤楼长老所说：“神的忠仆袁长老，无怨无悔牧群羊，善始善终荣归主。”
信徒闻讯留言说，“袁长老，看到您离世的消息我们悲痛，您每天早晨给我们圣经信息，你对教会忠心我们铭刻在心。”阿们！
长老常年如一日的在网络发表各种各样的信仰文章，为主内媒体提供稿件。在福音时报发表的《袁长老信语》目前已达81篇。
福音时报的同工于2021年和2022年去他那里拜访的时候，九十多岁的老人把他们每天的日程，甚至是上午、下午、晚上的日程，都安排好，并发文档过来，使我们的拜访很顺利。
在我们拜访他的日子里，他早晨早早起来，骑着电动车为我们去买早餐，晚上亲自下厨为我们做饭。等告别的时候，老人家站在那里为我们祷告。
从中长老的文中可以领悟到许多信仰的真理和见证，特别是从中了解到浙江宁波的基督教历史，尤其是一些知名的老牧者和平民传道人的福传事迹见证。
2022年6月份我和福音时报的三位同工带着录像设备到他所在的真神堂用了一整天的时间为他录制了实地采访纪录片，听他讲那过去的故事和见证，并且用普通话“翻译”，做成带有字幕的影像资料，这真的是非常及时。
亲爱的袁相中长老，你为福音奋斗几十年，你把自己无私地奉献给了你的信仰，你是我们的楷模。今天终于歇工了，归到天堂，那里没有眼泪和忧伤、没有疾病和捆绑，生命在那里自由的飞翔。
（福音时报特约撰稿人报道。）
沉痛悼念袁相中长老
An elderly man, 94, died of COVID-19 in China's southeastern coastal Zhejiang Province after all rescue efforts failed.
An obituary was released, saying Elder Yuan Xiangzhong of the port city of Ningbo died on January 19.
On January 3, Elder Yuan told us on WeChat, "Thank you for your concern, Hallelujah! I am hospitalized." His family immediately rushed to the hospital from Shaanxi and other places thousands of miles away.
Elder Zhou Fenglou, over 70, from Pulandian Church in Liaoning, said, "Elder Yuan, a loyal servant of God, shepherded believers without complaint or regret and got to heaven at the end."
Hearing the news, a believer left a message: "We are saddened to hear about the death of Elder Yuan." "He gave us Bible messages every morning, and we will always remember his loyalty to the church."
Elder Yuan wrote 81 articles for the Gospel Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, and many other faith-related articles for Christian media throughout the year.
When the staff members of the Gospel Times paid visits to him in 2021 and 2022, the old servant in his 90s planned their morning, afternoon, and evening routines in documents, helping for smooth visits. He also got up early in the morning to buy breakfast and cooked in the evening, praying for them when the time came to part.
The articles written by the elder not only revealed the truth about faith but also recorded the church's history in Ningbo, particularly the testimonies of some well-known old pastors and folk preachers.
Staff workers of the Gospel Times shot a documentary interview for him in June 2022, adding subtitles to the video content and "translating" them into Mandarin after hearing his past stories and testimonies.
Elder Yuan Xiangzhong set a good example for us by giving his whole life to God and fighting for the gospel for decades. Now he stopped service and went back to heaven, where no tears and sufferings, diseases, or bonds of sin exist.
The memorial service for Elder Yuan Xiangzhong was hosted on January 20 in the small square of the church where Yuen lived. Hosting the service, Rev. Huang Mingde commemorated the life of the elder, who dedicated his life to evangelism. Rev. Jin Ruijuan, the person in charge of the church, gave a sermon during the ceremony.
Starting on January 19, pastoral staff and believers came one after another to mourn and keep vigil for the elder.
The next day, more than 200 people from the church and congregation went to the funeral and memorial service.
On January 21, Lunar New Year's Eve, the cremation remains of the elder were buried together with his wife, who had returned to heaven in the early years.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Zhejiang Elder Dies of COVID-19 at 94
