Recently, Reverend Chen, a retired church leader from northern China, shared his experiences, illustrating the consequences of improper church succession.
At over fifty years old, Chen voluntarily stepped down from his position. Over his thirty-plus years of ministry, he witnessed and interacted with diverse types of churches.
He mentioned that in the 1980s and 1990s, many churches experienced significant revivals. However, he noted that most of them had essentially disappeared. According to him, a crucial reason for this decline is the failure of church management and succession.
During the 1980s and 1990s, many churches were just getting started, emphasizing mutual love among believers without much consideration for management. There was a prevailing belief that management was based on human intentions rather than divine guidance and was a human skill rather than God's wisdom.
Many Southern churches emphasized administration but often adopted an autocratic or patriarchal management style. In contrast, many Northern churches during the same period essentially neglected management, with individuals acting based on their understanding and inspiration.
In Chen's extensive experience, two churches stood out for their decline due to inadequate management and succession.
In these two churches, one was in central China. An elderly female believer by the name of Liu initially led the church. Despite her devoted service during the Cultural Revolution, the church faced difficulties because Liu lacked managerial skills and was unaware of the importance of grooming successors.
When Chen first visited the church in the late 1990s, it had a substantial core team of more than 100 members, covering multiple provinces across seven regions. However, due to Liu's inability to manage, the church's growth was severely hindered.
Once a female staff member from Liu's church attended the theological training conducted by Chen. This married female worker, with a child, received a call from Liu towards the end of the training. Liu instructed her to serve in a distant southern city. The female Christian expressed concerns about her family, which would jeopardize her family's stability. Chen intervened, emphasizing the importance of family.
Later, Liu, due to her advanced age and deteriorating eyesight, became unable to see things clearly and accidentally fell while walking. When it came time for a transition, she never considered the issue of succession, let alone actively nurturing one.
Surprisingly, the successor she chose was a young, unmarried male believer in his twenties. He engaged in online conversations with a Christian woman in her forties, and eventually, the two individuals rented a room together, engaging in a sexual relationship. When the husband of this woman found out and attempted to confront him, the successor was frightened and reported the situation to the church. There was strife in the church, and eventually, the church was divided and vanished from history.
Chen highlighted that selecting a successor is merely a choice made at a particular moment, while cultivation implies investing a considerable amount of time, resources, and energy. Initially uncertain about who could take over, the head of the church could train several, or even a group of, potential leaders.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
日前，一北方教会的退休教会领袖陈牧师分享了他的经历，给人们展示了错误的教会传承是怎么样的。
陈牧师今年五十多岁，已经从教会领袖的位置上主动退下来了。在他长达三十余年的服事生涯当中，看到和接触过各式各样的教会。
陈牧师说上世纪80年代、90年代就有挺多的教会非常复兴。可是严牧师说现在这些教会基本上都消失了。之所以如此，他认为其中非常重要的一个原因是教会传承和管理工作没有做好。
上世纪80年代、90年代那个时候很多教会才刚刚起步，大家只是强调彼此相爱，基本上没有任何管理可言。认为管理是“人意”而不是“神意”，是“人的学问”而不是“上帝的学问”。
很多南方教会认为教会是需要管理的，但是很多是独裁式的管理模式，或者说是家长制管理。而同时期的很多北方教会基本上没有任何管理，每一个人都按照自己的领受和感动来做。
在这无数的教训和负面案例当中，让严牧师印象最深刻的有两个教会都是因为教会管理工作和传承没有做好从而走向衰亡的。
在华中的一所教会，最开始的时候教会负责人是一名姓刘的老姊妹。刘以前在文革的时候也为主遭受过许多的逼迫，吃了很多的苦，是非常忠心的一位信徒。
陈牧师20世纪九十年代末第一次去这所教会，一次同工会都有上百人参加，而是比较核心级别的同工。教会覆盖周边多个省份，一共分为七大片区。刘手下的同工几乎全部都是弟兄。
时代变了，因刘不会管理，严重拖累了教会发展，她也没有培养教会接班人的意识。
有一次刘的教会的一名姊妹同工过来严牧师这边参加神学培训，这名姊妹同工已经结婚了，有一个孩子。然后培训快结束的时候刘就给这名姊妹打电话，让她去往南方一座很远的城市服事。
“现在培训马上就要结束了，如果我不能够回家的话，那我的家庭就要破裂了。但是，如果现在我不听教会领袖的话的话，那我的服事就保不住了。”陈牧师告诉她，让她马上回家，因为家庭非常重要。
后来刘阿姨因为年纪已经挺大了，她的眼睛不太能够看清楚东西了，在走路的时候也不小心摔断了。到了必须交班的时候，可刘却从来没有想到教会接班人的问题，更不用说培养了。
而她所选的接班人居然是一个只有二十多岁的单身男信徒。他在网络上跟一个四十多岁的姊妹聊天，后来这两个人开了房，发生了性关系。后来这个姊妹的丈夫要去抓他，他吓怕了就跟教会说了。教会出了这么多的事情，同工谁都不服谁，这所教会后来完全分裂了，消失在了历史当中。
选接班人只是某个时刻作出的一个选择和决定，而培养则意味着需要花费许多的时间、成本以及精力。开始的时候并不确定谁才能够接班，那就培养几个甚至一群预备领袖。
从一个传承的负面典型看中国教会应当如何传承
Recently, Reverend Chen, a retired church leader from northern China, shared his experiences, illustrating the consequences of improper church succession.
At over fifty years old, Chen voluntarily stepped down from his position. Over his thirty-plus years of ministry, he witnessed and interacted with diverse types of churches.
He mentioned that in the 1980s and 1990s, many churches experienced significant revivals. However, he noted that most of them had essentially disappeared. According to him, a crucial reason for this decline is the failure of church management and succession.
During the 1980s and 1990s, many churches were just getting started, emphasizing mutual love among believers without much consideration for management. There was a prevailing belief that management was based on human intentions rather than divine guidance and was a human skill rather than God's wisdom.
Many Southern churches emphasized administration but often adopted an autocratic or patriarchal management style. In contrast, many Northern churches during the same period essentially neglected management, with individuals acting based on their understanding and inspiration.
In Chen's extensive experience, two churches stood out for their decline due to inadequate management and succession.
In these two churches, one was in central China. An elderly female believer by the name of Liu initially led the church. Despite her devoted service during the Cultural Revolution, the church faced difficulties because Liu lacked managerial skills and was unaware of the importance of grooming successors.
When Chen first visited the church in the late 1990s, it had a substantial core team of more than 100 members, covering multiple provinces across seven regions. However, due to Liu's inability to manage, the church's growth was severely hindered.
Once a female staff member from Liu's church attended the theological training conducted by Chen. This married female worker, with a child, received a call from Liu towards the end of the training. Liu instructed her to serve in a distant southern city. The female Christian expressed concerns about her family, which would jeopardize her family's stability. Chen intervened, emphasizing the importance of family.
Later, Liu, due to her advanced age and deteriorating eyesight, became unable to see things clearly and accidentally fell while walking. When it came time for a transition, she never considered the issue of succession, let alone actively nurturing one.
Surprisingly, the successor she chose was a young, unmarried male believer in his twenties. He engaged in online conversations with a Christian woman in her forties, and eventually, the two individuals rented a room together, engaging in a sexual relationship. When the husband of this woman found out and attempted to confront him, the successor was frightened and reported the situation to the church. There was strife in the church, and eventually, the church was divided and vanished from history.
Chen highlighted that selecting a successor is merely a choice made at a particular moment, while cultivation implies investing a considerable amount of time, resources, and energy. Initially uncertain about who could take over, the head of the church could train several, or even a group of, potential leaders.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Church Leadership Succession: A Negative Example
