In recent years, many registered churches implement a program of affiliating unauthorized churches (meeting points) to help them gain legal status. Typically, the central church is in charge of these meeting places' pastoral, administrative, financial, and personnel aspects.
There are three main reasons for adopting this model. First, some meeting points may lack the necessary approval conditions for public gatherings, needing to affiliate with a registered church or venue. Second, it facilitates meetings for believers who live far from the main church. Third, it can unify believers and guard against heretical sects.
Overall, this model has proven effective. Some meeting points, initially with less favorable conditions, have developed over the years and become comparable in strength to the main church.
However, there have been instances where the development of meeting points was less than ideal. For instance, one meeting place started out in a temporary home that a Christian woman donated, with her paying for the housing and utilities rather than other members of the congregation. Unfortunately, the temporary residence was later demolished as an illegal structure. In desperation, the church had to rent a local house, incurring substantial annual rent expenses of about tens of thousands of yuan and daily operational costs far beyond the yearly donations of a few thousand yuan. Moreover, believers decreased as many moved to better living conditions.
In such instances, the central church found itself obliged to financially support its branch church, as well as other gathering sites. Consequently, it considered revoking certain meeting points, a decision met with opposition from certain individuals, especially the congregants of the branch church.
It is essential not to assume that once a meeting point is established, it must exist indefinitely. It can also be merged or disbanded.
When deciding whether to revoke or merge them, several factors should be considered:
If a meeting point experiences a consistent decline in attendance and cannot afford the rent, it may need to downsize or face revocation.
With periodic financial and human resource costs, gathering sites close to the church and located in sparsely populated areas can consider carrying out periodic visitation and contact.
If the church has implemented effective measures against heresies and infiltration and there is no longer a need for the meeting point, some venues can be discontinued.
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a pastor in Jiangsu.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
很多教会实行以堂带点的牧养模式，所谓的以堂带点就是由一个中心堂带着一个或者是数个聚会点；一般来说，这些聚会点的牧养、行政、财务以及人事皆以所在的堂为主导。
之所以有这种模式，一般来说有3个原因。一个是聚会点本身不具备审批条件，无法进行公开性聚会，所以需要依附于已经审批的堂或者是场所。另外一个方便离教堂较远的信徒聚会。还有可以团结信徒，防范异端邪教。
总体上来说，此种模式的效果非常好。比如，甚至有些本身条件较好的聚会点，经过多年的发展，其实力与母堂旗鼓相当的也比比皆是。
事实上，我们也看见了不少聚会点发展的并不理想。
比如，有一个聚会点起初设在一个信徒的临时住房里，用水用电、房屋的使用等都是由姊妹奉献，教堂及聚会点中的肢体们一点不用付出。可是，后来姊妹的临时用房被当做违法建筑拆了。无奈中，教会只能无奈在当地租了一处房屋，单是每年的房租费用都需要数万元，加上水电等日常开销，支出的费用巨大，根本无力承担。因为这间聚会点的年奉献量只有数千元，差距数倍。而且，他们的信徒不增反降，因为很多信徒把家搬向更好的地方居住。
这种情况下，只能由所在的堂为他们兜底；可是，这间教堂也负责要钱的其他聚会点。于是，这间教堂想撤销一些聚会点。可是这又遭到一些人反对，尤其是聚会点的一些肢体们反对声音更大。
我想，不能以为聚会点一旦设立了就要永远存在。有组建其实也就应该有撤并。
对于一些已经成立的聚会点，应不应当撤销或者是撤并，我建议可以考虑以下几个因素：
一个聚会点若是聚会人数有持续减弱的趋势；而且，始终付不起房租的话。那么只能选择租用更小的房子聚会，若是再付不起的话，其实也就是到了要撤销或者是撤并的地步了。
若哪一间聚会点距离教会较近、又处于人口稀疏地区，且定期要耗费财力、人力，可以改为定期探访与联络。
若是教会做好了反邪与防渗的布局，而又无其他再继续设立的必要的话，也就可以取消了。
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系江苏一名传道人。
可撤并或撤销一些聚会点吗？
In recent years, many registered churches implement a program of affiliating unauthorized churches (meeting points) to help them gain legal status. Typically, the central church is in charge of these meeting places' pastoral, administrative, financial, and personnel aspects.
There are three main reasons for adopting this model. First, some meeting points may lack the necessary approval conditions for public gatherings, needing to affiliate with a registered church or venue. Second, it facilitates meetings for believers who live far from the main church. Third, it can unify believers and guard against heretical sects.
Overall, this model has proven effective. Some meeting points, initially with less favorable conditions, have developed over the years and become comparable in strength to the main church.
However, there have been instances where the development of meeting points was less than ideal. For instance, one meeting place started out in a temporary home that a Christian woman donated, with her paying for the housing and utilities rather than other members of the congregation. Unfortunately, the temporary residence was later demolished as an illegal structure. In desperation, the church had to rent a local house, incurring substantial annual rent expenses of about tens of thousands of yuan and daily operational costs far beyond the yearly donations of a few thousand yuan. Moreover, believers decreased as many moved to better living conditions.
In such instances, the central church found itself obliged to financially support its branch church, as well as other gathering sites. Consequently, it considered revoking certain meeting points, a decision met with opposition from certain individuals, especially the congregants of the branch church.
It is essential not to assume that once a meeting point is established, it must exist indefinitely. It can also be merged or disbanded.
When deciding whether to revoke or merge them, several factors should be considered:
If a meeting point experiences a consistent decline in attendance and cannot afford the rent, it may need to downsize or face revocation.
With periodic financial and human resource costs, gathering sites close to the church and located in sparsely populated areas can consider carrying out periodic visitation and contact.
If the church has implemented effective measures against heresies and infiltration and there is no longer a need for the meeting point, some venues can be discontinued.
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a pastor in Jiangsu.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Should Meeting Points Be Preserved Despite High Costs, Declining Membership?
