Although the ancient blue building has been rusted, it still stands resolutely there, like a silent guardian, telling old but touching stories.
Shouyang County Christian Church in Jinzhong City of Shanxi Province is a church with a history of more than 120 years. The well-preserved parsonage is the office and dormitory of the missionaries at that time. The brick bungalow next to the parsonage is a chapel.
The second floor of the parsonage was the place where missionaries were received and rested at that time, and the old scripts and paintings there had turned yellow and the screen paintings had been damaged. The word "love" and the image of Jesus hanging on the wall still speak of the endless great love and saving grace.
In 1892, Irish pastor Thomas Wellesley Pigott and his wife established a mission station in Shouyang County, that is, the Shouyang Church. They ran a boys' school, an opiate rehab center, and a clinic, distributed gospel leaflets, sold books, and held worship services in nearby towns and villages. After that, the Shouyang missionary station expanded rapidly, and many Chinese missionaries and Bible sellers worked there. By 1899, the clinic had treated 600 patients and led many to be called to the Lord. When the Boxer Rebellion broke out in 1900, Pastor Pigott, his wife, and their 12-year-old son were martyred by the Qing army, and the church suffered a severe blow.
As the church father Tertullian said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." Because of the blood and sacrifice of many missionaries and pastors at home and abroad, the seeds of the gospel have taken deep root there. After the 1980s, Christian gatherings in Shouyang County were resumed and the church was able to resume development again. But with the social development and changes, Shouyang Church is also constantly facing new challenges in the new era.
During the visit, the co-workers of Shouyang Church said that the church still has some historical problems to be solved. "The church has been without a full-time preacher for all these years. No one in the church can preach well, and many old believers are gradually losing faith. Moreover, the elderly have passed away or moved to the provincial capital with their children, and the church has fewer and fewer believers, and the dedication has been less and less." Wen, who has served in the church for more than seven years, introduced. "There are still two factions fighting within the church, which is also a problem."
Despite all the difficulties the church is facing, there are still people here who are faithful servants of the Lord and persevering for the Church.
Pastor Zheng is one of the representative pastors. In the 1990s, he was invited to Shanxi to participate in church ministry and offering theological programs. He is highly recognized by the Taiyuan Church and even the Shanxi Province. Last year, he accidentally heard about the lack of pastors in Shouyang Church, and when he was nearly seventy years old, he resolutely obeyed the Lord's call. In April 2023, he left his usual residence and came here to serve with his wife. For more than a year, he travels back and forth between Taiyuan and Shouyang every month to help the church carry out pastoral and governance work for two weeks. He led several church workers to recover the church's real estate and repair the old church buildings. The church's rules and regulations have been gradually improved, and the remaining historical problems have been solved one by one.
"When I first came to the Shouyang Church, there were only six or seven people attending the meeting, and the church was in tatters and overgrown with weeds. I have been providing basic training since I came here, and now the number of believers has reached 30." Looking back on the development of Shouyang Church in the past year or so, Pastor Zheng said.
In fact, Pastor Zheng does not receive a salary subsidy when he serves here but often has to spend his own money. But instead of complaining, he is grateful. He wittily said that God has prepared "a good place for him to live and retire with a low consumption level and a pleasant climate." Moreover, his own physical condition improves much, and even his white hair begins to turn black.
Pastor Zheng is pleased that there are many volunteer brothers and sisters in Shouyang Church who are willing to help him, and Brother Wu Bo is one of them.
Brother Wu works in the Shouyang County Rescue Team, and when there is no emergency, his work time is flexible. He serves as a driver and worker when the church needs him. In the renovation of the church, Brother Wu led the workers to finish the work. The church rebuilt the roof on the basis of retaining the original building, spending a total of more than 650,000 yuan, of which the Church paid 200,000 yuan and Brother Wu himself paid 450,000 yuan, while his monthly salary is only two or three thousand yuan.
In addition, Wen and several other sisters, as native local workers, have also devoted themselves to the church. There is no salary or fame for doing this, but they are willing to do this. Before Pastor Zheng's arrival, although the number of believers in the church was small and internal problems continued, they still continued to worship, preached to believers, and led them to study the Bible. In fact, each of them is busy with their own family affairs and work, and they live a certain distance from the church, but they are still willing to work for the Lord.
For these lovely co-workers in Shouyang Church, Pastor Zheng has heartfelt gratitude and happiness. "Now the Shouyang County Christian Church is standing still, and the gospel will certainly be spread." Now the church is also in the teeth of the storm and needs more intercession.
"Shouyang has a pleasant climate and a superior geographical location. It is the halfway point between Taiyuan and Shijiazhuang. I especially hope that after the development of our church, the pastors from Shanxi and Hebei can come to Shouyang for retreat, so that we can become a place where more pastors can cultivate themselves and gain benefits for their spirits," Pastor Zheng said.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
古青色的建筑虽已锈迹斑斑，仍毅然矗立在那，就像一位沉默的守护者，诉说着那古老而又鲜活的故事。
山西省晋中市寿阳县基督教会是一座已有120多年历史的教会。至今保存完好的牧师楼是当时传教士办公地点和宿舍。牧师楼旁边的砖瓦平房是礼拜堂。
二楼是当时传教士接待和休息的地方，那古老的字画已经泛黄，屏风也已经破损。挂在墙壁上的“爱”字以及耶稣像，依然在诉说那无尽的大爱和救赎的恩典。
1892年，爱尔兰牧师毕翰道（Thomas Wellesley Pigott）和妻子在寿阳县建立布道站，成立寿阳教会。他们开办男学堂、戒烟所和诊疗所，并向附近村镇派发福音单张，售卖书刊，举行崇拜。之后，寿阳宣教站迅速扩展，他们亦有许多华人传道、售经员等同工，截止1899年，诊疗所共治疗了600个病人，带领多人蒙召归主。1900年义和团运动爆发，毕牧师夫妇以及年仅12岁的儿子在清军的屠刀下殉道，教会因此遭受严厉打击。
正如教父德尔图良所说，“殉道者的血是教会的种子。”因着众多国内外传教士及牧师的流血和付出，福音的种子在这里深深扎根。上世纪八十年代之后，寿阳县基督教的聚会活动得到了恢复，并随即召开了三自爱国运动委员会选举，教会得以再次恢复发展起来。但随着社会发展变迁，寿阳教会在新的时期也在不断面临着新的挑战。
走访中，寿阳教会的同工告诉笔者，教会目前依旧存在一些历史问题亟待解决。“教会这么些年一直没有专职的传道人，没人能讲道，很多老信徒慢慢也就不信了，加上老人离世或随子女搬到省城，教会聚会的人越来越少了，奉献情况也一直挺难的。”在教会事奉了十余年的温会长向笔者介绍。“教会里还有两派争斗，也是问题。”
尽管教会面临着这样那样的困难，但感恩的是，这里仍然有为主忠心侍奉，为教会恒心坚守的人。
郑牧师就是其中的代表牧长，上世纪90年代受邀来到山西参与牧会及神学栽培事奉，是太原教会乃至省里倍受见证的老牧者。去年，他偶然听闻了寿阳教会缺乏牧者的状况，年近七旬的他毅然顺服主的呼召，2023年4月，他离开常居地带着师母来到这里服事。这一年多以来，他每个月都会有固定两周时间在省城太原与寿阳之间乘车来回往返，协助教会开展牧养及治理工作。他带着教会几位同工收回教会房产，进行教堂老建筑修缮，教会的规章制度也逐步得到完善，遗留的历史问题也逐一得到了解决。
“刚到教会第一次礼拜只有六七个人，教会内外破烂不堪，杂草丛生。来这边之后我一直在做基本要道的培训，现在礼拜人数已达到三四十人。”回顾起这一年左右寿阳教会的发展情况，郑牧师说。
实际上，郑牧师在这里侍奉，并没有工资补贴可拿，反而时常要自己贴钱。但他不仅毫无怨言，反而充满感恩。他风趣地说，很感谢神的安排，给他预备了一个“消费不高，气候宜人，合适自己居住养老的好地方”。而且，他自己的身体状况反而好转了不少，头发也开始变黑了。
郑牧师倍感欣慰的是，在寿阳教会中，还有很多默默为主为教会热心侍奉的义工弟兄姊妹愿意成为他的膀臂扶持，吴波弟兄就是其中一位。
吴弟兄在县里抢险队工作，没有突发状况时，平时时间比较灵活。教会有需要时，他会充当司机和工人。在教会修缮中，吴弟兄带领工人修建，教会在保留原有建筑基础上，重新盖了屋顶，总共花了六十五万多，教会支付了二十万，弟兄自己垫付四十五万，而他每月工资也就二三千元。
此外，温会长和其他几位姊妹作为土生土长的当地同工，也为教会献上了尽心竭力的侍奉。即便是没有工资没有所谓的名利，但他们甘之如饴。在郑牧师没有到来之前，虽然教会信徒人数不多，内部问题不断，但她们仍然持守真道，坚持礼拜，给信徒讲道，带领他们查经。她们实际上每个人也都有自己的家庭工作要忙，住的地方和教会也有一定的距离，但她们依旧愿意为主奔走做工。
”对于寿阳教会里这些可爱的同工，郑牧师内心有着由衷的感恩与欣慰。“现在寿阳县基督教会算是站住了，福音也会传开了。现在教会也处于风口浪尖上，需要更多的代祷。”
再过不久，县三自将迎来新一届的两会换届，郑牧师以及同工们很期盼能够通过此次换届解决教会存在的一些历史遗留问题，以使教会更加合一。
“寿阳这里的气候很宜人，地理位置也比较优越，是连接太原和石家庄的中间点，我特别期待我们教会发展好了之后，能让山西和河北的牧长们都来寿阳做退修会，让我们这成为更多牧者的修养生息，得着益处的地方。”郑牧师说。
在困境中坚守 在低谷中成长——寿阳教会走访小记
Although the ancient blue building has been rusted, it still stands resolutely there, like a silent guardian, telling old but touching stories.
Shouyang County Christian Church in Jinzhong City of Shanxi Province is a church with a history of more than 120 years. The well-preserved parsonage is the office and dormitory of the missionaries at that time. The brick bungalow next to the parsonage is a chapel.
The second floor of the parsonage was the place where missionaries were received and rested at that time, and the old scripts and paintings there had turned yellow and the screen paintings had been damaged. The word "love" and the image of Jesus hanging on the wall still speak of the endless great love and saving grace.
In 1892, Irish pastor Thomas Wellesley Pigott and his wife established a mission station in Shouyang County, that is, the Shouyang Church. They ran a boys' school, an opiate rehab center, and a clinic, distributed gospel leaflets, sold books, and held worship services in nearby towns and villages. After that, the Shouyang missionary station expanded rapidly, and many Chinese missionaries and Bible sellers worked there. By 1899, the clinic had treated 600 patients and led many to be called to the Lord. When the Boxer Rebellion broke out in 1900, Pastor Pigott, his wife, and their 12-year-old son were martyred by the Qing army, and the church suffered a severe blow.
As the church father Tertullian said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." Because of the blood and sacrifice of many missionaries and pastors at home and abroad, the seeds of the gospel have taken deep root there. After the 1980s, Christian gatherings in Shouyang County were resumed and the church was able to resume development again. But with the social development and changes, Shouyang Church is also constantly facing new challenges in the new era.
During the visit, the co-workers of Shouyang Church said that the church still has some historical problems to be solved. "The church has been without a full-time preacher for all these years. No one in the church can preach well, and many old believers are gradually losing faith. Moreover, the elderly have passed away or moved to the provincial capital with their children, and the church has fewer and fewer believers, and the dedication has been less and less." Wen, who has served in the church for more than seven years, introduced. "There are still two factions fighting within the church, which is also a problem."
Despite all the difficulties the church is facing, there are still people here who are faithful servants of the Lord and persevering for the Church.
Pastor Zheng is one of the representative pastors. In the 1990s, he was invited to Shanxi to participate in church ministry and offering theological programs. He is highly recognized by the Taiyuan Church and even the Shanxi Province. Last year, he accidentally heard about the lack of pastors in Shouyang Church, and when he was nearly seventy years old, he resolutely obeyed the Lord's call. In April 2023, he left his usual residence and came here to serve with his wife. For more than a year, he travels back and forth between Taiyuan and Shouyang every month to help the church carry out pastoral and governance work for two weeks. He led several church workers to recover the church's real estate and repair the old church buildings. The church's rules and regulations have been gradually improved, and the remaining historical problems have been solved one by one.
"When I first came to the Shouyang Church, there were only six or seven people attending the meeting, and the church was in tatters and overgrown with weeds. I have been providing basic training since I came here, and now the number of believers has reached 30." Looking back on the development of Shouyang Church in the past year or so, Pastor Zheng said.
In fact, Pastor Zheng does not receive a salary subsidy when he serves here but often has to spend his own money. But instead of complaining, he is grateful. He wittily said that God has prepared "a good place for him to live and retire with a low consumption level and a pleasant climate." Moreover, his own physical condition improves much, and even his white hair begins to turn black.
Pastor Zheng is pleased that there are many volunteer brothers and sisters in Shouyang Church who are willing to help him, and Brother Wu Bo is one of them.
Brother Wu works in the Shouyang County Rescue Team, and when there is no emergency, his work time is flexible. He serves as a driver and worker when the church needs him. In the renovation of the church, Brother Wu led the workers to finish the work. The church rebuilt the roof on the basis of retaining the original building, spending a total of more than 650,000 yuan, of which the Church paid 200,000 yuan and Brother Wu himself paid 450,000 yuan, while his monthly salary is only two or three thousand yuan.
In addition, Wen and several other sisters, as native local workers, have also devoted themselves to the church. There is no salary or fame for doing this, but they are willing to do this. Before Pastor Zheng's arrival, although the number of believers in the church was small and internal problems continued, they still continued to worship, preached to believers, and led them to study the Bible. In fact, each of them is busy with their own family affairs and work, and they live a certain distance from the church, but they are still willing to work for the Lord.
For these lovely co-workers in Shouyang Church, Pastor Zheng has heartfelt gratitude and happiness. "Now the Shouyang County Christian Church is standing still, and the gospel will certainly be spread." Now the church is also in the teeth of the storm and needs more intercession.
"Shouyang has a pleasant climate and a superior geographical location. It is the halfway point between Taiyuan and Shijiazhuang. I especially hope that after the development of our church, the pastors from Shanxi and Hebei can come to Shouyang for retreat, so that we can become a place where more pastors can cultivate themselves and gain benefits for their spirits," Pastor Zheng said.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Visit to Shouyang Church: Persevering Through Adversity, Growing in the Valley
