It is said that one out of every three Wenzhou people goes on to start a business. Among these business owners, there are some Christians, as the proportion of Christians in Wenzhou is much higher than anywhere else in China. In addition to making money, some Christian bosses have another purpose to preach the gospel to their employees and lead them to Christ.
Around 2000, a local church would hold at least one large sermon a year, and an evening of evangelical worship every week. Since there are regular gatherings, a support team is needed. The team members of this church include both local worshippers and workers from other cities.
Most of the members from other cities were colleagues, all of whom worked in the same factory, which was engaged in producing shoe material. The members conducted manual labor work with some skills and were mainly male workers. The owner of the factory was a Christian and a very warm-hearted and gifted man. He assumed the post of teacher in the church. At first, the Christian boss was a poor preacher, but he and his wife were keen on serving together. After many attempts, he finally got out of his poverty by opening a shoe material factory.
After that, he preached the gospel to his employees like many other Christian bosses, encouraging them to believe in Jesus and allowing them to have free time for gathering. In addition to this, he was different from others in that he was kinder, always polite to a stranger, and neither looked down upon nor belittled anyone.
His good character laid a good foundation for his factory to recruit and maintain the staff, especially in evangelism. With a small factory size of only more than twenty people at its peak, the number of Christians was at least ten and stable. Although the others were not Christians, they were basically common in that they occasionally went to church, had a good impression of it, and had some desire for it.
Among dozens of Christians, two had been living as hooligans before they believed in Jesus, and one had even been in prison. They went to the factory as a temporary solution to find prey and make a fortune. It only became known to the others after they gave their testimonies about it when becoming believers. Otherwise, the others might even have been the target of their crimes. Through this, the gospel not only saved their souls but also changed them.
After the spiritual life of these Christian employees had grown to a certain point, the boss convinced the local church to set up prayer meetings and Bible study classes, through which his employees could further grow their spiritual life, and service talents could also be cultivated for the evangelical classes of the church and some of the surrounding churches.
Later, the factory was closed due to the change of times, but some employees who returned to their hometown become the main force serving the local church. Some younger talents with a certain level of education chose to study in theological schools and prepare to serve.
(This is an article from a special contributor/freelancer who is a preacher in Jiangsu Province.)
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
据说温州每三个人当中就有一个人是老板。这些老板当中，有一定比例的基督徒在里面，因为据说当地基督徒的比例也远高于国内其他地方。一些基督徒老板相对于其他老板来说，他们除了做生意赚钱等目的之外，还会有一个目的，那就是向自己工厂里面的员工传福音，带领他们信主。
大概在两千年左右的时候，当地一间教会每年总是会办至少一场大型布道会；每星期也会有一个晚上举行福音性质的崇拜会。既然设有常规聚会，自然就需要有服侍的人参与。那么这间教会的服侍人员都是哪些信徒呢？一部分是本地信徒组成的服侍队伍，另一部分就是由外地人组成的服侍队伍。
在那个时候的外地人服侍队伍里面，多半的肢体是同事，他们都在同一间工厂里面上班，这间工厂从事鞋材生意，属于体力劳动，也带点技术，以男性工人为主。这间工厂的主人是一位基督徒，且是一位非常热心、有恩赐的基督徒；在教会中承担着教师的职分。起初，这位基督徒老板，还是比较贫穷的一个穷传道，但夫妻同心，一起热心服侍。经过一次次的尝试后，最终靠着开办鞋材厂脱贫致富。
这位弟兄办了鞋材厂后，与其他众多的基督徒老板一样，向员工传福音，鼓励他们信耶稣，也给他们一定的自由聚会时间。当然，除此之外，这位弟兄也有一些与众不同之处，就是相对来说，他为人更为善良，即便遇到了外地人，也总是客客气气的，没有看不起人，更不贬低人。
他的这个好人特质，为他的工厂招人以及维持员工的稳定性，尤其是传福音上奠定了好的基础。虽然他工厂的规模不大，高峰时也只有二十多人，但基督徒的人数却稳定在至少十人以上；其他人虽然不是基督徒，但也基本上有一个共同点，就是偶尔也去过教堂，对教堂有着良好的印象，甚至有着一定程度的向往。
在这十多个基督徒里面，有两个人在没有信耶稣之前，乃是混混，甚至有一位进过监狱；他们进厂上班只是权宜之计，目的是寻找猎物，好发一笔大财。当然，大家之所以知道这事，也是听他们信主之后亲自作见证说的，不然的话，别人不仅不会知道，甚至都有可能成为他们犯罪的对象。通过此事，使我们看到福音不仅拯救人的灵魂，也会改变整个人。
在这些基督徒员工属灵生命成长到一定的地步之后，老板就说服当地教会开设了祷告会、查经班，使他员工们借着这些聚会，生命得到了进一步成长；也为教会的福音班以及周边一些教会的福音班预备了服侍的人才。
以至于后来，即便是这位弟兄的工厂因为时代的变革，不办了，有些员工回到老家后，成为服侍家乡教会的主力军；当然，也更有些比较年轻、具有一定文化水平的人选择到神学院校深造，预备参与服侍。
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系江苏一名传道人。
https://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/65249
温州基督徒老板培养员工为基督门徒
It is said that one out of every three Wenzhou people goes on to start a business. Among these business owners, there are some Christians, as the proportion of Christians in Wenzhou is much higher than anywhere else in China. In addition to making money, some Christian bosses have another purpose to preach the gospel to their employees and lead them to Christ.
Around 2000, a local church would hold at least one large sermon a year, and an evening of evangelical worship every week. Since there are regular gatherings, a support team is needed. The team members of this church include both local worshippers and workers from other cities.
Most of the members from other cities were colleagues, all of whom worked in the same factory, which was engaged in producing shoe material. The members conducted manual labor work with some skills and were mainly male workers. The owner of the factory was a Christian and a very warm-hearted and gifted man. He assumed the post of teacher in the church. At first, the Christian boss was a poor preacher, but he and his wife were keen on serving together. After many attempts, he finally got out of his poverty by opening a shoe material factory.
After that, he preached the gospel to his employees like many other Christian bosses, encouraging them to believe in Jesus and allowing them to have free time for gathering. In addition to this, he was different from others in that he was kinder, always polite to a stranger, and neither looked down upon nor belittled anyone.
His good character laid a good foundation for his factory to recruit and maintain the staff, especially in evangelism. With a small factory size of only more than twenty people at its peak, the number of Christians was at least ten and stable. Although the others were not Christians, they were basically common in that they occasionally went to church, had a good impression of it, and had some desire for it.
Among dozens of Christians, two had been living as hooligans before they believed in Jesus, and one had even been in prison. They went to the factory as a temporary solution to find prey and make a fortune. It only became known to the others after they gave their testimonies about it when becoming believers. Otherwise, the others might even have been the target of their crimes. Through this, the gospel not only saved their souls but also changed them.
After the spiritual life of these Christian employees had grown to a certain point, the boss convinced the local church to set up prayer meetings and Bible study classes, through which his employees could further grow their spiritual life, and service talents could also be cultivated for the evangelical classes of the church and some of the surrounding churches.
Later, the factory was closed due to the change of times, but some employees who returned to their hometown become the main force serving the local church. Some younger talents with a certain level of education chose to study in theological schools and prepare to serve.
(This is an article from a special contributor/freelancer who is a preacher in Jiangsu Province.)
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
Wenzhou Christian Boss Reach Employees to Be Christians
