As the number of COVID-19 cases across the globe has reached more than 2 million, mass events have still been prohibited in China, including religious gatherings.
On April 6, the State Council released a paper on coronavirus control and prevention, saying that large religious activities and sports gatherings would be temporarily prohibited.
It may imply that the church closure will continue for an unknown length of time since churches across China have been closed since late January. An optimistic estimate says that hopefully churches may be reopened by mid-June.
However, the closure has had a tremendous impact on pastors, especially their life.
On one side, pastors themselves are also the Lord’s sheep and just as congregations, they too need to feed on God. They need services to build an intimate relationship with God and to have fellowship with believers as well. On the other side, pastors are a special group, especially chosen and consecrated by God—namely God’s servants taking care of the Lord's flock in God’s house.
Since all gatherings are stopped and outbound visits are limited, how can they fulfill their responsibilities?
Although they are trying ways in which to pastor their congregations, including “cloud ministries”, those attempts are a drop in the bucket compared to their normal workload.
Therefore, a large portion of pastors are dispirited, similar to a sparrow that loses some feathers and is not able to fly high.
This leads to related problems: believers cannot be pastored effectively and in time. A series of ministries fail to happen and the livelihood of pastoral workers is at risk.
The closure of churches results in little income from tithes and offerings. Naturally, pastors who live from doing gospel work face financial difficulties.
Despite many churches have savings, will they use these deposits and how long can they last? Both are questions.
There are three different ways of dealing with the situation. The first is that some churches stop paying their pastors because there is no income because of the stoppage of worship services or other ministries. Some churches pay less money to still be able to afford to keep its pastoral staff and will pay them normal salaries when donations come in. Meanwhile, other churches are still paying pastors the same amount as before.
The challenge also confronts seminary graduates who are going to work. They may face an awkward situation. Just after their graduation, they are unemployed because churches are closed.
- Translated by Karen Luo
漫谈疫情对传道人的影响
现在的肺炎疫情已在全球蔓延，累计确诊病例就要接近200万例，累计死亡人数也已经超过10万人。
虽然我国在疫情的防控方面已经取得了阶段性和暂时性的胜利，但每天仍会传来境内外被确诊实的消息。
这些坏消息都在时刻提醒着我们疫情远没有结束，防控疫情的可能性爆发仍是当前重要的任务之一。
这种情况就决定着我们国家的治理基调仍将是以促进生产和防控疫情为中心，一切无关于民生大计而又可能带来疫情传播风险的行业，仍将被暂时禁止或限制开放。
近期国务院应对新型冠状病毒感染肺炎疫情联防联控机制于2020年4月6日发布的16号文件中，就明确的规定：“大型聚集性体育活动如马拉松长跑、聚集性宗教活动、各类展览及会展等暂不开展。”
这个规定就在说明，教堂至一月下旬暂停开放距今差不多过去近三个月后，仍然要继续的暂停，至于要停到何时，谁也说不清楚，只能视疫情的防控情况而定。
乐观估计可能至少要到6月中旬左右，悲观的话可能还要继续往后推。
教堂暂停开放的影响是极大的，涉及到方方面面、许多人，这里主要谈谈对教会中传道人的影响，特别是在牧养之外的生活层面的影响。
对于教堂的暂时性关闭、不能再举行聚集性宗教活动，大家最先想到的可能是对广大信徒的严重影响。
大家可能会习惯性的想到，信徒无法参加聚集性的敬拜活动，这可能会使他们与上帝关系的建立、生命的成长、肢体间的相交等方面带来的很大的伤害和损失。
除此之外，大家可能没有注意到，这种情况其实对传道人也是有同样的伤害，甚至可能带来的伤害更深、更大。
一方面来说，传道人也是羊，跟信徒一样，他们也是耶和华上帝的羊群，也需要从耶和华上帝那里得到喂养。
所以，传道人也需要藉着聚会与上帝建立亲密的关系，也需要在聚会中与众肢体彼此相交，彼此勉励，共同成长。
在这一点上，传道人与信徒别无二致的，都需要时常的参加聚会，这既是神儿女应尽的责任，也是自我的需要。
另一个方面来说，传道人相对于信徒而言，又是一个比较特别的群体，他们是一群被神特别拣选、分别为圣的人，是神特别拣选的仆人，要在神的家中照管主的羊群。
那么，现时期的一切大小聚会活动都被迫的中断了，而且是牵一发动全身，传道人不仅不能再带领主持大小的聚会，甚至连像往常一样的外出探访都会受限，怎能尽上该尽的责任呢？
怎能照管好主的羊群呢？
虽然，疫情发生后，许多传道人都在想方设法的采取一系列补救措施，充分利用现代科技手段，进行云上牧养等，但这些措施相较于以往而言，都是杯水车薪，事工的量和质都无法与正常的时候相比。
所以，现时期的传道人大多都是处于有力气却无处使出来的状态，就如同麻雀被剪了部分羽毛一样，想飞却飞不起来，即便是用尽全力飞了起来，但也飞的不够高。
既然飞不高，甚至飞不起来，那么就会产生连环的问题。
从服侍的角度来说，被打了折扣，信徒无法得到及时有效的牧养；教会治理也是如此，一系列的事工无法开展；从生活的角度来说，维持生计也成为了难题。
虽然这个讲法看起来比较世俗，但这却是现今一些传道人所面对的难题之一。
虽然这个难题并不是由传道人造成的，罪魁祸首来自于肺炎疫情，但影响的却是教会中的传道者。
回过头来看，大家可能会比较注意甚至是关心这次的肺炎疫情会给餐饮等行业带来什么样的伤害？
究竟会导致多少人因此失业，从而没有了收入？
但是大家有没有注意及关心到你身边的传道者的情况？
他们是不是也在面临着同样的问题？
他们中的不少人是不是也已经处于难以揭开锅的边缘，连吃饭都成了难题？
这个提法及存在的情况，绝非是危言耸听。
现时期，教堂大门关闭，聚会暂停，致使绝大数的奉献停止，没了收入。
既然教堂收入没有了，那些以福音为生的传道人，他们的生活来源自然也就成了难题。
虽然，不少的教堂中都有积蓄，但会不会因此拿出来，能够拿出来多少、多久？
都会是个问题。
据笔者了解，现时期，教会对传道人的供给主要有三种情况：一是有些教会已经完全停止了对传道人的供养。
因为教会聚会停止了，收入没了，事工也不用做了，所以供给也就停止了。
真不知这些传道者的每一天是如何渡过去的？
求神看顾。
二是有些教会则采取减薪的方式，仅给予生活费用，待有了奉献收入后，再恢复原初。
当然，也有些教会仍然在全额支付传道人的薪水。
疫情对于传道人生活层面的影响还是当时期的，随着时间向前推进，教堂若还无法尽快开放的话，影响可能会变得更大，到时可能会有更多以福音为生的传道人将无法维持生计，生活会陷入到极其艰难的地步，信心也将受到极大的考验。
这个考验的对象不单是那些已经在工场的传道人，更包括那些正准备进入工厂的神学生们。
到时，他们可能真的会面临“毕业即失业”的处境，教堂都处于暂时关闭的状态中，他们还能往哪里去呢？
所以，求神怜悯，尽快赶除在全球蔓延的疫情，使各项秩序得以恢复，让信徒可以放心的在教堂中聚会，也可以让传道人无后顾之忧，安心的传道服侍。
也求神在防控疫情期间坚定传道人的信心，靠着基督战胜眼前的环境，坚定自己的脚步不动摇，一心一意的服侍好基督及其教会，至于生活方面，要效法使徒保罗，学会交托，学会知足，无论在何种环境中都能够以基督为中心。
As the number of COVID-19 cases across the globe has reached more than 2 million, mass events have still been prohibited in China, including religious gatherings.
On April 6, the State Council released a paper on coronavirus control and prevention, saying that large religious activities and sports gatherings would be temporarily prohibited.
It may imply that the church closure will continue for an unknown length of time since churches across China have been closed since late January. An optimistic estimate says that hopefully churches may be reopened by mid-June.
However, the closure has had a tremendous impact on pastors, especially their life.
On one side, pastors themselves are also the Lord’s sheep and just as congregations, they too need to feed on God. They need services to build an intimate relationship with God and to have fellowship with believers as well. On the other side, pastors are a special group, especially chosen and consecrated by God—namely God’s servants taking care of the Lord's flock in God’s house.
Since all gatherings are stopped and outbound visits are limited, how can they fulfill their responsibilities?
Although they are trying ways in which to pastor their congregations, including “cloud ministries”, those attempts are a drop in the bucket compared to their normal workload.
Therefore, a large portion of pastors are dispirited, similar to a sparrow that loses some feathers and is not able to fly high.
This leads to related problems: believers cannot be pastored effectively and in time. A series of ministries fail to happen and the livelihood of pastoral workers is at risk.
The closure of churches results in little income from tithes and offerings. Naturally, pastors who live from doing gospel work face financial difficulties.
Despite many churches have savings, will they use these deposits and how long can they last? Both are questions.
There are three different ways of dealing with the situation. The first is that some churches stop paying their pastors because there is no income because of the stoppage of worship services or other ministries. Some churches pay less money to still be able to afford to keep its pastoral staff and will pay them normal salaries when donations come in. Meanwhile, other churches are still paying pastors the same amount as before.
The challenge also confronts seminary graduates who are going to work. They may face an awkward situation. Just after their graduation, they are unemployed because churches are closed.
- Translated by Karen Luo
Pandemic Severely Affecting Pastors’ Work and Livelihood
