The first twenty years of the twentieth century was considered the “golden era” for the development of Protestantism in China. Just having come through the difficult Boxer Rebellion, the Chinese church embraced a large revival with an increase in believers.
The period was also the beginning of the church’s transformation to self-propagation. Chinese pastors gradually replaced western missionaries, becoming the core strength of evangelism. Indigenous pastors began to appear on the stage, including Ding Limei.
Praised as “The Moody of China”, he was born into a Christian family in Daxintuan Village, Jiaozhou, China’s eastern-coastal Shandong Province, on August 2, 1871. His father, Ding Qitang, was one of the earliest Christians in Shandong. In 1884, he enrolled in the Presbyterian Tengchow College. After graduation at the age of 22, he taught there for three years, leading Bible reading classes and often sharing the gospel in the countryside. Ding started to study theology in the college in 1896. Two years later, after graduation, he was ordained as a pastor.
He was seized by the Boxers and almost killed, but fortunately, Yuan Shikai, the governor of Shandong, united with other people to crack down on the movement. Helped by Watson McMillen Hayes, an American Presbyterian missionary and educator, Ding was freed.
After the uprising, he realized that one important factor that resulted in the great tension between church and society was the dependence of the church in China. After that, Ding started to evangelize. Holding revival meetings, retreats, and leading people to Christ, he became one of the forerunners who those Chinese who shared the gospel on their own.
In 1910, the Chinese Student Volunteer Movement was founded in a meeting for north China Christian students held by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). Ding was appointed as the first itinerant secretary. That year he presided over 87 evangelistic meetings and preached at more than 200 of them. Walking across more than ten provinces, he guided many young intellectuals to Christ and encouraged many people to make donations. In a month, he led more than 1,000 university students to Christ and established branch fellowships in dozens of universities. The fellowships grew to more than 1,600 members, including many who devoted their whole life to evangelism. There were many social elites, such as Zeng Baosun, the granddaughter of Zeng Guofan, who was a Chinese statesman and a Christian educator.
In 1918, Ding launched an evangelist rally with some workers at Lushan Mountain, Jiangxi as he felt deeply for the many people who had yet to hear the gospel in China’s border areas. The second year he led evangelistic bands to preach in remote provinces such as Yunnan, Guizhou, and Xikang. The good news was brought to ethnic minorities. In 1919, he fulfilled his promise that the gospel would be introduced into 18 provinces.
Owing to health reasons, he changed his itinerant ministry into theological education. In 1923, he worked in the North China Theological Seminary as a teacher along with Jia Yumin, a famous Chinese theologian. Nine years later, he became a professor of a Bible college built by the Holiness Mission in Tianjin.
Ding passed away on September 22, 1936, aged 65.
- Translated by Karen Luo
中国教会自传先驱——大布道家丁立美 二十世纪的前20年，被一些人称为中国基督（新）教在华发展的“黄金时期”。刚走出义和团暴乱影响的中国教会，不仅重新复苏，更是迎来一场场的大复兴，信徒人数不断上升。 其实这段时期，也是中国教会逐步走向自传的开始。中国牧者逐渐取代欧美传教士，成为中华宣教的核心力量。在这一时期里，华人布道家开始涌现，而丁立美是其中的代表人物。 丁立美牧师被很多人称为“中国的幕迪”。他1871年10月2日生于山东胶州大辛疃一个基督徒家庭。父亲丁启堂为山东最早的基督徒之一。 1884年，13岁的丁立美前往登州文会馆学习，22岁时完成所有学业，后留校任教三年，主领学生读经班，并常到乡村布道。1896年，丁立美进入文会馆学习神学，两年后毕业，被按立为牧师。在校期间他与同学贾玉铭私交甚笃，两人日后都成为中国教会的著名牧者。 丁立美曾被义和团抓获，差点丢了性命，但幸好袁世凯主政山东巡抚，响应东南互保，镇压义和团。丁立美也在赫士的帮助下，重获自由。经过拳乱的他认识到，教会与社会的张力太大，其中一个重要因素就是中国教会没有实现自主。他写到：“欲求一真实完全自立之会，诚百无一二，我等为此切切伤痛，深知我主教会一日不兴，即我国同胞一日受苦。” 此后，丁立美开始担负起宣教的重任，在各地开布道会、奋兴会，带领国人信主，成为华人自传的先驱之一。1910年6月，基督教青年会在河北通县召开"华北基督徒学生大会"，大会成立了"中国学生立志献身布道团"。丁立美被任命为首任的巡行干事。这一年他主领了87次布道会，讲道200余次。足迹踏遍十余省，带领了许多知识青年信主，并鼓励了不少人奉献，形成强大的学生福音队伍。他有时在一个月之内带领千余大学生信主，在几十所大学中设立支团，团友达一千六百人之多，献身终生传道者甚多。在这些人里面，不乏社会精英，比如曾国藩的孙女、女教育家曾宝荪。她回忆说：“我在冯氏高等女校 (Mary Vaugham High School) 的第二年第一个学期，我想是一九一零年春季，……，有丁立美牧师来杭州传道，每日听道者数百人，我也去了多次，也表示有慕道之心。” 丁立美牧师能够带领那么多知识青年信主，并使他们中很多人奉献一生。可见在传福音中，多么需要学识啊。目前中国的年轻人大都接受过高等教育，我们要在这个时代里宣教，就应该努力学习，像丁牧师那样拥有深厚的神学装备与广博的文化知识。 1918年，丁立美深感中国广大边疆地区仍有很多人未听到福音。于是在江西牯岭山和几位同工一起发起中国国内布道会。次年，丁立美亲自带领布道团，到云南、贵州、西康、蒙古等边远省份传道，把福音带到少数民族中间。到1919年，他实现了他曾许下的诺言，将福音传至中国18个省份。 由于身体原因，无法担负巡回布道的长途跋涉，丁立美把侍奉重点转向神学教育。1923年到华北神学院任教，他与贾玉铭同工，造就了不少灵命与学识都很优秀的传道人。1932年，丁立美到天津通圣会建立的圣经学院担任教授。 1936年9月22日丁立美牧师安息主怀，享年65岁。丁牧师成为大布道家，除了其生命品质、真理根基外，一个重要原因就是他能够深入中国各地，了解各种民情，采取适合中国的宣教策略。其布道的成功，既是圣灵的带领，也是基督信仰在传播上实行中国化的例证。
The first twenty years of the twentieth century was considered the “golden era” for the development of Protestantism in China. Just having come through the difficult Boxer Rebellion, the Chinese church embraced a large revival with an increase in believers.
The period was also the beginning of the church’s transformation to self-propagation. Chinese pastors gradually replaced western missionaries, becoming the core strength of evangelism. Indigenous pastors began to appear on the stage, including Ding Limei.
Praised as “The Moody of China”, he was born into a Christian family in Daxintuan Village, Jiaozhou, China’s eastern-coastal Shandong Province, on August 2, 1871. His father, Ding Qitang, was one of the earliest Christians in Shandong. In 1884, he enrolled in the Presbyterian Tengchow College. After graduation at the age of 22, he taught there for three years, leading Bible reading classes and often sharing the gospel in the countryside. Ding started to study theology in the college in 1896. Two years later, after graduation, he was ordained as a pastor.
He was seized by the Boxers and almost killed, but fortunately, Yuan Shikai, the governor of Shandong, united with other people to crack down on the movement. Helped by Watson McMillen Hayes, an American Presbyterian missionary and educator, Ding was freed.
After the uprising, he realized that one important factor that resulted in the great tension between church and society was the dependence of the church in China. After that, Ding started to evangelize. Holding revival meetings, retreats, and leading people to Christ, he became one of the forerunners who those Chinese who shared the gospel on their own.
In 1910, the Chinese Student Volunteer Movement was founded in a meeting for north China Christian students held by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). Ding was appointed as the first itinerant secretary. That year he presided over 87 evangelistic meetings and preached at more than 200 of them. Walking across more than ten provinces, he guided many young intellectuals to Christ and encouraged many people to make donations. In a month, he led more than 1,000 university students to Christ and established branch fellowships in dozens of universities. The fellowships grew to more than 1,600 members, including many who devoted their whole life to evangelism. There were many social elites, such as Zeng Baosun, the granddaughter of Zeng Guofan, who was a Chinese statesman and a Christian educator.
In 1918, Ding launched an evangelist rally with some workers at Lushan Mountain, Jiangxi as he felt deeply for the many people who had yet to hear the gospel in China’s border areas. The second year he led evangelistic bands to preach in remote provinces such as Yunnan, Guizhou, and Xikang. The good news was brought to ethnic minorities. In 1919, he fulfilled his promise that the gospel would be introduced into 18 provinces.
Owing to health reasons, he changed his itinerant ministry into theological education. In 1923, he worked in the North China Theological Seminary as a teacher along with Jia Yumin, a famous Chinese theologian. Nine years later, he became a professor of a Bible college built by the Holiness Mission in Tianjin.
Ding passed away on September 22, 1936, aged 65.
- Translated by Karen Luo
Ding Limei, Pioneer Evangelist in Chinese Church
