Tumen Church, located in China’s ancient capital of Xi'an, Shaanxi has 3000 believers. But when the church began, it had only several believers.
The former location of the church was a gathering place in the western suburbs of Lianhu District, in Shaanxi province. The church was established by Elder Shi Sufang, who is now an 85-year-old director on the church council, and two other fellow workers. Initially, these three and their three children were the only persons who attended the church.
In 1968, Elder Shi was an unbeliever who suffered from many severe diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, malignant tumors of the breast, neurosis, and ovarian cysts. Eating only a little food every day, she became weaker and weaker and couldn’t even walk. She weighed only 35.5 kilograms and lay on her sofa waiting to die. At this time, some believers preached the gospel to her and told her about Jesus. From that day on she changed and began a new life. In 1977, she decided to return to the Lord. One year later, she attended worship services with two other fellow workers.
At the beginning they had only a partial Bible, which they borrowed from an old brother. They studied the Bible, worshiped and praised God together. They prayed for the western suburbs as there were only few believers there. Later, the number of worshippers increased.
With changes in religious policy, the Nanxin Street Church in the city reopened, Sunday services resumed and the three colleagues went there to worship. On Sunday morning, they set off at four o'clock and walked from the western suburbs to the municipal church. If they arrived early, they waited at the gate of the church. At that time, the pastors of the church presented them with Bibles and provided pastoral support for them.
Due to the long distance they had to travel, it was inconvenient for the elderly and ill believers to go there to worship. The fellow workers immediately contacted the municipal CC&TSPM. Later, the local government also agreed to prepare a gathering place for the believers in the western suburbs.
They found a small farmyard of about 100 square meters that they were able to rent for 50 yuan each month. At that time, they did not receive any contributions from believers. In order to raise funds, the church workers bought washing powder wholesale from the Xi’an Chemical Plant, and every night they would process about 300 kilograms. They sold it in the morning and returned home at 8 o’clock in the evening. They also sold soft drinks, cold noodles (liangpi) and wontons. When conditions permitted, they made money by raising scorpions, selling eggs, and planting grapes and vegetables. They continued to do this for five years.
In December 1985, the church began to lease a plot of land that had a nine-meter-deep hole in which water had accumulated over the years. In order to clean up the water that had accumulated, some old and ill believers worked in the pit day and night. At night, to prevent someone from stealing the equipment parts, Elder Shi even slept on the excavator.
During the day, many weak and sickly believers participated in the construction work. During the day, 22 vehicles were used to dump earth, and at night, Elder Shi led the volunteers in packing the dirt. However, due to the lack of money, they could only build a simple building in which to meet.
In order to build a new church, the local village committee agreed that they could purchase about 1.3 acres of land. Lacking the money to buy this land, they mobilized believers to borrow money. More than 300 participated, borrowing tens of thousands of yuan.
By the end of the 1990s, the congregation had grown to more than 800. Because of urban growth and the poor condition of the church building, the leaders planned to build a new church. They received contributions of 2 million yuan from the believers and the total project cost was more than 3 million yuan). Now it is the biggest church in Xi’an.
At present, in addition to four full-time pastors and more than 200 volunteers, the church has 3,000 registered believers, ten fellowships, seven church council members and 23 meeting places. About 150 seekers are baptized every year.
(This material was provided by elder Yuan Xiangzhong of Xiaozhen Church in Fenghua, Ningbo, Zhejiang and was edited by Wu Zhongyi, a special writer for Gospel Times.)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
在古都西安市，有一座神的圣殿：西安土门基督教礼拜堂。教会从起初的几位信徒、简陋的聚会活动点，发展到今天有3000位信徒、大教堂。
土门教堂前身是莲湖区西郊基督教活动点，由现任本堂堂委会主任、85岁的石素芳长老与其他两位同道共同建立。最初聚会仅为三位同道带着三个孩子开始的六人聚会。
石素芳长老她在信主之前，1968年的时候，就患有类风湿关节炎、乳腺恶性瘤、神经官能症、卵巢囊肿等许多重病。每天吃不到一两粮，身体一天不如一天，自己也不能走路。在这种情况下，她每天只有躺在沙发上无助的等死，体重甚至一度瘦到了67斤。这个时候，有弟兄姊妹给她传福音，使她认识了生命之主。从那天起神的大能使她重获新生,1977年决志归主，一年后就与两位同道开始聚会。
聚会初期，他们仅有的是一本比较零散的圣经，还是从一位老弟兄那里借来的，他们就凭借这本借来的圣经共同学习神的话语、敬拜、赞美。当时西安西郊地区信主的人屈指可数，他们就一同为西郊祈祷。后来聚会的人数逐渐多了起来。
随着宗教政策的落实，市内的南新街礼拜堂复堂并恢复了主日聚会，同道们就开始到南堂去做礼拜。每到主日，他们早上四点钟就从西郊出发，一路步行，到的早了，就坐在教堂门口等候。那个时期，南堂的牧长经常帮助他们属灵生命的成长，还给他们赠送圣经。
由于路途遥远，很多信徒因身体原因不能到市内礼拜堂聚会，同工们随即与市三自爱国会联系，后来当地政府也同意筹备西郊基督教活动点。
活动点在一座租赁的农家小院里，面积约100平米，每月租金50元。当时聚会活动点没有接受任何信徒奉献。为了筹款，同工们从西安化工厂批发洗衣粉，每天晚上捶打成粉面，每天600斤，早上再出售 ，晚上8点多回来。他们先后卖过汽水、凉皮、馄饨，甚至在条件允许的时候，养蝎子、卖鸡蛋、种植葡萄和蔬菜，这样的日子一直持续了五年之久。
1985年12月,教会开始租赁深达九米的垃圾坑做活动场所。为清理坑内的长年积水，很多重病在身、年事已高的弟兄姊妹都夜以继日地在坑里劳动。晚上，为防备有人偷盗挖土机上的零件，石素芳长老甚至就睡在挖土机上。
白天，一些体弱多病的，甚至半身不遂的弟兄姊妹都参与修路工作。白天有22辆车倒土，晚上石长老就领着同道们赶工打夯。但由于资金匮乏，教会只能因陋就简搭建油毛毡的房屋用于聚会。
为了建堂，教会当地村委会谈妥够其土地7.8亩。但是缺乏买地的资金，他们就发动信徒借款。信徒们曾参与给教会借钱的同道达三百余人，金额累计数万元。
到了九十年代末，信徒群众达到八百多人，教会就又酝酿筹建新的教堂，因为旧教堂是年久失修，而且也在城市重建的范围内。仅本堂信徒奉献的金额就将近二百万元，而工程总造价三百多万元)。这才有了今天的大礼拜堂。
目前教会的登记信徒已达3000人左右，有十个团契，有石长老等四位专职传道；有义工200多名、堂委委员由七人组成；教会有23个聚会活动点，每年受洗新人约150人左右。
（本图文资料由浙江宁波奉化萧镇教堂袁相中长老提供；福音时报特约撰稿人毋忠毅编辑整理。）
http://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/54131
西安市莲湖区土门基督教堂：神的见证
Tumen Church, located in China’s ancient capital of Xi'an, Shaanxi has 3000 believers. But when the church began, it had only several believers.
The former location of the church was a gathering place in the western suburbs of Lianhu District, in Shaanxi province. The church was established by Elder Shi Sufang, who is now an 85-year-old director on the church council, and two other fellow workers. Initially, these three and their three children were the only persons who attended the church.
In 1968, Elder Shi was an unbeliever who suffered from many severe diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, malignant tumors of the breast, neurosis, and ovarian cysts. Eating only a little food every day, she became weaker and weaker and couldn’t even walk. She weighed only 35.5 kilograms and lay on her sofa waiting to die. At this time, some believers preached the gospel to her and told her about Jesus. From that day on she changed and began a new life. In 1977, she decided to return to the Lord. One year later, she attended worship services with two other fellow workers.
At the beginning they had only a partial Bible, which they borrowed from an old brother. They studied the Bible, worshiped and praised God together. They prayed for the western suburbs as there were only few believers there. Later, the number of worshippers increased.
With changes in religious policy, the Nanxin Street Church in the city reopened, Sunday services resumed and the three colleagues went there to worship. On Sunday morning, they set off at four o'clock and walked from the western suburbs to the municipal church. If they arrived early, they waited at the gate of the church. At that time, the pastors of the church presented them with Bibles and provided pastoral support for them.
Due to the long distance they had to travel, it was inconvenient for the elderly and ill believers to go there to worship. The fellow workers immediately contacted the municipal CC&TSPM. Later, the local government also agreed to prepare a gathering place for the believers in the western suburbs.
They found a small farmyard of about 100 square meters that they were able to rent for 50 yuan each month. At that time, they did not receive any contributions from believers. In order to raise funds, the church workers bought washing powder wholesale from the Xi’an Chemical Plant, and every night they would process about 300 kilograms. They sold it in the morning and returned home at 8 o’clock in the evening. They also sold soft drinks, cold noodles (liangpi) and wontons. When conditions permitted, they made money by raising scorpions, selling eggs, and planting grapes and vegetables. They continued to do this for five years.
In December 1985, the church began to lease a plot of land that had a nine-meter-deep hole in which water had accumulated over the years. In order to clean up the water that had accumulated, some old and ill believers worked in the pit day and night. At night, to prevent someone from stealing the equipment parts, Elder Shi even slept on the excavator.
During the day, many weak and sickly believers participated in the construction work. During the day, 22 vehicles were used to dump earth, and at night, Elder Shi led the volunteers in packing the dirt. However, due to the lack of money, they could only build a simple building in which to meet.
In order to build a new church, the local village committee agreed that they could purchase about 1.3 acres of land. Lacking the money to buy this land, they mobilized believers to borrow money. More than 300 participated, borrowing tens of thousands of yuan.
By the end of the 1990s, the congregation had grown to more than 800. Because of urban growth and the poor condition of the church building, the leaders planned to build a new church. They received contributions of 2 million yuan from the believers and the total project cost was more than 3 million yuan). Now it is the biggest church in Xi’an.
At present, in addition to four full-time pastors and more than 200 volunteers, the church has 3,000 registered believers, ten fellowships, seven church council members and 23 meeting places. About 150 seekers are baptized every year.
(This material was provided by elder Yuan Xiangzhong of Xiaozhen Church in Fenghua, Ningbo, Zhejiang and was edited by Wu Zhongyi, a special writer for Gospel Times.)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
Tuchen Church in Xi’an
