At the beginning of December 2020, I came to Beihai, a beautiful city in the Beibu Gulf in Guangxi Province, the southern frontier of China, to visit the Beihai Christian Church. I met a pastor there -- Senior Pastor Zhang Yezhong of Beihai Church. During my five days with him and my church visits, I saw and heard many stories. I’ll share twelve stories here.
I. The pastor who likes to tell stories
Mr. Zhang Yezhong was in the first group of graduates of the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary after the Cultural Revolution. One of the biggest characteristics of his preaching is “down to earth”. He does not advocate long sermons. He even praised a preacher for his 10-minute sermon. Under his leadership, the pastors and preachers of Beihai Church all preach in a similar style to his, which is very popular among believers. Every day at noon, he will tell a parable story for nearly a thousand people in two WeChat groups. The program is called “small stories, big truth”. Pastor Zhang will share the truth of the Bible and the truth of our faith through short stories in Cantonese and Mandarin. Each story takes only two to five minutes and is easy to understand. The faithful listen to these stories regularly every day, and they’re very popular. Up to now, Mr. Zhang has told more than two hundred stories in succession. I’ve heard stories of Mr. Zhang in Mandarin and felt greatly inspired.
II. Brother Meng, who smoked four packs of cigarettes a day, gave up smoking
Although I was only in Beihai Church for five days, I got to know several preachers in the church and some brothers from various fellowship groups. Among them, Brother Meng, came from Qufu (Confucius’ hometown), Shandong Province. He smoked heavily before he became a Christian, smoking four packs of cigarettes a day. In order to attract more people to the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no mandatory requirement about smoking in Beihai Church. On the contrary, it especially set up a smoking area. According to Mr. Zhang, if you don’t let some brothers smoke, they won’t even come to church again. If you let them smoke, they’ll finally give up smoking due to their belief. Meng is like that. “I smoked four packs a day for over 20 years,” he said. “I didn’t quit smoking when I started going to the church. Then I heard from a sermon that the Bible said, ‘That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;’ (1 Thessalonians 4:4) How can I still smoke?” So he gave up smoking and now he serves in the church every day.
III. Uninvited American guests at the Lunar New Year’s Eve banquet
Like some other churches around the country, Beihai Church will hold an agape meal every year on Lunar New Year’s Eve. Each of the brothers and sisters attending the feast will bring one dish to celebrate the traditional Chinese Spring Festival. At an agape meal in the 1990s, there was a knock at the door while everyone was eating. Pastor Zhang opened the door and saw two tall foreigners. He spoke to them in English. He learned that they were from the United States and had been attracted to the century-old church, which was founded by British missionaries. The priest received them warmly and invited them to eat Chinese food at the agape meal. The two Americans were scholars working as foreign teachers at a university in central China. When the agape meal was over, the priest sent them back to the hotel by taxi. He thought that was the end of the matter, but the next day, the two American guests returned to the church. Pastor Zhang saw that they were wearing small clothes that did not suit their bodies. It turned out that there was a fire in the hotel that night. The water from the fire hoses ruined their clothes and they could not wear them. The hotel only provided them with small clothes that did not fit. After the pastor got to know this, he called the church brothers and sisters to find them larger clothes. The two American guests thanked them repeatedly.
The next year, it was another night for agape meal. Like last time, someone was knocking at the door again. Thinking it might be the Americans, the pastor opened the door and saw that it was the same two Americans. They were followed by a group of foreigners. It turned out that the two guests had told their colleagues what had happened in Beihai Church, so more than ten foreign teachers from this university came to visit Beihai Church.
IV. Wanderer involved in a pyramid scheme returned home
Beihai used to be the centre of pyramid schemes. Those who engaged in pyramid selling here were mostly northerners. When they arrived, it was too late for them to find that they had been cheated. With little money left, or even penniless, some even have nothing to eat, so they went to the market to gather abandoned vegetables for food, not to mention returning home. And there are believers among them. Pastor Zhang was in contact with those who were involved in pyramid schemes, especially those who have been Christians so that the church could accommodate them, provide food and shelter for them.
The pastor said that people who believe in God should feel warm when they see the cross and the church. As the Spring Festival approached, these people asked for money to return home from their families. But their family members had been cheated by them and did not believe them. The funds donated by the believers were also limited, which was not enough for their travel expenses home. The wise pastor Zhang came up with a solution. The pastor sat next to the church phone and asked them to tell their families, saying this was the number of Beihai Christian Church, and they could transfer the money to the account of Beihai Christian Church, and the church people would buy their tickets so that they can go home. They provided the information of Beihai Church on the network. When their family saw that it was indeed the church’s phone number on the Internet, they contacted the church, and the MLM salesmen’s travel expenses to return home were received according to the account number designated by the church. Gradually, these people returned home.
Some of these believers did not return home but stayed in Beihai to work and serve in the Beihai Church. Now some people have become the backbone of groups in Beihai Church. After returning home, some of the these people came back and donated TV sets, washing machines and other supplies to the leprosy village served by the church. They thanked the church for its help and love for them.
5. Couples cohabiting in harmony
There are more than 40 couples at Beihai Church. On December 10, 2020, after seven o’clock in the evening, I saw them on the third floor of the church. They were preparing for a dress rehearsal for Christmas. These happy couples clicked their mobile phone cameras before taking the stage. At nine o’clock, they arrived on the stage in the main hall to begin the formal rehearsal. This time, they organized 18 couples and choreographed a chorus and dance.
In accordance with the Holy Word, the church organizes couples’ fellowship that will help them to have good family relationships. Here, they could study the Bible together, pray, praise, listen to the sermon, interact with each other, and help each other and enlighten each other when they have problems. The senior pastor and the preachers take an interest in the fellowship and often participate in its activities.
VI. Workers from all over the country live together in harmony
The members of the team are from all over the country. From the “List of Responsibilities for Pastoral Co-workers” of Beihai Church, we can see that the pastoral co-workers of churches and fellowships are from Beihai, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Jiangxi, Hebei, Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, and other places. Some co-workers even live and eat in the church, making it their home. There are no factions, but only God’s children and fellow workers.
VII. The tolerance of not claiming compensation from a car thief
Beihai Church had a car in the 1980s. This car was the first car of all religious groups in Beihai, serving the church, and the car also had the logo of the church. This car attracted eyes when it was seen in the streets of Beihai. But soon after the car was used by the church, it was stolen. Because the car was a very important means of transportation for the church at that time, and it was very expensive at that time, about 30,000 yuan, the car was reported stolen.
The car thief was later caught on other charges and admitted to stealing the church car. At that point, the police proposed that the church could bring criminal charges, plus civil charges, which meant that the car thief could be sentenced, and financial compensation could be pursued. At that time, Pastor Zhang Yezhong considered that the thief came from a particularly poor area in Guangxi. If he was asked to pay for the car, he would certainly not have enough money, so his parents and family members would have to pay for the car. This was no doubt a difficult thing for a family in difficulty. So the church made a decision not to pursue civil charges, meaning no claims and no financial compensation.
VIII. Young man who liked to find fault with others was baptized
There was a young student who did not believe in God, but he often came to the church. He went to the church to find out what was wrong with the church and what the preacher said. Then he went and found pastor Zhang Yezhong and argued with him. He denied and rejected the existence of God for various reasons. Each time he came, Pastor Chang would receive him patiently, communicating with him and guiding him. But he still didn’t believe in God. Then the young man went to a university in Beijing. During his university holidays, he returned to Beihai and went to the church again to find fault and oppose the Christian faith. At that time, he seemed very rebellious and stubborn. But when he was about to graduate from college, he suddenly called Pastor Zhang from Beijing one day and told him, “Pastor Zhang, I have a good news for you. I was baptized!” Pastor Zhang was also very happy and asked where he was baptized. He said: “I am in Beijing. Thank you for enlightening me. I now believe in God.”
IX. Church opened to the public
Beihai Church is located in the famous old street of North Sea which has a history of over 100 years. The old street is one of the main tourist attractions in the Beihai. Every year there are a large number of foreign tourists who come to the old street. Many tourists stop in front of the church to visit and take pictures. In order to show Christian spirit and to spread the Gospel, Beihai Christ Church is open to the public. Tourists can come to the church anytime to visit or attend church meetings, and there are fellow workers to guide them and introduce our faith.
Due to the large number of people in the old street, going to the toilet is a problem. So the church’s bathroom is open to the public, and visitors can come whenever they want. But there is also a problem here, that is, sometimes the toilet will be very dirty, or even blocked. The church will unclog the toilet and sometimes even pay for it. Even so, the church’s toilet is still open to the public.
X. One brother sent his wife to the church to “reform” her, but he himself began to believe in the Lord
There was once a brother whose wife was abusive at home. He thought of a “shortcut”: Send his wife to the church to “reform” her, and to change her bad habits. Because his mother was a believer, he learned from her that the church is a place of love and that God can change people. But he himself did not believe in God. After he dropped his wife off at the church, he sat far away in the back seat, crossing his legs and looking very unconcerned. While listening to the sermon, he began to sit up properly, then moved from the last row to the middle to listen to the sermon, and then sat in the front row, listening attentively to the preacher’s sermon. When the minister gave an altar call, he stepped up to the stage and accepted the invitation. He said, “Now I believe in God” and followed the pastor in a determined prayer. The couple later both became Christians.
XI. The bar resounded with hymns
Among the believers in Beihai Church, some are music teachers from universities, as well as many brothers and sisters who understand music and can play musical instruments. They are active believers who use God’s grace to spread the Gospel through music and songs. Once a group of young believers came to a famous scenic spot in Beihai. As they passed a bar, they heard the owner playing a song. A brother who understood the music quickly caught the message: This is a very melancholy song, indicating that the player was sad, even hopeless. So he led the young fellow workers to the bar. After sitting down, he said to the owner who was playing, “May I have a try? I’ll play a tune.” Then he began to play upbeat church hymns. When a psalm was finished, the shopkeeper was very surprised and said, “What song are you playing? I’m moved, very happy, and very relaxed. It’s so good.” The brother told him that they were Christians and that he was playing a hymn. At this time there were few people in the bar, mainly waiters. The shopkeeper said to them, “Settle down and listen to the Christian music.” And the bar was filled with hymns.
VII. The versatile pastor
I saw the training material “How to Learn to Sing Psalms” compiled by Pastor Zhang in 1983 for the first volunteer training class of the Christian Church in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is professionally done and easy to understand. It is still a good teaching material. I also saw his beautiful and skillful handwriting; That day we went to a church in Fangchenggang and I heard him playing the piano with my own ears. The pastor also practiced saxophone with his fellow workers.
Not only that, Pastor Zhang is also very adept in photography. He was in charge of photography when he was a student at Jinling Theological Seminary. Later, the college specially bought him a film SLR camera, which was very expensive at that time.
Pastor Zhang was not only in the first group of graduates of Jinling Union Theological Seminary after the reform and opening up but also the favorite pupil of Dean Ding Guangxun, who once asked him to work in the school. But for the sake of the Gospel and the brothers and sisters at Beihai Church, the pastor went back to his hometown.
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
2020年12月初，我来到祖国的南疆——北部湾美丽的北海市，到北海基督教堂拜访。在这里接触到了一位牧师：北海堂的张业忠主任牧师。和他在一起五天的时间以及在教堂走访的期间，我看到听到了很多的故事，在这里分享十二个故事。
一、讲故事的张牧师
张业忠牧师，毕业于文革后首届的南京协和神学院。他的牧养，最大的一个特点就是“接地气”。他不主张长时间的一大套的、一大套的讲道。他甚至表扬了一位传道人10分钟的为主证道。在他的带领下，北海堂的牧师和传道人讲道，基本和他的这种风格相近，很受信徒欢迎。他每天中午都要为会众在两个微信群里，为近千人讲喻道故事，叫做“小故事、大道理”。张牧师分别用粤语（当地话），和普通话，通过一些小故事来分享圣经里的真理和我们信仰的道理。每次仅仅二到五分钟左右，通俗易懂。众信徒每天都按时收听，很受欢迎。到目前为止，牧师已经连续讲了二百多个喻道故事。我听过牧师普通话的故事。
二、每天吸四包烟的孟弟兄戒烟了
虽然在北海堂仅仅五天，但是我认识了教堂里的好几位传道人和各个团契的一些弟兄，其中有一个山东过来的孟弟兄来自于孔夫子的家乡山东曲阜。他在信主之前吸烟，而且是一个烟瘾很大的人，居然每天要吸四包香烟。北海堂为了更多的人归向主耶稣基督，没有强制的规定信徒不可以吸烟，恰恰相反，还设了一个吸烟处，用张业忠牧师的话来说，有的弟兄你如果不让他吸烟，他不会再来教堂了，如果你让他吸烟，反而他在信仰中最后自己自觉的会把烟戒了，孟弟兄就是这样。他说，“我吸了二十多年的烟，每天要吸四包。“开始到教堂也没有戒烟。后来听道，圣经里讲了“要你们各人晓得怎样用圣洁、尊贵守着自己的身体，”（帖撒罗尼迦前书4章4节）我怎么还能吸烟呢？”就这样，他戒烟了，现在，他每天在教堂服侍。
三、除夕夜爱筵的美国不速之客
和全国其它一些教堂一样，北海堂每年除夕夜都要举行爱筵，参加宴会的弟兄姊妹，每个人拿一样菜，欢度中国传统的春节。在上个世纪的90年代的一次爱筵中，当大家正在吃饭的时候，突然有人敲门，张牧师打开门一看，来了两位高个子的外国人，张牧师用英语和他们交谈，知道他们来自美国，慕名来到这个由英国传教士创建的百余年教会来。牧师热情地接待了他们，并且留他们在爱筵中吃中国的饭菜。这两位美国人是在中南一个大学做外教的学者。爱筵结束后，牧师打车给他们送到了宾馆。本来以为这件事就结束了，可是到了第二天，这两位美国客人又来到教会。张牧师一看，他们穿了一身很不适合自己身材的、又瘦又小的衣服。仔细一问，原来晚上宾馆失火了，消防水龙头把他们的衣服都打湿，不能穿了。宾馆提供他们一身又瘦又小的不合体的衣服。牧师知道后，就发动教会的弟兄姊妹，为他们找到了又肥又大适合他们的衣服，这两个美国客人一再感谢。
第二年，又是一个爱筵的夜晚。和上次一样，又有人在敲门，牧师就想到了可能是美国客人，打开门一看，果然又是那两位美国客人，身后还跟了一群外国人，原来这两位客人把他们在北海教堂的事情，告诉了自己的同行，于是这个大学的十多位外教都来到北海堂拜访。
四、传销游子返乡记
北海曾经是传销的重灾区。而且到这里搞传销的，以北方人居多。他们到这里以后，发现上当受骗，已经晚了。身上的钱所剩无几，甚至身无分文了，有的连吃饭都是问题，甚至是到菜市场去捡菜帮糊口，更谈不上返回老家了。而这其中还有一些信徒。张牧师他就和这些搞传销的人接触，特别和曾经是基督徒的人接触，由教会出面安顿他们，有饭吃、有住处。
牧师说：信主的人，看到十字架、看到教堂就感到亲切。临近春节，这些人和家里要钱返乡，家里人已经被他们骗了，压根就不信，信徒们捐献的资金也有限，不够他们回家的路费，怎么办？有智慧的张牧师就想了一个办法：牧师就坐在教堂的电话旁边，让他们给家里人发信息，告诉这就是北海基督教堂的电话，你把钱打到北海基督教堂的账户上，他们给我们买票，我们回家。我们不再搞传销了，而且提供了北海教堂在网络上的信息，所以家里人在网络上看到这确实是教堂的电话，就和教堂联系，并且按照教堂指定的账号，把传销人返乡的路费打在上面。这样，这些人就逐渐地返乡了。
这其中有一部分信徒没有返乡，留在了北海工作，并且在北海堂服侍。现在有的人已经成了北海堂一些班组的骨干。返乡后的传销人有的又返回来，向教会服侍的麻风病村捐赠了电视机、洗衣机等一些用品，感恩教会对他们的帮助和爱。
五、和睦同居的夫妻团契
北海堂的夫妻团契有四十多对夫妻。2020年12月10日的晚上七点多钟，我在教堂的三楼看到他们为了迎接圣诞节，正准备彩排。登台彩排之前这些在基督里幸福的夫妻们纷纷按动手机照相机快门。九点钟，他们来到在主堂的舞台上开始正式彩排。这次他们组织了十八对夫妻，精心编排了合唱、舞蹈。
教堂遵照圣言圣训，针对家庭夫妻的关系，组织了夫妻团契，在这里大家共同学习圣经、祷告、赞美、听道、互动，有了问题互相帮助、互相开导。主任牧师和传道人经常关心这个团契，参与他们的活动。
六、五湖四海的和睦同居
团队五湖四海。在北海堂的“教牧同工责任一览表”上我们可以看到，教会的教牧同工和团契的同工既有北海本土的、也有吉林、黑龙江、辽宁、内蒙、山东、江西、河北、广东、湖南、湖北等地的。有的同工甚至吃住在教堂，把这里当成家。这里的弟兄姊妹，没有“山头”和派系，只有上帝的儿女和同工。
七、对盗车人不索赔的宽容
北海堂在上个世纪的八十年代曾经有一部汽车。这个汽车是在北海各个宗教团体的第一辆车，为教会服务，而且车身也有教堂的标识，每天在北海的街上跑也比较吸引眼球，但是车放在教堂不久被盗了。因为当时这个车对教堂来说是一个很重要的交通工具，它的价格在当时来说是不菲的，大约是3万块钱。这个车被盗以后就报案了。
后来这个盗车的人因为其它的案件被抓，他也承认偷了教会的车。这个时候警方就提出教会可以提出刑事责任，附带民事责任，也就是说，对于这个盗车贼可以判刑，还可以追究经济赔偿。当时张业忠主任牧师考虑，这个盗车的人是来自于广西特别困难的地区，如果让他包赔，他肯定是没有钱，那么他的父母和家人就要拿出钱来包赔，这对于一个困难的家庭来说，无疑是很难的事情。所以教会就做出了一个决定：不追究民事责任，也就是说不索赔，不要求经济赔偿
八、“找毛病”的年轻人受洗归主
有一位年轻的学生，他不信主，但是他经常到教堂来，就是到教堂找毛病，看教堂哪些地方不顺眼，传道人讲的如何如何，然后找到张业忠主任牧师辩论。他以各种理由不承认有上帝，反对有神。他每次来，张牧师都是耐心的接待，用信仰来和他交流、进行引导。但是他仍然还是那样。后来这个年轻人到北京去读大学了，读大学期间放假回到北海，又到教会来找毛病，反对基督教的信仰，当时看来很悖逆、挺顽固。但是他在大学即将毕业的时候，有一天突然从北京打来电话，告诉张牧师：“张牧师啊，我告诉你一个好消息，我受洗了！”张牧师当时也感到挺高兴，就问你在哪儿受洗的？他说：“我在北京，谢谢你对我的开导，我现在相信有上帝了。”
九、对外开放的教堂
北海教堂地处北海有名的100多年的老街，这个老街是北海主要的旅游景点之一，每年都有大批的外来游客到老街来，也有好多游客在教堂门前驻足参观和拍照。为了展示我们基督教的风采，也为了传福音，北海基督堂对外是开放的，游客随时随地可以到教堂来参观，或者参加教堂的聚会，而且有服侍的同工引导他们，介绍我们的信仰。
由于老街的人多，如厕就是一个问题。于是教会的卫生间也是对外开放的，游客可以随时来。但是这里也存在着一个问题，就是有的时候会造成卫生间的脏乱差，甚至是堵塞。教会就会及时疏通，有时候甚至是花钱去疏通。即使这样，教会的卫生间还是对外开放的。
十、送妻子来教会“改造”，自己却归向主的弟兄
教会曾经来了一个弟兄，他的妻子在家里刁钻蛮横，甚至骂人。他想到了一个“捷径”：把妻子送到教会来“改造”，改变她的毛病。因为他母亲是信徒，他从母亲那里知道教会是有爱的地方，上帝能改变人。但是他自己却不信上帝。他把妻子送到教会以后，自己就远远的坐在聚会现场的后面，翘着二郎腿，很不在意的样子。在听道的过程中，他开始放下二郎腿，规矩的坐着，然后由最后一排挪到中间去听道，然后又坐到了前排，聚精会神的倾听传道人的证道。当牧师呼召的时候，他竟毅然决然地走到了台前，接受呼召。他说：“我信上帝了”，跟着牧师做了决志祷告。后来他们夫妻都成为了基督徒。
十一、酒吧里响彻赞美诗
北海堂的信徒当中，有的是大学的音乐老师，还有很多懂音乐、会乐器的弟兄姊妹。他们是很活跃的信徒，运用上帝所赐的恩典，通过音乐和歌声来传福音。有一次几位年轻的信徒来到北海著名的旅游景区。当他们经过一间酒吧的时候，听到酒吧的店主在弹奏歌曲。懂乐理的一位弟兄很快就捕捉到了一个信息：这是一首非常忧郁的歌曲，说明弹奏者内心忧伤，甚至有些无助。于是他就带领青年同工来到了这间酒吧。入座之后，他对弹奏的店主说，可以让我来试试吗？我弹奏一曲。于是他就开始弹奏我们赞美诗中愉悦欢快的歌曲。当一首赞美诗曲终，店主感到非常惊异，他说：“你弹的是什么歌曲啊？我听了感动，非常喜乐，心旷神怡，太好了。”弟兄就告诉他，他们是基督徒，弹奏的是赞美诗里的乐曲。这个时候的酒吧里客人很少，主要是服务生。店主就对他们说，大家都安静下来吧，听基督教的乐曲。于是酒吧里响彻着赞美诗。
十二、多才多艺的牧师
我看到了张牧师于1983年编写的广西壮族自治区基督教会第一期义工培训班教材《怎样学唱赞美诗》的培训材料，很专业，通俗易懂，至今也是一部好教材；我也看到了他的书法，行云流水；那一天我们到防城港的一个教会去，我还亲耳听到了他在弹奏悦耳的钢琴声；牧师还和同工们一起演练吹奏萨克斯。
不仅如此，张牧师对于摄影也很是内行，摄影技术也是蛮高的。他在金陵神学院读书的时候就负责摄影。后来学院还特意为他买了一部当时很贵重的胶片单反照相机。
张牧师不仅是改革开放后金陵协和神学院的第一期毕业生，也是丁光训院长的得意门生，曾被丁院长挽留在校就职。但是为了福音和北海堂的弟兄姊妹，牧师还是回到了家乡。
广西北海堂的十二个故事
At the beginning of December 2020, I came to Beihai, a beautiful city in the Beibu Gulf in Guangxi Province, the southern frontier of China, to visit the Beihai Christian Church. I met a pastor there -- Senior Pastor Zhang Yezhong of Beihai Church. During my five days with him and my church visits, I saw and heard many stories. I’ll share twelve stories here.
I. The pastor who likes to tell stories
Mr. Zhang Yezhong was in the first group of graduates of the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary after the Cultural Revolution. One of the biggest characteristics of his preaching is “down to earth”. He does not advocate long sermons. He even praised a preacher for his 10-minute sermon. Under his leadership, the pastors and preachers of Beihai Church all preach in a similar style to his, which is very popular among believers. Every day at noon, he will tell a parable story for nearly a thousand people in two WeChat groups. The program is called “small stories, big truth”. Pastor Zhang will share the truth of the Bible and the truth of our faith through short stories in Cantonese and Mandarin. Each story takes only two to five minutes and is easy to understand. The faithful listen to these stories regularly every day, and they’re very popular. Up to now, Mr. Zhang has told more than two hundred stories in succession. I’ve heard stories of Mr. Zhang in Mandarin and felt greatly inspired.
II. Brother Meng, who smoked four packs of cigarettes a day, gave up smoking
Although I was only in Beihai Church for five days, I got to know several preachers in the church and some brothers from various fellowship groups. Among them, Brother Meng, came from Qufu (Confucius’ hometown), Shandong Province. He smoked heavily before he became a Christian, smoking four packs of cigarettes a day. In order to attract more people to the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no mandatory requirement about smoking in Beihai Church. On the contrary, it especially set up a smoking area. According to Mr. Zhang, if you don’t let some brothers smoke, they won’t even come to church again. If you let them smoke, they’ll finally give up smoking due to their belief. Meng is like that. “I smoked four packs a day for over 20 years,” he said. “I didn’t quit smoking when I started going to the church. Then I heard from a sermon that the Bible said, ‘That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;’ (1 Thessalonians 4:4) How can I still smoke?” So he gave up smoking and now he serves in the church every day.
III. Uninvited American guests at the Lunar New Year’s Eve banquet
Like some other churches around the country, Beihai Church will hold an agape meal every year on Lunar New Year’s Eve. Each of the brothers and sisters attending the feast will bring one dish to celebrate the traditional Chinese Spring Festival. At an agape meal in the 1990s, there was a knock at the door while everyone was eating. Pastor Zhang opened the door and saw two tall foreigners. He spoke to them in English. He learned that they were from the United States and had been attracted to the century-old church, which was founded by British missionaries. The priest received them warmly and invited them to eat Chinese food at the agape meal. The two Americans were scholars working as foreign teachers at a university in central China. When the agape meal was over, the priest sent them back to the hotel by taxi. He thought that was the end of the matter, but the next day, the two American guests returned to the church. Pastor Zhang saw that they were wearing small clothes that did not suit their bodies. It turned out that there was a fire in the hotel that night. The water from the fire hoses ruined their clothes and they could not wear them. The hotel only provided them with small clothes that did not fit. After the pastor got to know this, he called the church brothers and sisters to find them larger clothes. The two American guests thanked them repeatedly.
The next year, it was another night for agape meal. Like last time, someone was knocking at the door again. Thinking it might be the Americans, the pastor opened the door and saw that it was the same two Americans. They were followed by a group of foreigners. It turned out that the two guests had told their colleagues what had happened in Beihai Church, so more than ten foreign teachers from this university came to visit Beihai Church.
IV. Wanderer involved in a pyramid scheme returned home
Beihai used to be the centre of pyramid schemes. Those who engaged in pyramid selling here were mostly northerners. When they arrived, it was too late for them to find that they had been cheated. With little money left, or even penniless, some even have nothing to eat, so they went to the market to gather abandoned vegetables for food, not to mention returning home. And there are believers among them. Pastor Zhang was in contact with those who were involved in pyramid schemes, especially those who have been Christians so that the church could accommodate them, provide food and shelter for them.
The pastor said that people who believe in God should feel warm when they see the cross and the church. As the Spring Festival approached, these people asked for money to return home from their families. But their family members had been cheated by them and did not believe them. The funds donated by the believers were also limited, which was not enough for their travel expenses home. The wise pastor Zhang came up with a solution. The pastor sat next to the church phone and asked them to tell their families, saying this was the number of Beihai Christian Church, and they could transfer the money to the account of Beihai Christian Church, and the church people would buy their tickets so that they can go home. They provided the information of Beihai Church on the network. When their family saw that it was indeed the church’s phone number on the Internet, they contacted the church, and the MLM salesmen’s travel expenses to return home were received according to the account number designated by the church. Gradually, these people returned home.
Some of these believers did not return home but stayed in Beihai to work and serve in the Beihai Church. Now some people have become the backbone of groups in Beihai Church. After returning home, some of the these people came back and donated TV sets, washing machines and other supplies to the leprosy village served by the church. They thanked the church for its help and love for them.
5. Couples cohabiting in harmony
There are more than 40 couples at Beihai Church. On December 10, 2020, after seven o’clock in the evening, I saw them on the third floor of the church. They were preparing for a dress rehearsal for Christmas. These happy couples clicked their mobile phone cameras before taking the stage. At nine o’clock, they arrived on the stage in the main hall to begin the formal rehearsal. This time, they organized 18 couples and choreographed a chorus and dance.
In accordance with the Holy Word, the church organizes couples’ fellowship that will help them to have good family relationships. Here, they could study the Bible together, pray, praise, listen to the sermon, interact with each other, and help each other and enlighten each other when they have problems. The senior pastor and the preachers take an interest in the fellowship and often participate in its activities.
VI. Workers from all over the country live together in harmony
The members of the team are from all over the country. From the “List of Responsibilities for Pastoral Co-workers” of Beihai Church, we can see that the pastoral co-workers of churches and fellowships are from Beihai, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Jiangxi, Hebei, Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, and other places. Some co-workers even live and eat in the church, making it their home. There are no factions, but only God’s children and fellow workers.
VII. The tolerance of not claiming compensation from a car thief
Beihai Church had a car in the 1980s. This car was the first car of all religious groups in Beihai, serving the church, and the car also had the logo of the church. This car attracted eyes when it was seen in the streets of Beihai. But soon after the car was used by the church, it was stolen. Because the car was a very important means of transportation for the church at that time, and it was very expensive at that time, about 30,000 yuan, the car was reported stolen.
The car thief was later caught on other charges and admitted to stealing the church car. At that point, the police proposed that the church could bring criminal charges, plus civil charges, which meant that the car thief could be sentenced, and financial compensation could be pursued. At that time, Pastor Zhang Yezhong considered that the thief came from a particularly poor area in Guangxi. If he was asked to pay for the car, he would certainly not have enough money, so his parents and family members would have to pay for the car. This was no doubt a difficult thing for a family in difficulty. So the church made a decision not to pursue civil charges, meaning no claims and no financial compensation.
VIII. Young man who liked to find fault with others was baptized
There was a young student who did not believe in God, but he often came to the church. He went to the church to find out what was wrong with the church and what the preacher said. Then he went and found pastor Zhang Yezhong and argued with him. He denied and rejected the existence of God for various reasons. Each time he came, Pastor Chang would receive him patiently, communicating with him and guiding him. But he still didn’t believe in God. Then the young man went to a university in Beijing. During his university holidays, he returned to Beihai and went to the church again to find fault and oppose the Christian faith. At that time, he seemed very rebellious and stubborn. But when he was about to graduate from college, he suddenly called Pastor Zhang from Beijing one day and told him, “Pastor Zhang, I have a good news for you. I was baptized!” Pastor Zhang was also very happy and asked where he was baptized. He said: “I am in Beijing. Thank you for enlightening me. I now believe in God.”
IX. Church opened to the public
Beihai Church is located in the famous old street of North Sea which has a history of over 100 years. The old street is one of the main tourist attractions in the Beihai. Every year there are a large number of foreign tourists who come to the old street. Many tourists stop in front of the church to visit and take pictures. In order to show Christian spirit and to spread the Gospel, Beihai Christ Church is open to the public. Tourists can come to the church anytime to visit or attend church meetings, and there are fellow workers to guide them and introduce our faith.
Due to the large number of people in the old street, going to the toilet is a problem. So the church’s bathroom is open to the public, and visitors can come whenever they want. But there is also a problem here, that is, sometimes the toilet will be very dirty, or even blocked. The church will unclog the toilet and sometimes even pay for it. Even so, the church’s toilet is still open to the public.
X. One brother sent his wife to the church to “reform” her, but he himself began to believe in the Lord
There was once a brother whose wife was abusive at home. He thought of a “shortcut”: Send his wife to the church to “reform” her, and to change her bad habits. Because his mother was a believer, he learned from her that the church is a place of love and that God can change people. But he himself did not believe in God. After he dropped his wife off at the church, he sat far away in the back seat, crossing his legs and looking very unconcerned. While listening to the sermon, he began to sit up properly, then moved from the last row to the middle to listen to the sermon, and then sat in the front row, listening attentively to the preacher’s sermon. When the minister gave an altar call, he stepped up to the stage and accepted the invitation. He said, “Now I believe in God” and followed the pastor in a determined prayer. The couple later both became Christians.
XI. The bar resounded with hymns
Among the believers in Beihai Church, some are music teachers from universities, as well as many brothers and sisters who understand music and can play musical instruments. They are active believers who use God’s grace to spread the Gospel through music and songs. Once a group of young believers came to a famous scenic spot in Beihai. As they passed a bar, they heard the owner playing a song. A brother who understood the music quickly caught the message: This is a very melancholy song, indicating that the player was sad, even hopeless. So he led the young fellow workers to the bar. After sitting down, he said to the owner who was playing, “May I have a try? I’ll play a tune.” Then he began to play upbeat church hymns. When a psalm was finished, the shopkeeper was very surprised and said, “What song are you playing? I’m moved, very happy, and very relaxed. It’s so good.” The brother told him that they were Christians and that he was playing a hymn. At this time there were few people in the bar, mainly waiters. The shopkeeper said to them, “Settle down and listen to the Christian music.” And the bar was filled with hymns.
VII. The versatile pastor
I saw the training material “How to Learn to Sing Psalms” compiled by Pastor Zhang in 1983 for the first volunteer training class of the Christian Church in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is professionally done and easy to understand. It is still a good teaching material. I also saw his beautiful and skillful handwriting; That day we went to a church in Fangchenggang and I heard him playing the piano with my own ears. The pastor also practiced saxophone with his fellow workers.
Not only that, Pastor Zhang is also very adept in photography. He was in charge of photography when he was a student at Jinling Theological Seminary. Later, the college specially bought him a film SLR camera, which was very expensive at that time.
Pastor Zhang was not only in the first group of graduates of Jinling Union Theological Seminary after the reform and opening up but also the favorite pupil of Dean Ding Guangxun, who once asked him to work in the school. But for the sake of the Gospel and the brothers and sisters at Beihai Church, the pastor went back to his hometown.
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Twelve Stories from Beihai Church in Guangxi
