The Brief History of the Xingsheng Christian Church in Anshan is a total of 16 pages, some printed, some handwritten as well as notes or corrections with a pen. This covers years of painstaking effort for the construction of the church, heartily written by an old pastor of the church. The file is also considered as precious local church literature and historic materials that she is handing down to future generations.
This elderly pastor is Gao Wenqin, 81-year-old, of Xingsheng Church in Anshan City, Liaoning Province.
Xu, an elder of Xingsheng Church, said that Gao has done much for their Church, especially in the construction of the church.
On March 17, 2021, I came to Xingsheng Church and was received by Gao.
Gao used to be called Elder Gao in the church of Anshan City. Recalling the past, especially the construction of the church, she could still speak with great familiarity.
The present Xingsheng Church, formerly known as Anshan Qiming Church which was founded in 1929, has a history of 91 years. According to the Anshan Religious Annals published in 1987, the church was built on the initiative of predecessors such as Hou Yanqin. Its old church site, near Anshan Iron and Steel Group Corporation, Tiexi District, Anshan City, was a typical Chinese courtyard building with black brick and tile-roofed houses. After being sold for the purpose of expansion of the new church, it was then rented as a warehouse. During the Cultural Revolution, the old church was occupied by more than 10 families.
After the reform and opening-up policy, churches reopened in 1990. Gao, as the head of the church, began a long campaign to protect church property rights. She wrote letters to the mayor and district chief, explaining the situation and fighting for property rights. Eventually, the church regained the property right of the old church.
She said, "I am a person without too much culture or special ability. It's not in my power to get the church property back. I am nothing. It is God's power and God's grace.”
In the early days of church reopening, the Qiming Church was a religious place for the Han and Korean believers to worship and gather. Believers were enthusiastic. They did not only fill the church, but also the courtyard, and they even sat on the street. If there were vehicles passing by, they would stand up to make way for it. The three gatherings of Sunday Service were packed to full capacity. They persisted like that for 11 years. Gao, as head of the church at that time, together with fellow workers, prayed to God every day, asking God to open a new way to build a new church.
She added that they purchased an abandoned factory for 1.3 million yuan in 2000. After the purchase of land, they needed to change the land users, which was a tough task. They needed about 70 to 80 seals of approval from relevant organs and departments, but the church did not own a car and they were reluctant to take taxis. She said, “God was helping us to finish the procedures.” After that, they were required to pay the land change fees to the tune of six to seven million Yuan. The believers of the church hastened the pace of prayers, such as evening prayer, fasting, and 24 hours of watchful prayer.
On July 7, 2012, the foundation of the new church was officially laid. The construction cost was estimated at 15 million yuan, and the pastoral staff called on their believers who could afford to lend the church 1,000 yuan each. The funds were soon raised and it took less than two years for the church to repay the money. Some believers in other places also took the initiative to donate actively. When the construction started, the church raised more than 8 million Yuan. The giving spirit of the believers was very warm, some members from Beijing and Shanghai donated to the church, one of the sisters even personally donated 500,000 yuan, and without leaving a name. Therefore, the construction of the church never stopped because of a lack of funds.
Before the church was built, the land had a dilapidated, abandoned factory full of garbage and sundries, which needed to be cleared and leveled. The believers in the old community picked up boards, bricks, and some old materials that could be used again for building the church, which saved a lot of money. Since there was no more mechanized equipment for the construction, some 80-year-old brothers were wielding their picks and trotting along pulling carts. Even some believers who were not in good health still did what they could to build the new church, just like building their own homes. The main body of the church was completed on November 15, 2012.
Gao witnessed, "During the building period, we temporarily held gatherings under several large poplar trees. Amazingly, from that year on, there was not a single caterpillar left on the poplar tree that had been crawling with caterpillars for years. I thought God knew that our sisters were afraid of insects, so He used His loving hands to surround His own people. In the love of Christ, there is no fear."
They also have another testimony that there was a typhoon, accompanied by heavy rain and flood in the year of the building. The rain was so heavy that it could cover one's feet in Tiedong and other places in the urban area, but the construction site of Xingsheng Church continued normally, because God replaced the clouds with rays of sunshine, and the heavy rain did not reach the construction site. It rains continuously in July and August every year in southern Liaoning, but the construction site of the new church did not stop because of the rainy season.
When it came to the use of funds, Gao was famous for being "stingy" as she tried her best to use the limited funds properly. In order to protect the safety of building materials, some of the fellow workers watched the construction site day and night, and some even lived and ate on the site.
The new church was quickly built and opened in 2013. Elder Xu Ling took over the "baton" from Gao and went back and forth to the relevant departments in the city to go through all the formalities for building the church. In 2016, the new Xingsheng Church was dedicated.
Recalling the hardships of building the church, she introduced the church's new team of pastoral workers, full of spiritual wisdom and ability. There is the fellowship for the deaf and the mute, 24-hour prayer fellowship, gospel publicity fellowship, elderly fellowship, youth fellowship and so on. There are also groups of healthcare, ministry service, visitation, computer and books, logistics, electro-acoustic band, and folk music band.
At present, Gao lives in the church all year round and attends as many church activities as she can. She also helps with the reception of the church when it is closed.
(The author is a staff writer for the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Sophia Chen
展现在我们面前的《鞍山兴盛基督教会简史》等文字资料共计16页，有打印的，也有手写的；还有用笔备注或修改的文字。这是一位教会老传道人用自己的心书写的当年为修建教堂大家付出的心血，也是她流传给后人的宝贵地方教会文史资料。这位老牧者就是今年81岁的辽宁省鞍山市兴盛教会的高文琴姊妹。
兴盛教会徐玲长老介绍，高姊妹对于兴盛教会付出了很多，尤其是在建堂方面。
2021年的3月17日，笔者来到兴盛教会，受到高文琴姊妹的接待。
高姊妹，在鞍山市的教会大家都习惯称她为高长老。回忆起往事，特别是建堂的情形，虽然是八十多岁了，但是高姊妹还是如数家珍。
现在的兴盛教会，前身是成立于1929年的鞍山启明教会，距今已有91年的历史。据1987年出版的《鞍山宗教志》记载，教会是由候岩钦等前辈倡议下组建的。其教堂旧址在鞍山市铁西区的鞍钢附近。旧址是一个典型的中国四合院建筑，青砖瓦房。为了扩建新堂，被出售后，现在已经被出租做仓库了。文化大革命期间这个老教堂被10多户个人占为民宅。
1990年，改革开放复堂之后，作为教会的负责人高姊妹就开始了漫长的教堂产权维权。为此，给市长写信、给区长写信，说明情况，争取产权，最后老教堂的产权终于归回教会。
高姊妹说：“我是一个没更多文化的人，没有什么本事。教堂产权要回来，这不是我个人的力量，我自己什么也不是，都是神的大能、神的恩典；是政府落实了宗教政策。”
复堂初期的启明教会，信徒热情高涨，是由汉族、朝鲜族弟兄姊妹在这个小院敬拜聚会的宗教场所。在这个仅能容纳二、三百人的老教堂聚会，由于信徒多，不仅教堂坐满了人，四合院里也坐满了，甚至坐到了临街的马路上，如果有车辆通过，还要“起立”为之让路。主日的三场聚会场场“爆满”。在这种环境中，他们坚持了11年。作为当时教会负责人的高姊妹和同工们，每天向神祷告祈求，求神开通新的管道，建设新的教堂。
高姊妹介绍，2000年，他们以130万元的价格购买了一个废弃的工厂。土地是有了，还要变更土地使用人。这可是一个艰苦的事情：在当时，要跑遍大大小小的有关机关、部门，大约需要盖七、八十个章子！教会没有汽车、舍不得打车。高姊妹说：神在帮助我们做工，手续跑完了，需要缴纳土地变更的费用。按理是六、七百万元。于是教会的众弟兄姊妹加紧了祷告的脚步，晨更、晚祷、禁食，还有24小时的守望祷告。
2012年7月7日，兴盛教会新堂正式开始奠基动工了。建设资金预计要1500万元，教牧同工号召有能力的信徒每人借给教会1000元人民币，很快的资金就筹集差不多了。而且这笔钱事后教会用不到两年的时间就还上了。一些外地的弟兄姊妹也主动的积极奉献。开工建设的时候，教会已经筹集了资金800多万。弟兄姊妹奉献的精神非常热烈，有的肢体从北京、上海给教会打款，甚至有一位姊妹个人一次性就捐献了五十万元，而且不留姓名。因此建堂从来没有因为资金短缺而停工。
教堂建设的时期，面对的是一个破烂不堪、堆满垃圾和杂物的废弃工厂，需要清理、平整土地。弟兄姊妹出动，在旧小区里捡拾道板、道砖和一些建堂可以再次使用的旧物资为建堂所用，节约了不少资金。由于没有更多的机械化设备施工，有的八十岁的弟兄都挥镐大干、拉车的一路小跑，即使有的信徒身体不是太好，也要干些力所能及的活，把建新堂当做建自己的家一样。2012年11月15日教堂主体就竣工了。
高姊妹见证说：“建堂期间，我们临时的在几棵大杨树底下坚持聚会。奇妙的是，从这一年开始，历年来爬满毛毛虫的大杨树上竟然一条毛毛虫都没有了，我想是上帝知道我们姊妹们害怕虫子，就用他那慈爱的双手，来环绕他自己的百姓。在基督的爱里就没有惧怕了。”
他们还有一个见证：建堂的当年有台风、伴有暴雨洪涝。市区内铁东等地，因为雨水过大漫过脚面，但是在兴盛堂的建堂工地，依然正常进行，因为神用缕缕阳光取代了朵朵乌云，大的雨水没有降临这里。每年辽南的七八月份都是雨水连绵的季节，但是新堂的建设工地，却没有因为雨季而停工。
说到资金的使用，高姊妹可是有名的“抠门”，尽全力把有限的资金用的恰到好处。有的同工为了保护建筑材料的安全，昼夜看护施工现场，有的吃住在工地。
新堂建设速度很快，2013年就交付使用了。徐玲长老接过高姊妹的“接力棒”，在市里有关部门往返跑各种建堂的手续，在2016年，兴盛教会的新堂献堂了。
回忆起建堂的艰辛，高姊妹介绍：教会现在有一支充满属灵智慧和能力的教牧同工队伍、有聋哑人团契、24小时祷告团契、福音宣传团契、中老年团契、青年团契等牧养；有卫生组、圣诗班、服务组、探访组、追思班、电脑书刊组、后勤组、电声乐队、民乐队等等。
现在，高姊妹常年居住在教堂颐养天年，她也尽量多参加一些教会的活动，教会在关门期间，她也帮助做些接待什么的。她一再感谢主，也感谢教会在晚年对她在生活各方面的照顾和帮助。
（本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人。）
耄耋之年忆建堂——访鞍山兴盛教会81岁老牧者高文芹姊妹
The Brief History of the Xingsheng Christian Church in Anshan is a total of 16 pages, some printed, some handwritten as well as notes or corrections with a pen. This covers years of painstaking effort for the construction of the church, heartily written by an old pastor of the church. The file is also considered as precious local church literature and historic materials that she is handing down to future generations.
This elderly pastor is Gao Wenqin, 81-year-old, of Xingsheng Church in Anshan City, Liaoning Province.
Xu, an elder of Xingsheng Church, said that Gao has done much for their Church, especially in the construction of the church.
On March 17, 2021, I came to Xingsheng Church and was received by Gao.
Gao used to be called Elder Gao in the church of Anshan City. Recalling the past, especially the construction of the church, she could still speak with great familiarity.
The present Xingsheng Church, formerly known as Anshan Qiming Church which was founded in 1929, has a history of 91 years. According to the Anshan Religious Annals published in 1987, the church was built on the initiative of predecessors such as Hou Yanqin. Its old church site, near Anshan Iron and Steel Group Corporation, Tiexi District, Anshan City, was a typical Chinese courtyard building with black brick and tile-roofed houses. After being sold for the purpose of expansion of the new church, it was then rented as a warehouse. During the Cultural Revolution, the old church was occupied by more than 10 families.
After the reform and opening-up policy, churches reopened in 1990. Gao, as the head of the church, began a long campaign to protect church property rights. She wrote letters to the mayor and district chief, explaining the situation and fighting for property rights. Eventually, the church regained the property right of the old church.
She said, "I am a person without too much culture or special ability. It's not in my power to get the church property back. I am nothing. It is God's power and God's grace.”
In the early days of church reopening, the Qiming Church was a religious place for the Han and Korean believers to worship and gather. Believers were enthusiastic. They did not only fill the church, but also the courtyard, and they even sat on the street. If there were vehicles passing by, they would stand up to make way for it. The three gatherings of Sunday Service were packed to full capacity. They persisted like that for 11 years. Gao, as head of the church at that time, together with fellow workers, prayed to God every day, asking God to open a new way to build a new church.
She added that they purchased an abandoned factory for 1.3 million yuan in 2000. After the purchase of land, they needed to change the land users, which was a tough task. They needed about 70 to 80 seals of approval from relevant organs and departments, but the church did not own a car and they were reluctant to take taxis. She said, “God was helping us to finish the procedures.” After that, they were required to pay the land change fees to the tune of six to seven million Yuan. The believers of the church hastened the pace of prayers, such as evening prayer, fasting, and 24 hours of watchful prayer.
On July 7, 2012, the foundation of the new church was officially laid. The construction cost was estimated at 15 million yuan, and the pastoral staff called on their believers who could afford to lend the church 1,000 yuan each. The funds were soon raised and it took less than two years for the church to repay the money. Some believers in other places also took the initiative to donate actively. When the construction started, the church raised more than 8 million Yuan. The giving spirit of the believers was very warm, some members from Beijing and Shanghai donated to the church, one of the sisters even personally donated 500,000 yuan, and without leaving a name. Therefore, the construction of the church never stopped because of a lack of funds.
Before the church was built, the land had a dilapidated, abandoned factory full of garbage and sundries, which needed to be cleared and leveled. The believers in the old community picked up boards, bricks, and some old materials that could be used again for building the church, which saved a lot of money. Since there was no more mechanized equipment for the construction, some 80-year-old brothers were wielding their picks and trotting along pulling carts. Even some believers who were not in good health still did what they could to build the new church, just like building their own homes. The main body of the church was completed on November 15, 2012.
Gao witnessed, "During the building period, we temporarily held gatherings under several large poplar trees. Amazingly, from that year on, there was not a single caterpillar left on the poplar tree that had been crawling with caterpillars for years. I thought God knew that our sisters were afraid of insects, so He used His loving hands to surround His own people. In the love of Christ, there is no fear."
They also have another testimony that there was a typhoon, accompanied by heavy rain and flood in the year of the building. The rain was so heavy that it could cover one's feet in Tiedong and other places in the urban area, but the construction site of Xingsheng Church continued normally, because God replaced the clouds with rays of sunshine, and the heavy rain did not reach the construction site. It rains continuously in July and August every year in southern Liaoning, but the construction site of the new church did not stop because of the rainy season.
When it came to the use of funds, Gao was famous for being "stingy" as she tried her best to use the limited funds properly. In order to protect the safety of building materials, some of the fellow workers watched the construction site day and night, and some even lived and ate on the site.
The new church was quickly built and opened in 2013. Elder Xu Ling took over the "baton" from Gao and went back and forth to the relevant departments in the city to go through all the formalities for building the church. In 2016, the new Xingsheng Church was dedicated.
Recalling the hardships of building the church, she introduced the church's new team of pastoral workers, full of spiritual wisdom and ability. There is the fellowship for the deaf and the mute, 24-hour prayer fellowship, gospel publicity fellowship, elderly fellowship, youth fellowship and so on. There are also groups of healthcare, ministry service, visitation, computer and books, logistics, electro-acoustic band, and folk music band.
At present, Gao lives in the church all year round and attends as many church activities as she can. She also helps with the reception of the church when it is closed.
(The author is a staff writer for the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Sophia Chen
Visit to 81-Y-O Elder Who Devotes Herself to Church Construction
