On November 1, Pastor Fred Hsu, founder of the Harvest International Center in North America, died of COVID-19, according to the news released by his relatives and friends.
Pastor Hsu was one of the senior pastors of the Chinese Charismatic Movement. For decades, he encouraged churches to be open to the Holy Spirit and correctly distinguish Charismaticalism. At the same time, he promoted "Homecoming" Gatherings in Chinese churches in the United States and other countries in the last ten years. His humble and gracious service earned him the respect of the church, who used to call him and his wife "Papa Hsu" and "Mama Hsu".
Knowing the news of his death, many pastors in mainland China expressed their mourning. Pastor C in East China shared the news of Hsu's death on his WeChat Moments, “Dear Papa Hsu, our hearts miss you and wish you rest in peace in heaven! Your modesty, simple love for the Lord, wisdom and kindness will always be imprinted in our hearts”.
He said, “Papa Hsu's death is a great loss to our Chinese church. We are all very sad, but we believe God's will is good. God will use his death to do something new in the Chinese church”.
It is said that Pastor Hsu was still preaching in Sudan a month ago and was diagnosed with COVID-19 entering the ICU ward of the hospital about a week ago. Even when he was hospitalized, he was still grateful.
On October 24, Pastor Hsu, who had been hospitalized for three days, wrote a letter entitled “Reform the Church Structure and Make It Our Home”, sharing his thoughts on the organizational structure of the church and the specific operation of "regarding the church as the home”, which embodied his 40 years of reflection on the pastoral care of the church. He said that when he first became a pastor, he began to look forward to “the church as the home”.
He added, “So far this year, I have been pastoring the church for 40 years. The concept of 'the church as the home' is getting stronger and stronger, and the practice is getting more and more effective!”
He felt that too often we made the church institutional and administrative, but we forgot the concept that the church was a home.
"What is clear is that the church is a home, not the company, and the pastor is the parent, not the CEO. If someone comes with a mindset to be the head, they will not be able to survive, because here is not the culture of the world, but of the kingdom of heaven and home.”
Harvest International Center (HIC) was founded in April 1998 under the leadership of Pastor Fred Hsu and his wife Molica. They came to the United States from Taiwan to study in 1969 and were baptized as Christians a year later. Pastor Hsu who gave up his teaching position as a biochemistry professor and his wife who left the social work profession, responded to the call from the Lord, devoting themselves to missionary work for more than 40 years. Their footprints spanned North America and Asia.
- Translated by Stephen Huang
根据许宗实牧师亲友发布的消息，美国时间11月1日，北美的传福中心创办人许宗实牧师因感染新冠辞世归主。
许牧师是华人灵恩运动的资深牧者之一，数十年来鼓励教会对圣灵开放、并正确分辨灵恩，同时近十多年来在美国和各地华人教会中参与与推动“回家”聚集。其谦卑、亲切的服事赢得教会弟兄姐妹的尊敬，教会的弟兄姐妹惯称他和许师母为“许爸”、“许妈”。
得悉他去世的消息，中国内地多位牧者表示悼念。一位华东的C牧师在他的朋友圈分享了周牧师辞世的消息：“亲爱的许爸，我们的心思念您愿您在天家安息！您的谦和、单纯爱主的心、睿智及慈爱，永印我们心里。”
他悼念说："许爸的离世，是我们华人教会重大的损失，大家心中很悲痛，但相信 神的旨意是美好的，一定籍着他的离世，在华人教会中作新的事。"
据悉，一个月前许牧师还在苏丹宣教，并于约一星期以前确诊新冠进入医院ICU病房，刚住院时，仍然心存感恩。
10月24日，住院三天的许牧师趁着精神好些还写了封题目为“教会整修，改变为家”的家书，分享了自己对教会组织架构的心得、“教会是家”的具体运作等，其中凝聚了他牧会40年的沉淀和思考。他讲到自己最开始做牧师时，就开始期盼“教会是个家”，“到今年牧会已满40年，这概念越来越强，实际作法也越来越跃出平面！”他感受到很多时候我们把教会变得机构化、行政化，但是忘记了“教会是家”的观念，“清楚的是教会是家，不再是公司行号，牧师是父母，不再是CEO。若有人来，心态是要来作头的，那么来此必不能survive，因这里不是世界的文化，是天国，家的文化。”
1998年4月，许宗实牧师和妻子美津师母带领并创办传福中心（Harvest International Center， HIC）。他们在1969年由台湾来美留学，一年后（1970）受洗成为基督徒。许牧师师母，一个放弃人人称羡的生化教授教职，另一个离开社工职场，回应从主来的呼召，投入宣教事工至今逾40年，足迹横跨北美和亚洲。
华人灵恩运动资深牧者许宗实牧师因感染新冠离世 40年宣教足迹横跨美亚大陆
On November 1, Pastor Fred Hsu, founder of the Harvest International Center in North America, died of COVID-19, according to the news released by his relatives and friends.
Pastor Hsu was one of the senior pastors of the Chinese Charismatic Movement. For decades, he encouraged churches to be open to the Holy Spirit and correctly distinguish Charismaticalism. At the same time, he promoted "Homecoming" Gatherings in Chinese churches in the United States and other countries in the last ten years. His humble and gracious service earned him the respect of the church, who used to call him and his wife "Papa Hsu" and "Mama Hsu".
Knowing the news of his death, many pastors in mainland China expressed their mourning. Pastor C in East China shared the news of Hsu's death on his WeChat Moments, “Dear Papa Hsu, our hearts miss you and wish you rest in peace in heaven! Your modesty, simple love for the Lord, wisdom and kindness will always be imprinted in our hearts”.
He said, “Papa Hsu's death is a great loss to our Chinese church. We are all very sad, but we believe God's will is good. God will use his death to do something new in the Chinese church”.
It is said that Pastor Hsu was still preaching in Sudan a month ago and was diagnosed with COVID-19 entering the ICU ward of the hospital about a week ago. Even when he was hospitalized, he was still grateful.
On October 24, Pastor Hsu, who had been hospitalized for three days, wrote a letter entitled “Reform the Church Structure and Make It Our Home”, sharing his thoughts on the organizational structure of the church and the specific operation of "regarding the church as the home”, which embodied his 40 years of reflection on the pastoral care of the church. He said that when he first became a pastor, he began to look forward to “the church as the home”.
He added, “So far this year, I have been pastoring the church for 40 years. The concept of 'the church as the home' is getting stronger and stronger, and the practice is getting more and more effective!”
He felt that too often we made the church institutional and administrative, but we forgot the concept that the church was a home.
"What is clear is that the church is a home, not the company, and the pastor is the parent, not the CEO. If someone comes with a mindset to be the head, they will not be able to survive, because here is not the culture of the world, but of the kingdom of heaven and home.”
Harvest International Center (HIC) was founded in April 1998 under the leadership of Pastor Fred Hsu and his wife Molica. They came to the United States from Taiwan to study in 1969 and were baptized as Christians a year later. Pastor Hsu who gave up his teaching position as a biochemistry professor and his wife who left the social work profession, responded to the call from the Lord, devoting themselves to missionary work for more than 40 years. Their footprints spanned North America and Asia.
- Translated by Stephen Huang
Fred Hsu, Senior Leader of Chinese Charismatic Movement, Dies of COVID-19
