For more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Christians in China have not been able to gather at church most of the time. For urban churches that are good at online pastoral care, they can basically deal with the pastoral need of believers and the daily expenses of the church. What about the situation of churches in towns and villages?
The Gospel Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, recently interviewed several ministers in grassroots churches and exchanged views on pastoral care and the financial situation of the churches during the pandemic.
The challenges of pastoral care
According to two pastors from a grassroots church in the northwest region, some elderly believers in their church do not have smartphones; and others have smartphones but do not know how to use WeChat; most of those who can use WeChat do not know how to attend the live stream. Therefore, some elderly believers cannot access online pastoral care, and those who do have access are mostly limited to WeChat groups.
Some middle-aged believers are not satisfied with the pastoral care in the church's WeChat group and look for spiritual resources on the internet by themselves. When the church resumes on-site gatherings, some of them have become accustomed to the resources on the Internet and are unwilling to participate in the on-site worship at their own church.
A church in a town in Northeast China has been shut down due to a recent outbreak, which had a great impact on the church's pastoral ministry. After China’s Administrative Measures for Internet Religious Information Services came into effect on March 1, 2022, this church followed its superior's order and suspended pastoral care online. A church staff member said helplessly that when the situation of the pandemic becomes stable, the church can only gather believers in small groups, but "the sheep are dispersed already."
Financial impact
A rural church in Shaanxi Province has more than 100 members. This church's annual expenses are very small, so financially it has not been greatly affected by the pandemic. This church does not need to pay salaries to ministers, and all workers who serve here are volunteers. The expense of this church mainly is to provide meals for believers during the retreat which they hold several times every year. The cost of meals is not high because some believers will offer cooking supplies such as flour, oil, etc.
A grassroots church with about 500 believers in Gansu Province is facing greater financial challenges. A minister of this church said that the church has no savings and needs to pay the salaries of five to six workers. Furthermore, this church also needs to pay for utilities and winter heating costs. During the pandemic, the church’s income is mainly from online donations, which has decreased compared with before. This church keeps paying salaries to the staff. He said that he did not know how long the church could still afford these costs.
A grassroots church in Northeast China was also greatly affected by few donations. At the beginning of the pandemic, four pastors of the church suggested that it was okay for them to receive only one-third of their salary. When the church's financial situation became worse, they simply refused to be paid.
At present, some churches have resumed onsite gatherings, and congregations can gather in the church to worship God; some churches are still under the "dual suspension" measures of opening and all collective religious activities and are looking forward to the reopening day. No matter what situation the church is in, God is still in control. May the pastors and believers still see the hope ahead in the difficult times!
- Translated by Katherine Guo
“新冠”疫情后的两年多以来，国内各地教会均处于聚少散多的状态。对于一些善于做网络牧养的城市教会来说，对信徒的牧养以及教会的日常支出基本可以应对。而在此状况中，乡镇教会是何种光景呢？
福音时报同工近日联系了几间基层教会的传道人，就疫情期间的牧养以及教会的经济状况进行了交流，得到的信息蛮让人忧心。
疫情期间牧养的挑战
据两位西北地区的基层教会传道人介绍：教会中的老年信徒有的没有智能手机；有智能手机的有的不会使用微信；能使用微信的人中，大多不会进直播间。鉴于此，一些老年信徒得不到网络牧养，能得到网络牧养的大多局限于微信群中。
另外一种情况是，一些中年的信徒不满足于教会微信群里的牧养，在网络上自己寻找属灵资源。待到教会恢复实地聚会时，他们中有人已经习惯了网络上的各种资源，不愿意参加自己教会的实地崇拜。
东北一间乡镇教会，疫情期间教堂进入“双暂停”的状态，给教会的牧养带来很大冲击；在2022年3月1日《互联网宗教信息服务管理办法》实施后，该教会又响应上级的命令，停止了网络上的牧养。该教会的一位同工无奈地说道，疫情稳定一些后，教会只能以小组的形式聚会，但“羊都散了”。
经济上的影响
陕西有一间100多人的农村教会，教会一年的开支很少，因此在经济上受到疫情的影响不大。教会没有领工资的传道人，同工们都是义工服事；教会用钱的地方主要是一年几次的培灵会，期间会为会众提供餐食，这个费用也不高，因为一些信徒会奉献面、油等食物。
甘肃一间拥有500位左右信徒的基层教会在经济上受到的挑战较大。据该教会一位传道人介绍，教会没有存款，有五六位拿工资的同工，冬天需要交取暖费，另外还有日常的水电费等。疫情后，教会的奉献款主要来自于网络奉献，跟之前相比有所减少。教会服事同工的工资一直没有停，这位传道人说不知教会还能撑多久。
东北一间基层教会在奉献收入上也受到较大影响。起初，教会的四位传道人主动提出只领三分之一的工资，等到教会经济情况更紧张时，他们直接就不领工资了。
目前，国内一些地方的教会再次恢复了线下聚会，弟兄姐妹们可以聚集到教堂来敬拜神；还有一些教会仍处在“双暂停”的状态，正盼望着恢复聚会的日子。无论教会处在何种境况当中，相信都有神的掌管和带领，愿牧者和信徒们仍能在困境中看到前方的盼望！
疫情对几间基层教会的冲击
For more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Christians in China have not been able to gather at church most of the time. For urban churches that are good at online pastoral care, they can basically deal with the pastoral need of believers and the daily expenses of the church. What about the situation of churches in towns and villages?
The Gospel Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, recently interviewed several ministers in grassroots churches and exchanged views on pastoral care and the financial situation of the churches during the pandemic.
The challenges of pastoral care
According to two pastors from a grassroots church in the northwest region, some elderly believers in their church do not have smartphones; and others have smartphones but do not know how to use WeChat; most of those who can use WeChat do not know how to attend the live stream. Therefore, some elderly believers cannot access online pastoral care, and those who do have access are mostly limited to WeChat groups.
Some middle-aged believers are not satisfied with the pastoral care in the church's WeChat group and look for spiritual resources on the internet by themselves. When the church resumes on-site gatherings, some of them have become accustomed to the resources on the Internet and are unwilling to participate in the on-site worship at their own church.
A church in a town in Northeast China has been shut down due to a recent outbreak, which had a great impact on the church's pastoral ministry. After China’s Administrative Measures for Internet Religious Information Services came into effect on March 1, 2022, this church followed its superior's order and suspended pastoral care online. A church staff member said helplessly that when the situation of the pandemic becomes stable, the church can only gather believers in small groups, but "the sheep are dispersed already."
Financial impact
A rural church in Shaanxi Province has more than 100 members. This church's annual expenses are very small, so financially it has not been greatly affected by the pandemic. This church does not need to pay salaries to ministers, and all workers who serve here are volunteers. The expense of this church mainly is to provide meals for believers during the retreat which they hold several times every year. The cost of meals is not high because some believers will offer cooking supplies such as flour, oil, etc.
A grassroots church with about 500 believers in Gansu Province is facing greater financial challenges. A minister of this church said that the church has no savings and needs to pay the salaries of five to six workers. Furthermore, this church also needs to pay for utilities and winter heating costs. During the pandemic, the church’s income is mainly from online donations, which has decreased compared with before. This church keeps paying salaries to the staff. He said that he did not know how long the church could still afford these costs.
A grassroots church in Northeast China was also greatly affected by few donations. At the beginning of the pandemic, four pastors of the church suggested that it was okay for them to receive only one-third of their salary. When the church's financial situation became worse, they simply refused to be paid.
At present, some churches have resumed onsite gatherings, and congregations can gather in the church to worship God; some churches are still under the "dual suspension" measures of opening and all collective religious activities and are looking forward to the reopening day. No matter what situation the church is in, God is still in control. May the pastors and believers still see the hope ahead in the difficult times!
- Translated by Katherine Guo
The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Several Grassroots Churches
