Sitting around a tea table, three pastors were chatting in front of their well-brewed tea and the camera. That was no TV program but an online interview on faith culture held by Yaodu District Church in Linfen City, Shanxi Province, on the eve of Qingming Day.
On March 31, Yaodu District Church held an online interview on the theme of “Christians and Tomb-Sweeping (Qingming) Day”. It was reported that this Qingming live broadcast was a rather innovative attempt by the church to sinicize Christianity since last year. Since last Mid-Autumn Day, several online live broadcasts have been held about festival cultures and the Christian faith.
A few days ago, Gospel Times, an online Christian newspaper, interviewed Pastor Huang Hailin, director of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China of Linfen City and pastor of Yaodu District Church.
Speaking of why Linfen churches chose to broadcast live on Tomb-Sweeping Day in such a novel form of a tea party, Pastor Huang said that it was closely related to the actual needs of believers and the online pastoral exploration of pastors. “During the lockdown by the pandemic, online ministering in Linfen churches was mainly based on Thursday gatherings and Sunday services. However, as it went on for a while, everyone, whether pastors or believers, felt that the form of always sitting alone in front of the camera to deliver sermons was somewhat boring. Moreover, the ministering effect might be compromised. So several pastors in the churches started to try some new forms of online ministry.” Pastor Huang said, “Besides, every year when it was the Tomb-Sweeping Day, many believers would come to consult pastors, asking ‘Can Christians moan for their loved ones in cemeteries?’ ‘Can I bow down to the grave after I become a Christian?’ Such questions too, I think, should be widely resolved. So I decided on this topic.”
As for which form of live broadcast to choose, the staff gave suggestions and ideas. Finally, Pastor Huang got inspiration from a TV talk show and decided to share and communicate in the form of discussion and dialogue in a relaxed atmosphere. The number of people who watched the live broadcast on that day was close to 10,000.
Since last Mid-Autumn Day, dialogues have been the mainstay, and the three-person tea party talk was the first attempt. The first live broadcast of the Mid-Autumn Day last year received a positive response among believers. After the festival, the church renovated the utility room on the fourth floor by changing it into a dedicated live broadcast room. Live broadcast equipment was added such as microphones and stereos. The subsequent live broadcast of National Day and Double Ninth (Senior Citizen) Day also received positive feedback from churches in pastoral areas and surrounding counties and cities.
Pastor Huang also has many plans for the next online live broadcast. He said that the church planned to further expand the interview topics on the basis of Chinese traditional culture, such as inviting more full-time and volunteer preachers and elders and deacons in the church to participate in the interview. The content will focus on the service course and life growth testimonies of all preachers and pastors.
“In this way, believers can see the people side of pastors who are always rigorous in their images. Through cordial communication, the relationship between pastors and believers can be brought closer. On the other hand, the testimony of your pastors’ devotion to service and life growth will also be a good incentive for believers,” Pastor Huang added.
“In 2020, Linfen churches took the opportunity of church renovation to carry out artistic decoration in the corridor of the church.” Pastor Huang told the Gospel Times, “[These decorations] have received positive responses from all walks of life. Many faith seekers actually have some pursuits in their hearts when they come to church. Seeing these paintings in the church is also an intuitive display and edification of belief culture.”
At every major festival, Linfen churches invite local artists and painters to paint on the spot around the theme of the sinicization of Christianity and invite citizens to visit. Most of the paintings, banners, and other works created on the spot are preserved as decorations in the hall.
In addition, Linfen churches have collected many paper-cut works about Christianity in China with folk characteristics in southern Shanxi. “On the 70th and centenary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the churches collected paper-cut works around the theme of that year. (These works) were not only decorated by the churches but also mailed to the National People’s Congress and churches nationwide.” Pastor Huang said.
In addition, in 2020, on the seventieth anniversary of the launch of the Chinese Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Linfen churches also prepared to set up a “Boya Tea Room” to seek the resemblance between tea culture and Christian theology through tea tasting and spiritual cultivation.
In addition to the external achievements of sinicization, Linfen churches also attach great importance to the sinicization of theological thoughts. Linfen churches have held theological thought seminars at the municipal and district levels for seven or eight consecutive years. The theme of each seminar was formulated around the planning of the National People’s Congress and different themes of the year. After each seminar, it will be sorted out and summarized in the form of an anthology. After the meeting, the church will also organize preaching groups and go down to various counties to carry out theological seminars and preaching activities.
Pastor Huang has many visions and opinions about the next direction of the church’s sinicization, “Recently, I have been inspired by some local churches in Northeast China, and feel that I can make some attempts in tablet inscription and show some historical and cultural elements on the wall as much as possible. I think the church needs to have some external manifestations besides listening to the sermon. As long as it can bring sensory belief resonance to believers and followers, I think it is worth trying.”
- Translated by Charlie Li
一张圆桌，三杯热茶，三个牧者围坐在镜头前，谈天说地、欢声笑语，这可不是什么电视节目，而是山西省临汾市尧都区教会在清明前夕举办的线上信仰文化访谈活动。
3月31日，尧都区基督教会举行了“基督徒与清明节”主题线上访谈活动。据了解，此次清明直播活动是尧都区基督教会去年以来在基督教中国化方面的一个颇具新意的尝试，自去年中秋节至今，教会已经举行了数次节庆文化融合基督信仰的线上直播。
日前，福音时报同工对临汾市基督教三自爱国会主任兼尧都区城区基督教堂黄海林牧师进行了采访，了解到了临汾教会近年来在基督教中国化上所做的不懈努力与尝试。
说起临汾教会为何选择在清明节，以如此新颖的茶话会形式进行直播，黄牧师表示，这还是跟信徒的实际需求以及牧者同工们的线上牧养探索离不开关系。
“疫情暂停期间，临汾教会线上牧养主要是以周四的周间聚会和主日聚会为主，但是时间一长，不管是牧者还是信徒，大家都觉得总是一个人坐在镜头前证道的形式有些枯燥，牧养的效果可能会打折扣，所以堂里的几位牧者就萌生了做一些新形式的线上牧养尝试。”黄牧师说，“另外，每年一到清明节都会有不少信徒来教堂咨询牧师‘基督徒是否可以上坟呢？’‘信了主以后可以跪拜吗？’诸如此类的问题，我也觉得应该向大家详细普及一下，所以就定下了这个选题。”
至于选择何种形式直播，大家也纷纷出谋划策，讨论了不少点子。最后，黄牧师从电视上的访谈节目中得到灵感，决定以氛围轻松的座谈对话形式进行分享交流。当天观看直播的人数一度接近万人。
从去年中秋起，一直以两人对话为主，三人茶话会还尚属首次。
去年中秋节的首次直播在信徒中获得热烈反响，节后，教会将位于四楼的杂物间进行了重新整修，改为了专用直播间，还添置了话筒、音响等直播设备。随后的国庆节、重阳节的直播，也得到了各牧区以及周边县市教会的积极反馈。
对于接下来在线上直播方面的新设想，黄牧师也有不少打算，他表示，教会计划在中国传统文化基础上，进一步拓展访谈主题内容，比如邀请堂里更多专职及义工传道人以及长老执事们参与访谈，内容则围绕各位传道人及牧长的服侍历程、生命成长见证等方面展开。
“这样一来，可以让信徒们看到总是严谨形象示人的牧长们背后有血有肉的另一面，通过亲切的交流，拉近牧者与信徒之间的关系；另一方面，诸位牧长们投身服侍、生命成长的见证对于信徒们而言也将会是很好的激励。”黄牧师补充道。
“2020年，临汾教会借着教堂翻修的契机，在堂里的走廊楼道进行了艺术装饰。”黄牧师向福音时报介绍，“（这些装饰）获得了社会各界的积极反响，不少慕道友实际上来教堂内心还是有一些追求的，他们在教堂里看到这些绘画，也是一种信仰文化直观展现和熏陶吧。”
每逢重大节日，临汾教会都会特邀当地书画家围绕基督教中国化主题进行现场作画，并邀请市民参观。而这些现场创作的书画、条幅等作品大部分都做为堂内的装饰进行留存。
除此之外，临汾教会还收集了许多颇具晋南民间特色的基督教中国化剪纸作品，“在建国七十周年、建党一百周年的时候，教会都围绕当年主题进行了剪纸作品征集，（这些作品）除了装饰教堂以外，教会还邮寄给全国两会以及各地的教会。”黄牧师说。
另外，在中国基督教三自爱国运动发起七十周年的2020年，临汾教会还筹备建立了“博雅茶室”，通过品茗灵修的方式寻找茶文化与基督教神学思想之间的互通。
除了外在层面的中国化成果展现，临汾教会在神学思想中国化建设方面同样颇为重视，临汾教会则是连续七八年在市级以及区级范围举行神学思想研讨会，每年研讨会主题都是围绕着全国两会规划以及年度不同主题进行制定，每届研讨会结束后则会以文集形式进行整理归纳。而在会后，教会也会组织传道人宣讲团，下到各县开展神学思想研讨巡回宣讲活动。
对于教堂接下来的中国化方向，黄牧师有着许多憧憬与见解：“最近我也受东北一些地方教堂的启发，觉得可以在碑刻方面做一些尝试，尽可能在墙面上展现一些历史文化的元素。我认为教堂除了听道以外，在外在的方面也是需要有一些体现的，只要是能够为信徒以及慕道友带去感官上的信仰共鸣，我觉得还是值得尝试的。”
在信仰文化交织中寻找亮丽火花——专访山西临汾尧都区教会黄海林牧师
Sitting around a tea table, three pastors were chatting in front of their well-brewed tea and the camera. That was no TV program but an online interview on faith culture held by Yaodu District Church in Linfen City, Shanxi Province, on the eve of Qingming Day.
On March 31, Yaodu District Church held an online interview on the theme of “Christians and Tomb-Sweeping (Qingming) Day”. It was reported that this Qingming live broadcast was a rather innovative attempt by the church to sinicize Christianity since last year. Since last Mid-Autumn Day, several online live broadcasts have been held about festival cultures and the Christian faith.
A few days ago, Gospel Times, an online Christian newspaper, interviewed Pastor Huang Hailin, director of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China of Linfen City and pastor of Yaodu District Church.
Speaking of why Linfen churches chose to broadcast live on Tomb-Sweeping Day in such a novel form of a tea party, Pastor Huang said that it was closely related to the actual needs of believers and the online pastoral exploration of pastors. “During the lockdown by the pandemic, online ministering in Linfen churches was mainly based on Thursday gatherings and Sunday services. However, as it went on for a while, everyone, whether pastors or believers, felt that the form of always sitting alone in front of the camera to deliver sermons was somewhat boring. Moreover, the ministering effect might be compromised. So several pastors in the churches started to try some new forms of online ministry.” Pastor Huang said, “Besides, every year when it was the Tomb-Sweeping Day, many believers would come to consult pastors, asking ‘Can Christians moan for their loved ones in cemeteries?’ ‘Can I bow down to the grave after I become a Christian?’ Such questions too, I think, should be widely resolved. So I decided on this topic.”
As for which form of live broadcast to choose, the staff gave suggestions and ideas. Finally, Pastor Huang got inspiration from a TV talk show and decided to share and communicate in the form of discussion and dialogue in a relaxed atmosphere. The number of people who watched the live broadcast on that day was close to 10,000.
Since last Mid-Autumn Day, dialogues have been the mainstay, and the three-person tea party talk was the first attempt. The first live broadcast of the Mid-Autumn Day last year received a positive response among believers. After the festival, the church renovated the utility room on the fourth floor by changing it into a dedicated live broadcast room. Live broadcast equipment was added such as microphones and stereos. The subsequent live broadcast of National Day and Double Ninth (Senior Citizen) Day also received positive feedback from churches in pastoral areas and surrounding counties and cities.
Pastor Huang also has many plans for the next online live broadcast. He said that the church planned to further expand the interview topics on the basis of Chinese traditional culture, such as inviting more full-time and volunteer preachers and elders and deacons in the church to participate in the interview. The content will focus on the service course and life growth testimonies of all preachers and pastors.
“In this way, believers can see the people side of pastors who are always rigorous in their images. Through cordial communication, the relationship between pastors and believers can be brought closer. On the other hand, the testimony of your pastors’ devotion to service and life growth will also be a good incentive for believers,” Pastor Huang added.
“In 2020, Linfen churches took the opportunity of church renovation to carry out artistic decoration in the corridor of the church.” Pastor Huang told the Gospel Times, “[These decorations] have received positive responses from all walks of life. Many faith seekers actually have some pursuits in their hearts when they come to church. Seeing these paintings in the church is also an intuitive display and edification of belief culture.”
At every major festival, Linfen churches invite local artists and painters to paint on the spot around the theme of the sinicization of Christianity and invite citizens to visit. Most of the paintings, banners, and other works created on the spot are preserved as decorations in the hall.
In addition, Linfen churches have collected many paper-cut works about Christianity in China with folk characteristics in southern Shanxi. “On the 70th and centenary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the churches collected paper-cut works around the theme of that year. (These works) were not only decorated by the churches but also mailed to the National People’s Congress and churches nationwide.” Pastor Huang said.
In addition, in 2020, on the seventieth anniversary of the launch of the Chinese Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Linfen churches also prepared to set up a “Boya Tea Room” to seek the resemblance between tea culture and Christian theology through tea tasting and spiritual cultivation.
In addition to the external achievements of sinicization, Linfen churches also attach great importance to the sinicization of theological thoughts. Linfen churches have held theological thought seminars at the municipal and district levels for seven or eight consecutive years. The theme of each seminar was formulated around the planning of the National People’s Congress and different themes of the year. After each seminar, it will be sorted out and summarized in the form of an anthology. After the meeting, the church will also organize preaching groups and go down to various counties to carry out theological seminars and preaching activities.
Pastor Huang has many visions and opinions about the next direction of the church’s sinicization, “Recently, I have been inspired by some local churches in Northeast China, and feel that I can make some attempts in tablet inscription and show some historical and cultural elements on the wall as much as possible. I think the church needs to have some external manifestations besides listening to the sermon. As long as it can bring sensory belief resonance to believers and followers, I think it is worth trying.”
- Translated by Charlie Li
An Interview with Pastor Huang Hailin Who Leads Linfen Church in the 'Direction of Sinicization'
