The past few decades have witnessed rapid church revival and development. Both the church and its followers have made much growth. However, some problems have begun to emerge. For example, it is difficult for many pastors serving at the grassroots level to get pastoral care from the church, which is common in many churches.
Recently, a male pastor D (pseudonym) from mid-China shared his views with the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper. D has served in mid-China churches for more than 20 years acting as a grassroots pastor.
In his view, there is indeed a great tension between the grassroots pastors and the leaders of their mother churches, which is an objective fact.
From the perspective of the genegral assembly and its leadership, they believe that the subordinate level pastors should be obedient, and should not make too much contact with other churches or factions, so as not to be influenced by heresy or even cults. But on the other hand, from the perspective of grassroots pastors, the headquarter and its leadership need to give them greater freedom, and cannot regard them as their private property.
D said that in the past, many would talk about their "physical needs", as they tend to be very poor, so ways should be found to increase their income. However, D believes that "spiritual care" is also indispensable.
"Grassroots pastors need to take care of believers with love, but as pastors, they also need to be loved. So who would pastor the numerous grassroots pastors and love them?"
Now the church has also entered the Internet age, and the information is explosive. D believes that the pastors are not short of basic theological training and knowledge anymore. But what's missing?
"I think it is the heart for loving and caring for pastors like their father or mother." He added that the grassroots pastors need someone who can recognize and welcome them so that he could feel accepted like being at home in the process of serving, which has been greatly neglected in the church for a long time.
People tend to emphasize the external things such as administration, system and benchmarking, but ignore the inner love. Without love, there is no power. He explains that local pastors had the heart of serving others before choosing to become a pastor. However, the process of serving becomes difficult because they do not get love and care from the church, especially from those pastors who lead them. Therefore, someone needs to be able to lead and care for them like their father or mother.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
过去的几十年是教会迅速复兴和发展的几十年，无论是教会还是信徒都有许多成长，然而在发展的同时，一些问题也开始凸显，比如很多基层服事的牧者都比较难以得到教会的牧养和关怀，这样的现象在很多教会都普遍存在着。
日前，中原地区的一名D弟兄与本站同工分享了他的看法，D弟兄在中原地区教会服事了20多年的时间，并且一直在基层牧者的位置当中。
D弟兄认为在基层牧者与母会或者说和母会的领袖层来说，确实容易存在很大的张力，这些是客观事实。
从母会和母会领导层的角度，他们认为，既然一个人属于他们，就应该顺服、听话，不要跟外界其他的教会或派别过多的接触或联络，免得进入异端甚至邪教。但是从另外一方面，从基层牧者的角度来说，母会和母会领导层确实也需要给基层牧者们更大的一种自由权，不能够把他们看成母会的私有财产。
D弟兄分享了对于基层牧者究竟需要得到怎样的帮助。他说到，以前谈到基层牧者的需要的时候，很多人常常从“物质需要”的角度分享，认为很多基层牧者都非常贫穷，所以需要想方设法提高传道人的收入。然而D弟兄同时认为，“心灵关怀”也不可或缺。
“基层牧者需要带着爱来牧养信徒、爱主的群羊、给信徒们很多的爱，但是作为牧者，也需要得到爱。那么谁来牧养为数众多的基层牧者，谁来爱我们呢？” (==此句当summary）
现在是网络时代，教会也进入网络时代了，信息可以说是爆炸性的增长，D弟兄认为，现在教会的牧者们在基本的神学培训、神学知识这些方面相对来说基本都不太缺了。那么缺的是什么呢？
“我认为，对教会牧者来说，缺的是有为父为母、这样的爱人的一颗心（去关怀他们）。”他分享说，对于一名基层牧者而言，缺少的是有人能够来认可和欢迎他，让他能够被认可和接纳，能够在服事的过程中有家的感觉，这个方面在教会中长期以来都是被很大的忽视掉的。
大家常常强调行政、体系、标杆这些外面的东西，但是却忽略了内在的爱，而没有爱那就没有力量。他解释说，作为基层牧者，相信大部分基层牧者都是很想要去服事所以才选择成为一名牧者的，但是在服事的过程当中，之所以走的很艰难的一个很重要的原因就是没有从教会尤其是从上面的牧者这里得到爱和关心，因此，需要有人能够带着为父为母的心来带领和关怀基层牧者。
对话|我们基层牧者究竟需要什么?——缺的是关怀我们的人和对我们的关怀
The past few decades have witnessed rapid church revival and development. Both the church and its followers have made much growth. However, some problems have begun to emerge. For example, it is difficult for many pastors serving at the grassroots level to get pastoral care from the church, which is common in many churches.
Recently, a male pastor D (pseudonym) from mid-China shared his views with the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper. D has served in mid-China churches for more than 20 years acting as a grassroots pastor.
In his view, there is indeed a great tension between the grassroots pastors and the leaders of their mother churches, which is an objective fact.
From the perspective of the genegral assembly and its leadership, they believe that the subordinate level pastors should be obedient, and should not make too much contact with other churches or factions, so as not to be influenced by heresy or even cults. But on the other hand, from the perspective of grassroots pastors, the headquarter and its leadership need to give them greater freedom, and cannot regard them as their private property.
D said that in the past, many would talk about their "physical needs", as they tend to be very poor, so ways should be found to increase their income. However, D believes that "spiritual care" is also indispensable.
"Grassroots pastors need to take care of believers with love, but as pastors, they also need to be loved. So who would pastor the numerous grassroots pastors and love them?"
Now the church has also entered the Internet age, and the information is explosive. D believes that the pastors are not short of basic theological training and knowledge anymore. But what's missing?
"I think it is the heart for loving and caring for pastors like their father or mother." He added that the grassroots pastors need someone who can recognize and welcome them so that he could feel accepted like being at home in the process of serving, which has been greatly neglected in the church for a long time.
People tend to emphasize the external things such as administration, system and benchmarking, but ignore the inner love. Without love, there is no power. He explains that local pastors had the heart of serving others before choosing to become a pastor. However, the process of serving becomes difficult because they do not get love and care from the church, especially from those pastors who lead them. Therefore, someone needs to be able to lead and care for them like their father or mother.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
Dialogue: Grassroots Pastors Need Care, People Who Care for Them
