Located in Jincheng in the southeast of Shanxi Province, Yangcheng County was the hometown of Chen Jingting, a tutor to the Kangxi Emperor and chief editor of the Kangxi Dictionary. It once was the headquarters of the Red Army Party and government on the Jin Yu (Shanxi-Henan) border.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, missionaries began to preach in the county where the remains of the world-famous hostel called Inn of the Six Happiness still exists. Gladys Aylward founded the inn and led more than 100 orphans in transferring to safe places during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. The deeds were made into a movie named after the inner and are still being passed down by word of mouth.
Following the last interview in November 2020, the Gospel Times, which is an online Chinese Christian newspaper, visited Rev. Niu Tianping again before the Spring Festival.
Rev. Niu, former vice president of Shanxi Christian Council, president and chairman of CC&TSPMs in Jincheng City and Yangcheng County, talked about the epidemic and the affairs he was doing.
At the end of 2022, Niu and his wife were infected with COVID-19 one after another. This seventy-eight-year-old pastor walked briskly. In regard to the three-year epidemic, he said that this was a lesson God prepared for us, a test of faith for each Christian, and God's good intentions of strengthening believers’ faith with blessings. The epidemic has passed and has created new opportunities for revival in churches, so God's servants should not let up but strive to work for the Lord.
Though resigning from the CC&TSPMs at all levels due to his age, he still cares about local churches. He also reflected that a pastor should plan and arrange God's work in an all-round way. He analyzed the shortcomings existing in some specific cases in the past, pointing out the direction in which he should work hard in the future.
He believed that the management of the church should be done in a fitting and orderly way. Many other churches asked him for reference to a series of operable management rules and regulations he compiled after years of practice, as these methods had an effect on practice. However, he believed that they should practice them based on local facts rather than copy blindly as the situation in different places varied.
Talking about the history of Christianity in Yangcheng written by him, the draft has been basically completed, but it is not yet ready for publication. For some objective people and things, there are some controversies, and the draft hasn’t been finalized yet.
The senior pastor displayed during the conversation the same hope for God's kingdom as the aged dedicated Simeon in the Bible. Our wish is that the old person would become stronger and more like Christ, radiating spiritual maturity and good health.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
阳城县隶属于晋城市，位于山西省东南，地处太岳山脉，是三晋(韩、赵、魏三国)东南门户，历史文化底蕴深厚，曾是清《康熙字典》总阅官一代名相陈廷敬故里，曾作为抗日时期的晋豫区党政总部，被誉为太岳首府。
这里的基督教文化也历史悠久，清朝末年传教士就在这里开始了开荒布道，闻名于世的的六福客栈遗迹犹存，还有曾被拍成电影的英国小妇人葛拉斯蒂·艾伟德奋力保护近百名孤儿到后方的事迹仍在口口相传。
牛天平牧师，他曾任原山西省基督教协会副会长、晋城市、阳城县基督教两会主席会长。（首次采访，请见Serving the Lord Faithfully: Interview with Pastor Niu）。
他在今年春节前接受了福音时报的再访，谈及新冠和目前在做的事情。
2022年底，牛天平牧师感染了新冠，之后老伴也相继感染。已经七十八岁的牛牧师仍旧行走健步。谈及三年疫情，他谈到这是神给我们预备学习的功课，是对每个基督徒信心的考验。也有神的美意，使我们生命得到造就，在患难中有神的祝福。疫情过后，又为各地教会带来了复兴的新机遇，所以神的仆人不可松懈，当抢抓机遇，奋力为主做工。
由于年龄缘故，他相继辞去了各级两会的任职，虽然退休了，但心里牵挂的仍是各地教会的事情。他也在此间反思了作为牧者应站在全局的高度，全面谋划布局神的工作。他也列举了一些具体案例剖析了以往存在的不足，以及今后应当努力的方向。
他认为教会管理，要按圣经记载“凡是规规矩矩按次序而行”。多年实践，他编制了一系列可操作性的管理规章制度，在实践中收到了成效，也有不少兄弟教会要求借鉴。但他认为，各地情况不同，必须结合本地实情，不能照抄照搬。
谈及他所撰写的阳城基督教历史，已基本完稿，但要出版发行，还不具备条件，因涉及一些客观的人和事，存在一些争议，目前还不能最后定稿。
在交流中，老牧者心中对于神国的盼望，如同敬虔爱主的老西面，我们唯祈求全能的神祝福神的老仆人，在晚年恩上加恩，力上加力，灵命兴盛，身心灵康健，结出佳美的果子，散发出耶稣基督的馨香之气。（==当summary）
效法爱主“老西面” 心存盼望志不衰——再访牛天平牧师
Located in Jincheng in the southeast of Shanxi Province, Yangcheng County was the hometown of Chen Jingting, a tutor to the Kangxi Emperor and chief editor of the Kangxi Dictionary. It once was the headquarters of the Red Army Party and government on the Jin Yu (Shanxi-Henan) border.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, missionaries began to preach in the county where the remains of the world-famous hostel called Inn of the Six Happiness still exists. Gladys Aylward founded the inn and led more than 100 orphans in transferring to safe places during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. The deeds were made into a movie named after the inner and are still being passed down by word of mouth.
Following the last interview in November 2020, the Gospel Times, which is an online Chinese Christian newspaper, visited Rev. Niu Tianping again before the Spring Festival.
Rev. Niu, former vice president of Shanxi Christian Council, president and chairman of CC&TSPMs in Jincheng City and Yangcheng County, talked about the epidemic and the affairs he was doing.
At the end of 2022, Niu and his wife were infected with COVID-19 one after another. This seventy-eight-year-old pastor walked briskly. In regard to the three-year epidemic, he said that this was a lesson God prepared for us, a test of faith for each Christian, and God's good intentions of strengthening believers’ faith with blessings. The epidemic has passed and has created new opportunities for revival in churches, so God's servants should not let up but strive to work for the Lord.
Though resigning from the CC&TSPMs at all levels due to his age, he still cares about local churches. He also reflected that a pastor should plan and arrange God's work in an all-round way. He analyzed the shortcomings existing in some specific cases in the past, pointing out the direction in which he should work hard in the future.
He believed that the management of the church should be done in a fitting and orderly way. Many other churches asked him for reference to a series of operable management rules and regulations he compiled after years of practice, as these methods had an effect on practice. However, he believed that they should practice them based on local facts rather than copy blindly as the situation in different places varied.
Talking about the history of Christianity in Yangcheng written by him, the draft has been basically completed, but it is not yet ready for publication. For some objective people and things, there are some controversies, and the draft hasn’t been finalized yet.
The senior pastor displayed during the conversation the same hope for God's kingdom as the aged dedicated Simeon in the Bible. Our wish is that the old person would become stronger and more like Christ, radiating spiritual maturity and good health.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Revisit Former Shanxi Church Leader
