This article reviews the great and profound changes brought by a series of church renewal movements of international churches such as those of Britain and the United States in the 1960s, especially the merger of missional churches after 2000. Some people call the church reform the “Copernican revolution of the church.” It is a transformation from church-centeredness to society-centeredness, from clergy-centeredness to ordinary believers-centeredness, and from church-centered religious gatherings to daily life-centeredness.
Dr. Wu Dongri who holds Ph.D. from Yonsei University, South Korea, states that the reason why he began to pay attention to the new church movement and missional churches in Britain and the United States in recent years is that it can provide a good idea for the development of the current church in China, and at the same time, it provides a good opportunity to reflect on the essence of the Christian faith.
He sees that the urban churches in China are still facing severe challenges. On the one hand, most churches in China are still gathering-centered, but on the other hand, there have been many great changes in society, the times, and the environment. How the church itself can firmly grasp the essence of the Christian faith and keep up with the times is at the core of the matter.
However, the biggest difference between the new church movement in international churches such as Britain and the United States and the development of many Chinese urban churches is that it does not focus on the church as an organizational system but restores more of its vitality through campaigns. Professor Wu clarifies that the institutionalization of the church (the church as an organizational system) and the movement of the church are not opposing concepts, but the question is which should be regarded as more important, and that depends on the judgment of the church on its own situation.
In his view, Chinese churches are more or less introverted, enclosed, and marginalized because of their history and theological level. One dimension of the transformation of Chinese churches is the transformation of Chinese society, which needs two steps: the transformation of churches’ faith practice and the transformation of theological theories.
1. Church transformation:
The key to this is how the church can become a benign presence in Chinese society. The international New Church movement is actively seeking to integrate into local culture and society. These exploration experiences will provide opportunities for Chinese churches to reflect on their social and cultural problems and help eliminate the tension caused by Christianity in China’s social culture.
2. Theological transformation:
One dimension of the transformation of the church in China is the transformation of Chinese society, which will inevitably lead to reflection on the correlation between the church and society, culture, and system, and will naturally lead to a theological reflection. The transformation movement of the church naturally brings out theological considerations.
Dr. Wu Dongri recalls that he mentioned three transformations of the church in China about 15 years ago according to the challenges and conditions at that time, which was exactly his personal thinking at the time:
Transforming from a gathering-oriented church to a pastoral-oriented church;
Transforming from the position of a marginal culture to the mainstream culture;
Transforming from a converted church to a converted church
Now, 15 years after the development and transformation of churches in China, especially in urban areas, Dr. Wu thinks that with the globalization of new or mission-oriented or community-oriented church movements in Britain and the United States, their model and significance deserve the attention and discussion of churches in China. In his view, the “mission-oriented” church is more suitable for the post-modern development model of churches in China in the future.
Therefore, he urges the three transformations of 15 years ago and continues to explore the further transformation of the church in China today:
From the construction of church system (pastors-centered) to the establishment of Christian daily life;
From entering the mainstream culture to the implementation of gospel plus, that is, the connection between gospel, and culture and society;
From the church that sends specific clergy to the mission-oriented or community-oriented church where everyone is sent as a missionary.
In his view, the ultimate goal of these transformations is to train and establish more mission- and community-oriented churches.
- Translated by Charlie Li
回顾了1960年代，英美等国际教会一系列的教会更新运动尤其是2000年后使命导向/社区型教会带来的巨大而深刻的变化，即有人把这场教会变革称之为是教会的"哥白尼式的革命”。 它是从教堂为中心转型到以社会为中心，从圣职人员为中心转型到以一般信徒为中心，从教会的宗教聚会为中心转型到以信徒的日常生活为中心。
吴东日博士谈到，之所以他近年来开始关注英美的新型教会运动和使命导向/社区型教会，是因为它对当下中国教会的发展可以提供一个很好的思路，与此同时，对基督教信仰的本质精神也提供了一个很好的反思机会。
他看到，当下中国城市教会仍面临严峻的挑战，一方面中国大部分的教会仍旧是以教堂（聚会）为中心的发展思路，但另一方面，社会、时代和环境发生了很多巨大的变化，如何在各种变化中，教会本身能不能牢牢把握基督教信仰的本质问题又与时俱进的更新，是最核心的问题。
而当下英美等国际教会兴起的新型教会运动跟当下国内许多城市教会发展最大的区别在于它不是以〃教堂〃（建制教会）为中心思考教会的问题，而是更多恢复其运动化的活力。吴教授澄清说，教会的建制化和运动化本身不是对立的观念，但存在以什么为重的问题，而这取决于教会对自身所处的情境的判断。
在他看来，中国教会因为自身历史和神学等多方面的原因，比较内向和封闭、边缘化。而中国教会转型的一个维度是向中国社会的转型，这要分“两步走”，—是（教会）实践的转型；二是（神学）理论的转型。
1.教会转型：
这个的关键是教会如何在中国社会中成为良性存在的问题。国际的新型教会运动是在积极寻求融入当地文化和社会中进行的。这些探索经验，会给中国教会“如何看待自己所在社会和文化问题"提供思考机会，有利于消除基督教在中国社会文化中引起的张力。
2.神学转型：
中国教会的转型的一个维度是向中国社会的转型，必然引发教会与社会、文化、制度的相关性思考，自然会带动神学的反思。教会的转型运动随之自然带出神学性思考。
吴东日博士回忆说，自己大约在15年前根据当时的挑战和情况曾经提过中国教会的三个转型，是他个人在当时的思考：
从聚会型教会转型为牧养型教会；
从边缘文化走向主流文化；
从被宣教的教会转型为宣教的教会。
而如今中国教会尤其是城市教会发展和转型15年后，吴博士认为随着英美的新型或使命导向/社区型教会运动的全球化普及，它的模式和意义值得中国教会关注和探讨，在他看来“使命导向”(missional church)的教会，不以大教堂为主的传统模式，它更适合于未来的中国教会在后现代的发展模式。
因此，他把15年前的三个转型继续往前推进，在今天继续探讨中国教会的进一步转型：
从教会制度（牧者）的建设转向基督徒的日常生活的建立；
从走向主流文化的提岀到落实福音+即福音与文化、与社会的对接;
从差派神职人员的教会到人人皆被差派的使命导向/社区型教会。
而这些的转型，在他看来最终的落脚点就是需要更多培育和建立使命导向/社区型的教会。
一神学研究者谈：当下国际教会的最新发展趋势与中国教会的进一步转型路径探讨（下）
This article reviews the great and profound changes brought by a series of church renewal movements of international churches such as those of Britain and the United States in the 1960s, especially the merger of missional churches after 2000. Some people call the church reform the “Copernican revolution of the church.” It is a transformation from church-centeredness to society-centeredness, from clergy-centeredness to ordinary believers-centeredness, and from church-centered religious gatherings to daily life-centeredness.
Dr. Wu Dongri who holds Ph.D. from Yonsei University, South Korea, states that the reason why he began to pay attention to the new church movement and missional churches in Britain and the United States in recent years is that it can provide a good idea for the development of the current church in China, and at the same time, it provides a good opportunity to reflect on the essence of the Christian faith.
He sees that the urban churches in China are still facing severe challenges. On the one hand, most churches in China are still gathering-centered, but on the other hand, there have been many great changes in society, the times, and the environment. How the church itself can firmly grasp the essence of the Christian faith and keep up with the times is at the core of the matter.
However, the biggest difference between the new church movement in international churches such as Britain and the United States and the development of many Chinese urban churches is that it does not focus on the church as an organizational system but restores more of its vitality through campaigns. Professor Wu clarifies that the institutionalization of the church (the church as an organizational system) and the movement of the church are not opposing concepts, but the question is which should be regarded as more important, and that depends on the judgment of the church on its own situation.
In his view, Chinese churches are more or less introverted, enclosed, and marginalized because of their history and theological level. One dimension of the transformation of Chinese churches is the transformation of Chinese society, which needs two steps: the transformation of churches’ faith practice and the transformation of theological theories.
1. Church transformation:
The key to this is how the church can become a benign presence in Chinese society. The international New Church movement is actively seeking to integrate into local culture and society. These exploration experiences will provide opportunities for Chinese churches to reflect on their social and cultural problems and help eliminate the tension caused by Christianity in China’s social culture.
2. Theological transformation:
One dimension of the transformation of the church in China is the transformation of Chinese society, which will inevitably lead to reflection on the correlation between the church and society, culture, and system, and will naturally lead to a theological reflection. The transformation movement of the church naturally brings out theological considerations.
Dr. Wu Dongri recalls that he mentioned three transformations of the church in China about 15 years ago according to the challenges and conditions at that time, which was exactly his personal thinking at the time:
Transforming from a gathering-oriented church to a pastoral-oriented church;
Transforming from the position of a marginal culture to the mainstream culture;
Transforming from a converted church to a converted church
Now, 15 years after the development and transformation of churches in China, especially in urban areas, Dr. Wu thinks that with the globalization of new or mission-oriented or community-oriented church movements in Britain and the United States, their model and significance deserve the attention and discussion of churches in China. In his view, the “mission-oriented” church is more suitable for the post-modern development model of churches in China in the future.
Therefore, he urges the three transformations of 15 years ago and continues to explore the further transformation of the church in China today:
From the construction of church system (pastors-centered) to the establishment of Christian daily life;
From entering the mainstream culture to the implementation of gospel plus, that is, the connection between gospel, and culture and society;
From the church that sends specific clergy to the mission-oriented or community-oriented church where everyone is sent as a missionary.
In his view, the ultimate goal of these transformations is to train and establish more mission- and community-oriented churches.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Theologian: Further Transformation Path of Chinese Church Based on the Latest Developing Trend of Global Churches
