At the beginning of the year, I visited a Christian church in Jincheng city, Shanxi Province, to learn about its history and development.
Elder Yan Meiling, vice chairman of Jincheng CC&TSPM and head of the church, received us. At the end of last year, she won the title of the First Advanced Individual in Chinese Religious Circles.
Through the brief introduction at the entrance, we learned that they bought 15.23 mu of land in Xiaodongguan, Jincheng, in 1906 and built the church, school, health clinic, Guangdaocheng photo studio, oil shop, and Beijing goods store successively. Since then, missionary Murray Davies and the "Small Woman" Gladys Aylward have come to work in the church one after another.
In 1924, the health clinic was transformed into Pok Oi Hospital. In 1930, Stanley Smith died of illness, and later his wife contracted sickness when she worked in Yangcheng church and died when she returned to Jincheng. During the Anti-Japanese War, an Englishman, Murray Davis, took over the job and hung the British national flag in the church, which protected many believers and the poor.
At first, the church was reviving, and there were some people from nearby Gaoping, Lingchuan, and Yangcheng who believed in the Lord. Later, the gospel spread to Gaodu, Lucun, Mishan, Yinzhai Shuidong, Liuzhuang, Bagong Donggou, and Taiyang. Most of them were students, workers, and businessmen, and the total number of believers once reached over 400.
Cui Guoping, who used to take drugs and be addicted to gambling, begged to be taken to church. After being baptized, he studied theology and became a pastor. Ma Juxiang, a Gaodu resident who was originally a carpenter, was called to believe in the Lord; his two sons, Ma Baoquan and Ma Baorui, also followed, and they learned photography techniques and did trade business. Li Xinian came to Jincheng after the disaster in his hometown and volunteered to be a coolie when the church was built. His whole family believed in the Lord, and he was also made an elder. His third son studied medicine and later served as the dean of Pok Oi Hospital.
In 1978, the government successively implemented its religious policy, and some old believers lobbied to resume Sunday worship. By Christmas 1982, church activities had officially resumed, and the number of believers continued to increase. In 1987, Li Guangrong searched for relevant information and dared to argue for the ownership of the church property. On June 14th, 1989, the Urban Church was officially opened.
Elder Yan reviewed his experience of serving and church building. She has believed in the Lord with her family since childhood, and her husband's family is also Christian. In 1995, the provincial government held volunteer training and 40 days of systematic Bible training, which made her determined to devote herself to serving God.
She developed the habit of spiritual practice, and the old pastors took her to perform some church procedures. Later, the church set up a church property confirmation team, and then the real estate problem was finally settled. The church received the land certificate before Christmas in 2006.
During the church's construction, all believers actively contributed. There was a believer who worked in a Jincheng coal mine and came to church for worship every week. He dedicated himself every month. When the church was built, he gave half of his salary of RMB 100,000, which exactly met the urgent need for the church building. He lives very frugally. With his determined dedication, his donation was not stopped by his family members.
A Wenzhou brother who worked in Yangcheng and came back from his hometown after the Spring Festival asked how much it cost to build a church. Elder Yan gave her boldest answer, "RMB 50,000." The Wenzhou brother said, "Give me the account number, and I will lend you RMB 300,000 first".
An old sister who was a scavenger and had a mentally retarded son dedicated RMB 1,000, but the mineral water bottle she usually picked up was only worth a few cents. A couple from Fuyang, Anhui, was in Jincheng for a home decoration business. At first, they were not affluent. They borrowed money to make interior decorations for the church, which cost RMB 380,000 and were totally free.
A couple in Northeast China making wrought iron in Jincheng dedicated the wrought iron stairs on both sides of the church from the first to the eighth floors and all the wrought iron of the church and the church compound.
In 2006, Yan Meiling was appointed an elder and served as the head of the church for many years. The church trained and introduced four theology students, and Elder Yan placed hope in them to help them grow.
During the pandemic, the church opened an official WeChat account and published preaching and spiritual articles every day.
Over the years, Jincheng Church has participated in social charity activities such as helping the disabled, students, and poor and preventing pandemic diseases.
In 2003, the church invested one million yuan to set up a "Caring Kindergarten", which solved the school admission difficulties of migrant workers in the old city.
In 2011, the church purchased 515 mu of barren hills in Daji Town, Zezhou County. They installed transformers, built reservoirs, mountainous roads, and dams, with a total investment of nearly three million yuan, for greening purposes.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, the church mobilized its followers to donate money and materials many times. The church also provided paired-up assistance for Yunnan border areas and supported education.
During the transition, the 57-year-old elder Yan took the initiative to quit the post of president. She said that the church should attach importance to spiritual worker inheritance and give young co-workers a platform for growth.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
年初曾经走访过的晋城市城区基督教会，了解了它的历史和发展情况。
市两会副主席，该教会负责人闫美玲长老接待了我们。去年年底她荣获首届中国宗教界先进个人荣誉称号。
通过门口的简介，我们了解到，1906年在晋城小东关购买土地15.23亩，到1910年陆续建成了耶稣教堂、学校、卫生所、光道成照相馆，油庄、京货店。此后传教士戴维斯、小妇人艾伟德等相继来到教会工作 。
1924年卫生所改建为博爱医院。1930年，司米德病逝，后其妻子在阳城教会工作也染病，回到晋城也病逝；抗战期间，英国人戴维斯接替工作，在教会挂印该国国旗，保护了许多信徒和贫民。
起初教会十分复兴，周边的高平、陵川、阳城等地也有人相继信主。后来福音传至高都、鲁村、米山、尹寨水东和柳庄、巴公东沟和太阳。多为学生职工和商人，信主人数一度达400余人。
曾经吸毒的崔国平，又染上赌博，乞讨到教会被收留。受洗归主读了神学，成为牧师。高都人马聚祥，本是木匠，蒙召信主，两个儿子马保全、马宝瑞也归主，学习照相技术，发展贸易。李禧年在家乡遭灾后来到晋城，在兴建教堂时义务奉献当小工，全家信主，他也被按立为长老。第三个孩子学医，后担任博爱医院院长。
1978年，党的宗教政策不断落实，一些老信徒为恢复礼拜而奔波。到1982年圣诞节，宣告正式恢复教会活动，信徒不断增加 ；1987年李光荣查找相关资料，为落实房产勇于争辩。 1989年6月14日，城区教会挂牌。
闫长老回顾自己的事奉和建堂的经历。她从小跟家人信主，结婚后婆家也信习。1995年，省里举办义工培训，四十天的系统圣经培训，使她立志委身奉献为主做工。
她养成了灵修习惯，老牧者也带着她跑一些教会的手续。后教会成立了教产落实小组，后来房产问题终于得到了落实。2006年12月圣诞节前办理了土地证。
在建堂中信徒都积极奉献。有一位信徒在晋城煤矿工作，每周都到教会敬拜。他每月都按时奉献，听说建堂，将自己的工资10万元拿出一半，恰是工程最需要时。他平时生活十分节俭，但看到他坚决的奉献心志，家属也不阻拦了。
一个在阳城工作的温州弟兄回老家过年，年后回来工作。问建堂需要多少钱。闫长老就咬牙说：“5万吧。”人家说，“你给个账号吧，先借给你30万”。
还有一个老姊妹是个拾荒者，养了一个智障的儿子。她奉献了1000元，平时捡的一个矿泉水瓶才卖几分钱。一对安徽阜阳的夫妇，到晋城创业作家庭装修生意，刚开始并不富裕。他们自己借着钱给教堂做内部装修，花费了38万元，完全奉献。
一对东北夫妇在晋城打拼做铁艺，奉献了教堂两边1至8层的铁艺楼梯和教堂及教堂大院的一切铁艺。
2006年，闫美玲被按立为长老，并连续多年担任教会负责人。教会培养引进了4名神学生，闫长老对他们寄予希望，帮助他们成长。
在疫情期间，教会开办了微信平台，每天发布道和灵修文章。
多年来，晋城教会参与扶残、助学、济困、防疫等社会公益慈善事业。
2003年教会投资100万元兴办了“爱心幼儿园”，解决了当地老城区外来务工人人员入学难问题。
2011年，教会购买了泽州县大箕镇承租荒山515亩。安装了变压器，修建了蓄水池、环山公路以及堤坝。总投资近300万元，绿化了荒山。
2020年新冠疫情突发时，教会发动信徒多次捐款捐物。教会还对口帮扶云南边疆地区，支援教育事业。
在换届中，五十七岁的闫长老主动卸去了所担任的会长职任。她说，教会要重视属灵工人的传承，需要给年轻同工平台。
走访山西晋城市城区教会
At the beginning of the year, I visited a Christian church in Jincheng city, Shanxi Province, to learn about its history and development.
Elder Yan Meiling, vice chairman of Jincheng CC&TSPM and head of the church, received us. At the end of last year, she won the title of the First Advanced Individual in Chinese Religious Circles.
Through the brief introduction at the entrance, we learned that they bought 15.23 mu of land in Xiaodongguan, Jincheng, in 1906 and built the church, school, health clinic, Guangdaocheng photo studio, oil shop, and Beijing goods store successively. Since then, missionary Murray Davies and the "Small Woman" Gladys Aylward have come to work in the church one after another.
In 1924, the health clinic was transformed into Pok Oi Hospital. In 1930, Stanley Smith died of illness, and later his wife contracted sickness when she worked in Yangcheng church and died when she returned to Jincheng. During the Anti-Japanese War, an Englishman, Murray Davis, took over the job and hung the British national flag in the church, which protected many believers and the poor.
At first, the church was reviving, and there were some people from nearby Gaoping, Lingchuan, and Yangcheng who believed in the Lord. Later, the gospel spread to Gaodu, Lucun, Mishan, Yinzhai Shuidong, Liuzhuang, Bagong Donggou, and Taiyang. Most of them were students, workers, and businessmen, and the total number of believers once reached over 400.
Cui Guoping, who used to take drugs and be addicted to gambling, begged to be taken to church. After being baptized, he studied theology and became a pastor. Ma Juxiang, a Gaodu resident who was originally a carpenter, was called to believe in the Lord; his two sons, Ma Baoquan and Ma Baorui, also followed, and they learned photography techniques and did trade business. Li Xinian came to Jincheng after the disaster in his hometown and volunteered to be a coolie when the church was built. His whole family believed in the Lord, and he was also made an elder. His third son studied medicine and later served as the dean of Pok Oi Hospital.
In 1978, the government successively implemented its religious policy, and some old believers lobbied to resume Sunday worship. By Christmas 1982, church activities had officially resumed, and the number of believers continued to increase. In 1987, Li Guangrong searched for relevant information and dared to argue for the ownership of the church property. On June 14th, 1989, the Urban Church was officially opened.
Elder Yan reviewed his experience of serving and church building. She has believed in the Lord with her family since childhood, and her husband's family is also Christian. In 1995, the provincial government held volunteer training and 40 days of systematic Bible training, which made her determined to devote herself to serving God.
She developed the habit of spiritual practice, and the old pastors took her to perform some church procedures. Later, the church set up a church property confirmation team, and then the real estate problem was finally settled. The church received the land certificate before Christmas in 2006.
During the church's construction, all believers actively contributed. There was a believer who worked in a Jincheng coal mine and came to church for worship every week. He dedicated himself every month. When the church was built, he gave half of his salary of RMB 100,000, which exactly met the urgent need for the church building. He lives very frugally. With his determined dedication, his donation was not stopped by his family members.
A Wenzhou brother who worked in Yangcheng and came back from his hometown after the Spring Festival asked how much it cost to build a church. Elder Yan gave her boldest answer, "RMB 50,000." The Wenzhou brother said, "Give me the account number, and I will lend you RMB 300,000 first".
An old sister who was a scavenger and had a mentally retarded son dedicated RMB 1,000, but the mineral water bottle she usually picked up was only worth a few cents. A couple from Fuyang, Anhui, was in Jincheng for a home decoration business. At first, they were not affluent. They borrowed money to make interior decorations for the church, which cost RMB 380,000 and were totally free.
A couple in Northeast China making wrought iron in Jincheng dedicated the wrought iron stairs on both sides of the church from the first to the eighth floors and all the wrought iron of the church and the church compound.
In 2006, Yan Meiling was appointed an elder and served as the head of the church for many years. The church trained and introduced four theology students, and Elder Yan placed hope in them to help them grow.
During the pandemic, the church opened an official WeChat account and published preaching and spiritual articles every day.
Over the years, Jincheng Church has participated in social charity activities such as helping the disabled, students, and poor and preventing pandemic diseases.
In 2003, the church invested one million yuan to set up a "Caring Kindergarten", which solved the school admission difficulties of migrant workers in the old city.
In 2011, the church purchased 515 mu of barren hills in Daji Town, Zezhou County. They installed transformers, built reservoirs, mountainous roads, and dams, with a total investment of nearly three million yuan, for greening purposes.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, the church mobilized its followers to donate money and materials many times. The church also provided paired-up assistance for Yunnan border areas and supported education.
During the transition, the 57-year-old elder Yan took the initiative to quit the post of president. She said that the church should attach importance to spiritual worker inheritance and give young co-workers a platform for growth.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
A Visit to Church in Jincheng, Shanxi
