The memorial service for Elder Dr. Zheng Datong, entitled “Poetic Life as the Lord’s Good Soldier,” was held on June 24, Beijing time, at Starlight Church in Queens, New York, with a simultaneous webcast.
This service, initiated by Pastor Luke Zheng Leguo, a Wenzhou pastor in America, was held overseas for the elder who served for decades, following the memorial service and farewell ceremony held by the Wenzhou church in May. Additionally, dozens of believers in China joined the service online.
Elder Dr. Zheng Datong of Wenzhou passed away on May 19 at the age of 84. He had served as an elder at Wenzhou Puxieshi Church for many years. In addition to serving the church, Elder Dr. Zheng also had a strong calling in the fields of church history and literary work. Elder Dr. Zheng was a man of many talents; in addition to earning a professional doctorate in Christian ministry, he was also a songwriter and painter. Even in his old age, he could often be found writing at his desk. In the 1980s, Elder Dr. Zheng published several books in Singapore and Hong Kong, including Revelation Illustrated and The Path of Blessing: A Poetic Life in Christ. At the memorial service, several pastors and co-workers who had worked with Elder Dr. Zheng at different stages of his life shared their testimonies and commemorated his passing from different perspectives.
Pastor Luke Zheng delivered the eulogy for Elder Dr. Zheng. He said, “The late Dr. Zheng Datong was a pastor known to many in China. He was known for his leadership and influence in the churches of Wenzhou. For a long time, he had been a key figure in the movements among the churches in Wenzhou and had shown strong confidence and courage in the Lord when his Christian faith was threatened.”
A documentary on the life of Elder Dr. Zheng Datong, produced by the Wenzhou churches, was shown. Afterward, Elder Dr. Zheng’s son, Zheng Chen, said, “My father’s passing away was one of the most difficult moments of my life. All of my father’s years were filled with God’s surprises and his gratitude to God. I was so blessed to have him as my father. I can’t put into words the impact he had on my life. I built my Christian faith through him.”
He recalled his father’s passion and pursuit of faith, “My father was a reverse thinker. He often had his own unique insights into the Bible, theology, and the Christian faith. He loved to sow the seed as a teacher and see how God made it grow.”
An elder surnamed Huang praised Elder Dr. Zheng’s ministry, “He sang of God’s wonderful grace through his hymns and recorded in his writings the most difficult years of the Wenzhou churches as well as their years of revival. He comforted those who were frustrated, nurtured a new generation of talent in the churches, and encouraged younger Christians to strengthen their faith in the Lord.”
Pastor Wang, who serves in Beijing, commented, “From Elder Dr. Zheng, I learned to be a true Israelite in the Lord. Whether it’s speaking, writing, or thinking, we must be honest with God and man. Second, Elder Dr. Zheng was a very hardworking person. He was always the first to respond to church matters and social affairs, not only in his speech but also in his writing. He was the best writer among the older generation of pastors, and he was also known as ‘the wordsmith of the contemporary Chinese church’.”
Two Wenzhou pastors sang the hymn "Your Youth as a Sacrifice," which was composed by Elder Dr. Zheng, in the Wenzhou Yueqing dialect. They recalled Elder Dr. Zheng, “He was a songwriter who composed many hymns, such as "Your Youth as a Sacrifice" and "Be a Good Soldier of Christ," which are popular in Wenzhou churches.”
- Translated by Joyce Leung
北京时间6月24日，一场名为“诗意人生 作主精兵”、为纪念温州教会长老郑大同的追思礼拜（Memorial Service ofElder Datong Zheng）在位于纽约皇后区的晨光教会实地举行，同时进行网络直播。
此次追思是继5月份温州教会对这位服事数十年的长老的追思礼拜和告别仪式后，在海外的温州教会牧者郑乐国牧师发起的一场纪念。除了现场弟兄姐妹之外，网上有数十位中国国内的弟兄姐妹参加。
5月19日，温州教会郑大同长老辞世，安息主怀，享年84岁。郑大同曾担任温州蒲鞋市教会长老多年，在服事教会之余，他对于教会历史和文字服事亦深有负担。郑大同长老可谓多才多艺，兼具教牧学博士、诗人、画家等身份。即使到了晚年，他依然常常伏于案头、笔耕不辍。从1980年代以来，郑大同长老先后在新加坡、香港发布和出版《启示录图解》、《蒙福之路——基督里诗意的人生》等书籍。郑长老离世后，多位曾与郑大同长老同工过的不同年龄段的牧者同工在追思礼拜中从不同角度来见证和纪念。
郑乐国牧师（Rev. Luke Zheng）叙述郑大同长老的生平和各方面的贡献。他介绍说：“郑大同（Zheng Da Tong1941-2024）是一位知名的中国基督教牧师。他因其在温州教会的领导地位及影响力而著名......长期以来，他一直是温州教会运动的重要人物，并且在面对信仰压力时表现出坚定的信仰和勇气。”
之后播放了温州教会制作的郑大同长老人生的纪录片，和郑大同长老的儿子郑晨作为家属的致辞。郑晨弟兄分享说：“父亲的离开是我经历过的最困难的事情之一。爸爸在世度过的岁月中，每一刻都充满了上帝的惊奇和他对上帝的感激。有他作我的父亲，我是多么的幸福。我无法用语言表达他对我生活的影响。通过他，我建立了基督信仰。”
他着重回忆了父亲在信仰上的热忱和追求：“父亲是一个逆向思考者……常常对圣经、神学、信仰有自己独到的见解……他喜欢教学，撒播种子，看到上帝让它生长。”
一位黄长老赞扬说：“他以诗歌歌颂上帝奇恩，以文字记录温州教会最艰难与复兴的岁月 。安慰伤心者培养教会新秀，激励后人抱持厚望。”
一位在北京服事的王牧师分享说：“我从他身上学习到在主里面做真以色列人。无论是说话、文字表达、心思意念，一定 要真诚，对神对神皆是如此。第二，郑大同长老是一个非常勤奋的人。他对教会、社会的事情总是第一时间做出回应，不仅仅用语言，更是用他的文字。他是老一代牧者当中文笔最好的，他也被称为是当代中国教会中的文字工作者。”
二位温州的牧者以当地乐清话清唱郑大同长老曾经创作的赞美诗《青春献于神》。他们纪念他说：“他是一位诗人，创作了很多的赞美歌曲，比如在温州本土传唱率甚高的《青春献于神》，《基督精兵歌》。”
郑大同长老“诗意人生 作主精兵”追思暨感恩礼拜纽约举行
The memorial service for Elder Dr. Zheng Datong, entitled “Poetic Life as the Lord’s Good Soldier,” was held on June 24, Beijing time, at Starlight Church in Queens, New York, with a simultaneous webcast.
This service, initiated by Pastor Luke Zheng Leguo, a Wenzhou pastor in America, was held overseas for the elder who served for decades, following the memorial service and farewell ceremony held by the Wenzhou church in May. Additionally, dozens of believers in China joined the service online.
Elder Dr. Zheng Datong of Wenzhou passed away on May 19 at the age of 84. He had served as an elder at Wenzhou Puxieshi Church for many years. In addition to serving the church, Elder Dr. Zheng also had a strong calling in the fields of church history and literary work. Elder Dr. Zheng was a man of many talents; in addition to earning a professional doctorate in Christian ministry, he was also a songwriter and painter. Even in his old age, he could often be found writing at his desk. In the 1980s, Elder Dr. Zheng published several books in Singapore and Hong Kong, including Revelation Illustrated and The Path of Blessing: A Poetic Life in Christ. At the memorial service, several pastors and co-workers who had worked with Elder Dr. Zheng at different stages of his life shared their testimonies and commemorated his passing from different perspectives.
Pastor Luke Zheng delivered the eulogy for Elder Dr. Zheng. He said, “The late Dr. Zheng Datong was a pastor known to many in China. He was known for his leadership and influence in the churches of Wenzhou. For a long time, he had been a key figure in the movements among the churches in Wenzhou and had shown strong confidence and courage in the Lord when his Christian faith was threatened.”
A documentary on the life of Elder Dr. Zheng Datong, produced by the Wenzhou churches, was shown. Afterward, Elder Dr. Zheng’s son, Zheng Chen, said, “My father’s passing away was one of the most difficult moments of my life. All of my father’s years were filled with God’s surprises and his gratitude to God. I was so blessed to have him as my father. I can’t put into words the impact he had on my life. I built my Christian faith through him.”
He recalled his father’s passion and pursuit of faith, “My father was a reverse thinker. He often had his own unique insights into the Bible, theology, and the Christian faith. He loved to sow the seed as a teacher and see how God made it grow.”
An elder surnamed Huang praised Elder Dr. Zheng’s ministry, “He sang of God’s wonderful grace through his hymns and recorded in his writings the most difficult years of the Wenzhou churches as well as their years of revival. He comforted those who were frustrated, nurtured a new generation of talent in the churches, and encouraged younger Christians to strengthen their faith in the Lord.”
Pastor Wang, who serves in Beijing, commented, “From Elder Dr. Zheng, I learned to be a true Israelite in the Lord. Whether it’s speaking, writing, or thinking, we must be honest with God and man. Second, Elder Dr. Zheng was a very hardworking person. He was always the first to respond to church matters and social affairs, not only in his speech but also in his writing. He was the best writer among the older generation of pastors, and he was also known as ‘the wordsmith of the contemporary Chinese church’.”
Two Wenzhou pastors sang the hymn "Your Youth as a Sacrifice," which was composed by Elder Dr. Zheng, in the Wenzhou Yueqing dialect. They recalled Elder Dr. Zheng, “He was a songwriter who composed many hymns, such as "Your Youth as a Sacrifice" and "Be a Good Soldier of Christ," which are popular in Wenzhou churches.”
- Translated by Joyce Leung
Memorial Service for Elder Dr. Zheng Datong Held in New York
