It is an obvious fact that various ministries have been flourishing especially in the number of newly built churches and baptized believers since the church in China reopened after the "Cultural Revolution". According to the data acknowledged by both Chinese and foreign academic circles, the number of Christians in China reached between 23 million and 40 million in 2014, accounting for 1.7% - 2.9% of the total population of China.
As far as churches in Suzhou are concerned, the proportion of 200,000 believers to its 13 million permanent residents is only slightly higher than 1.5%, even lower than the national average, but the absolute number is not small. It is believed that the number of Christians in Suzhou has reached a certain benchmark. If a church does not have the foresight to plan ahead, the quality of that church may be diluted by the huge quantity of believers, eventually losing the nature and identity of the church.
On Christmas Eve, 1989, Bishop K.H.Ting replied to questions from students in Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, holding that when a person turned to Christ, he should naturally preach the gospel to be the witness of the Lord. No one can deny that the Chinese church is a church of evangelism, otherwise, how could there be so many new believers? However, he reminded that the church had other duties, and it was very important to help believers cultivate spiritual life through worship, sermons, Bible study, and counseling.
In November 1995, at the 45th-anniversary celebration of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Bishop Ting once again urged the national churches to shift from "Three-Self" to "Three Good" in his speech. That was to say, the Chinese church should strengthen the connotation construction, not only stand up but also be strong and strict.
At present, the Chinese church is in a new historical period of deep development, and the change of the focus of church ministry from emphasizing the growth of quantity to stressing on the improvement of quality not only conforms to the trend of historical development but also fits with Bishop Ting's call of "preaching well". It is also the proper meaning of "spreading well" and the essential requirement of the Sinicization of Christianity.
1. Be established - to construct the theological "self"
The most important issue faced by church ministries when they turn their focus to the goal of improving their quality is the core problem of what kind of church we should build and what kind of believers we should cultivate. In short, what kind of "quality" should we always follow and maintain? What basic kernels and reasonable kernels does this "quality" contain? That is, what is the "self" that the Chinese church wants to show to the outside world?
Needless to say, although Chinese churches in the post-sectarian period often make overseas churches envy, we have not had the mature conditions to develop and form the theological theoretical basis of the post-sectarian identity of Chinese churches since the church practiced joint worship in 1958, which could be vividly referred to as "the blacksmith has no model while striking", resulting in a situation of confusion. From the perspective of theological construction, Chinese churches still lack clear expression on the self-positioning of ecclesiastical theory, and various theological positions and expressions are mixed, especially the expression of ecclesiastical theory such as the essence of the church and the theology of unity, which have not been formed or are still in the initial stage of construction.
Today, there are some strange and chaotic phenomena in Chinese churches, and heresy or wrong principles invade the churches from time to time. We urgently need to equip our believers with God's Word, and always be vigilant to review the faith of the church.
Therefore, the urgent task of Chinese churches is to clearly understand the beliefs and traditions of the Archduke Church, as well as their own small traditions and the character of Chinese churches. We should also understand the differences and similarities between us and churches abroad, and be able to carefully identify the unique and noteworthy advantages and disadvantages of all parties with respect and understanding. While maintaining the orthodox faith of the church, we ought to refine, summarize and develop the theological "self" of the Chinese church.
It is believed that the key to constructing the theological "self" of the Chinese church lies in formulating the "confession of Chinese church belief" or the "declaration of Chinese church belief recognition", and compiling a "Q&A of Chinese church doctrine" on this basis and spreading it among the majority of believers. Because the confession of faith is the core and soul of the church. The reason why the church is a church is based on the confession of correct faith in Christ.
In other words, the reason why the church is a church is precise that the confession of faith defines and regulates our faith. Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). Jesus said, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matt. 16:18). "This", as in "this rock", is "Peter's confession of faith" - Jesus is Christ and the son of the living God. "This" is also the core essence and cornerstone of faith that later churches must adhere to.
Only by clearly understanding the essence and connotation of "confession of Chinese church faith" and consciously and voluntarily recognizing it from the heart, can we help believers have a certain strength in faith, avoid the disadvantages of being too narrow or too tolerant, and resolve the crisis of confusion, differentiation, and deviation from the truth. Only with the guidance of a clear confession of Chinese church faith, can we not lose our way and drift with the tide in the process of changing church ministry from weight to weight.
Only the understanding and speculation of orthodox theology solidly based on the Bible can guide and shape the spiritual life of believers, and the church can stand on the rock without shaking. Only when believers follow Christ's orders, strengthen their inner life, and live a good moral life through spiritual practice, can they play the role of Christian light and salt.
In addition, it should be noted that for some controversial topics of faith and church tradition, besides referring to the speeches of church ancestors, spiritual leaders, and biblical scholars in past dynasties, we must also conduct in-depth and comprehensive research on related issues, teach and encourage them with gentle patience, and seek to shape a common belief in accordance with biblical lessons in our churches.
2. Be strong - to establish a nurturing system that cultivates "self"
Q: Are you satisfied with theological education?
A: I can't say I'm very satisfied. As to the teaching of theological teachers and students, the preaching of preachers, and the writing of authors, I hope that we will not be careless because we don't worry about fewer believers today. I hope that while "satisfying the believers", we will not forget to improve the believers, as Paul prayed for Philippians, "and this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ" (Phil. 1:9-10).
This was the ardent expectation of Bishop K.H.Ting in an interview by Tianfeng, or Heavenly Wind, the magazine of TSPM church in China, in January 1997. He hoped that the "three teams" of Chinese churches (teachers in theological colleges, pastors and preachers in churches, and serving staff engaged in the work of Christian writing) "should not be satisfied with simply 'satisfying believers', but also 'improving believers'". From "satisfying believers" to "improving believers", we should pay attention to the improvement of believers' belief quality and the shaping of spiritual life.
Then, how can this goal be achieved? This involves the problem of the church pastoral system: how the church implements the confession of faith, what kind of training is given to the believers who have already believed in it, how to bring up the long-time believers as serving staff, how to build their confidence, ethics, and character with biblical discourse, and how to develop their gifts and encourage them to commit themselves to the church, etc. The systematization and standardization of these related issues are the processes of establishing a good pastoral system.
The reason why a church becomes a church lies not only in the specification and definition of the confession of faith but also in the concrete implementation of the confession of faith in the pastoral system and process of the church. The necessity of this logic requires us to establish and cultivate a pastoral system that can realize the confession of faith.
In the process of establishing the pastoral system, it is thought that the following aspects are particularly crucial: First, the church should shape the character of believers in the group environment, take the confession of faith as the red line throughout the pastoral process, and take the fundamental goal of building a belief community that highly recognizes the distant image of the church, commits itself to the church group, and believes in giving gifts to serve each other, so as to solidly popularize the education and re-education of the "confession of faith".
Secondly, the church builds and cultivates the self-consciousness of the "confession of faith", which makes all believers consciously realize that we are a faith community with "one master, one faith, one baptism", loyal to Christ, sincere in orthodoxy, and witnesses to the gospel.
Once again, the faith and adherence to the confession of faith are not only reflected in oral confession, but also in the actual teaching, prayer, witnessing, communication, and training of the church, as well as in the daily operation and administration of the church. It takes place in all the words and actions of the church, especially in all the clear and systematic teaching and caring systems of the church, that is, in all aspects and every link of the pastoral system, forming a community of beliefs that are closely related to each other.
Specifically, because church life is mainly embodied in the form of group worship, the essential contents and measures in the construction of pastoral system should include: paying close attention to Sunday worship and other types of worship, updating and upgrading the worship spirit; deepening the refinement of group care and helping believers lay a solid foundation; emphasizing commitment and serving each other with grace; being the light and the salt, benefiting society, testifying Christ, etc.
3. Be strict - to improve the administration system and enhance the development of "self"
The church is a religious group and a living group. All believers are brothers and sisters in the church. They should be loyal, friendly, and willing to live together and help each other in the same boat. However, only measures can determine the outcome, which requires a set of a well-founded and effective management system.
Since Martin Luther's conversion, Protestant churches have upheld the tradition and spirit of reformers. Generally, it is recognized that the marks of judging true and false churches are whether the holy teaching, holy sacrament, and church discipline are correctly preached and implemented. Because only authoritative church discipline can guarantee the correct preaching of the holy way and the correct implementation of the sacraments. In the same way, whether the focus of an evangelism ministry can be changed from increasing quantity to improving quality, whether the confession of faith can be carried out through pastoral teaching, and whether the pastoral system and model can be carried out smoothly; these all depend on the standardization, appropriateness, and effectiveness of the implementation of church discipline.
The so-called church discipline should include both positive and negative contents and purposes: first, positive teaching - the reminding and prevention - the church teaches believers to have a correct understanding of biblical truth and ethical code, and to practice it appropriately in life; second, the negative - punishment, correction, and treatment - after the believers commit sins, the church gives them the corresponding disciplinary sanctions, which is not only a remedial education for the parties but also an example to prevent others from being affected and ruining the whole faith.
The implementation of the confession of faith depends on the implementation and operation of the pastoral system and the effort of the church's external management system. In this regard, the urgent task of the Chinese church is to establish rules and regulations, speed up the revision and improvement of existing church regulations, and build a church administrative system, especially including therapeutic disciplinary principles and specific measures.
To sum up, in the process of shifting the focus of evangelical ministry, the confession of faith is the core, the pastoral system is the starting point, and the administrative system is the guarantee. The three are the unity of caring for each other, interlocking, interrelated and inseparable. As long as a clear and authoritative confession of faith, a correct and effective pastoral care system, and a proper and reasonable administrative system can be established, the goal of changing from quantity to quality will certainly be realized.
Conclusion
If a church has no vision, it has no direction. History tells us that if we leave many issues blank for a long time, believers will generally lack enough cognitive foundation, knowledge reserve, and space to discuss, think and reflect on them. Once pushed to the cusp of the times and suddenly placed in a strange generation, we will find that our faith simply cannot bear the weight of the struggles we face, and we will feel that the teachings of the Bible have suddenly become empty and weak. Even after confusion and hesitation, it may be better to fight and "make up".
At present, the Chinese church is in a period of historical opportunity to change its development mode, so we should cherish this excellent strategic opportunity to develop "self". Chinese churches need to pay more attention to their believers' faith quality and spiritual life in the hard work of internal strength and physical fitness. This depends not only on our cognitive level and consciousness level, but also on how to find and adopt suitable and specific grasping and practice modes, and more importantly, a spirit of perseverance. This is a kind of quiet work, and even dull and depressing work. However, if the spiritual life of most believers is shaped, the belief quality is improved, and the ability is cultivated and promoted, then we, the church, and the nation become fortunate.
(This article was originally published in a Christian magazine named "Faith and Learning". CCD translated with permission.)
- Translated by Charlie Li
待机守时, 发展"自我" ——论中国教会事工重心由重数量向重质量转移
一个有目共睹的事实是，中国教会自“文革”后复堂以来，各项事工蒸蒸日上，尤为显著的是在数量上（新建教堂和新受洗信徒）获得了超常规的增长。据中外学界都比较认可的数据，在2014年中国基督徒人数已达2300万至4000万之间，约占我国总人口的1.7%—2.9%。
就苏州教会而言，20万信徒2占1300万常住人口的比重只有1.5%略强，甚至还低于全国平均水平，然而绝对数量却不在少数。窃以为，当前苏州教会乃至全国教会的信徒人数都已经达到一定基准面，教会如无未雨绸缪的远见，教会的质就有可能被庞大的量所化约稀释，最终丧失了教会的本性和自我。
1989年圣诞前夕，丁光训主教在回答金陵协和神学院若干神学生提问时曾作出答复，认为传扬福音是一个人归向了基督，自然会愿望为主作见证的。谁也不能否认，中国的教会是个传福音的教会，要不然，怎么会有许多新的信徒呢？但是他提醒一下，教会还有其他职责，通过崇拜、讲道、查经、谈话去帮助信徒培育灵命十分重要。
1995年11月在三自爱国运动四十五周年庆祝会上，丁主教在讲话中再次向全国教会发出从“三自”到“三好”的号召。即中国教会要加强内涵建设，不仅要立起来，还要强起来，更要严起来；努力由“三自”跃升至“三好”。
当前，中国教会正处于向纵深发展的历史新时期，教会事工重心由重数量的增长向重素质的提升转变既顺应历史发展的潮流，既符合丁主教“传好”的号召；也是“传好”的题中应有之义，更是基督教中国化的本质要求。
1. 立起来——构建神学上的“自我”
教会事工重心转向素质提升的目标所面对的首当其冲的问题，即是我们要建设什么样的教会、培育什么样的信徒这一核心问题。简言之，我们要始终遵循并维护什么样的“质”？这个“质”包含那些基本内核和合理内核？也就是中国教会要向外界展现的“自我”是什么？
毋须讳言，处于后宗派时期的中国教会虽然常常令境外兄弟教会艳羡咂舌，但是我们从1958年教会实行联合礼拜至今，一直不具备成熟的条件来发展和形成中国教会后宗派身份的神学理论基础，可以形象地称之为“铁匠无样——边打边相”，局部还可能是“四不像”。从神学建构的角度来看，中国教会在教会论的自我定位上仍然缺乏清晰的表达，各种不同神学立场及表现形式玉石杂糅，尤其是目前教会的本质和合一的神学等教会论的表述没有形成，或尚处于建构的草创阶段。
今天坊间流传乃至媒体公开报道的有关中国教会存在的一些光怪陆离的混乱现象，异端或错谬的道理也不时侵入教会。我们亟需以上帝的圣言装备信徒，并常存警惕的心来检讨教会的信仰。
为此，中国教会的当务之急是应当清楚认识大公教会的信仰和传统，以及自身的小传统和中国教会的性格；又要明白我们与境外其他兄弟教会的差异和相同之处，并且能够以尊重和理解的平情之态审慎地辨识各方独特和值得重视的优点和不足之处。在维护教会正统信仰的同时，提炼总结概括发展出中国教会神学上的“自我”。
窃以为，构建中国教会神学“自我”的关键在于制定“中国教会信仰告白”或“中国教会认信宣言”，以及在此基础上编订“中国教会教理问答”并在广大信徒中推而广之。因为信仰告白是教会的核心与灵魂，教会之所以为教会的缘由正是建立在对基督正确的信仰告白之上；
换言之，教会之所以为教会的缘由正是由于信仰告白对我们信仰的界定和规范。当彼得说“你的基督，是永生上帝的儿子”（太16:16）之时，耶稣说“我要把我的教会建立在这磐石上”（太16:18）。“这磐石上”的“这”，即是“彼得的信仰告白”——耶稣是基督、是永生上帝的儿子，“这”也就是后世教会必须坚持的信仰核心要义和基石。
只有清楚明白地领会了“中国教会信仰告白”的实质和内涵，并有见识地、自愿地从心里认同，才可能帮助信徒在信仰上拥有定力，避免过于狭隘或过于宽容的弊端，化解混乱、分化、偏离真道的危机。只有以清晰明了的中国教会信仰告白为指引，在教会事工由重量向重质转变过程中才不至于迷失方向，随波逐流。
只有建立在厚实的圣经基础之上的正统神学的理解和思辨，才可以引导并塑造信徒的属灵生命，教会才能屹立磐石而不摇动。只有信徒切实遵行基督的命令，以灵修强化内在生命并活出良好的道德生活，才能发挥基督徒光和盐的作用。
此外，尚需注意的是对于一些富有争议的信仰和教会传统的话题，除了参考历代教会先辈、属灵领袖和圣经学者的言论之外，我们还必须对相关问题作深入的、全面的研究，以温柔忍耐的心来教导和劝勉，并谋求在所属教会内塑造合乎圣经教训的共同信念。
2. 强起来——建立培育“自我”的牧养体系
问：您对神学教育很满意吗？
答：不能说很满意。对神学师生的教学也好，牧师传道人的讲道也好，文字工作同工的写作也好，我希望大家不要因今天不愁信徒少而马虎。我愿意大家在“满足信徒”之余，不忘记还要提高信徒，像保罗为腓立比信徒所祈求的，要他们的“爱心在知识和各样见识上多而又多”，“能分别是非，作诚实无过的人，直到基督的日子，并靠着耶稣基督结满了仁义的果子”（腓1:9-10）。
这是丁光训主教于1997年1月在接受《天风》记者采访时对我们寄予的殷切期望。他希望中国教会的“三支队伍”（神学院校的教师、教会的牧师传道人、从事基督教文字工作的同工）“不能满足于“满足信徒”，而是要“提高信徒”。所谓由“满足信徒”到“提高信徒”，就是要注重信徒信仰素质的提升和属灵生命的塑造。
那么，这一目标又何以达成？这就涉及到教会牧养体系的问题。教会如何贯彻落实信仰告白，对已经认信的信徒给予何种训练，对已长成了的信徒如何造就成为同工，面对有需要的信徒如何用圣经话语来建立其信心、操守和品格，以及如何发展其恩赐，激励其更加委身于教会等等，这些相关问题的系统化、规范化，就是建立良好的牧养体系的过程。
教会之所以成为教会，不仅在于要有信仰告白的规范和界定，更在于信仰告白能具体落实在教会牧养体系和牧养过程之中。这一逻辑的必然，就需要我们去建立和培育能够实现信仰告白的牧养体系。
在建立牧养体系的过程中，窃以为以下数端尤为关键：首先，教会要在群体环境里塑造信徒的品格，教会要以信仰告白为贯穿牧养始终的红线，以建设高度认同教会远象、委身所属教会群体、以恩赐彼此服事的认信的信仰共同体为根本目标，扎实推广普及“信仰告白”的教育和再教育。
其次，教会上下营造和培育对“信仰告白”的自觉意识，使得众信徒自觉地意识到我们是有着“一主、一信、一洗”的忠于基督、诚于正统、见证福音的信仰共同体。
复次，对信仰告白的确信和持守不仅体现在口头认信中，更要落实在教会实际的教导、祷告、见证、交通、培训，以及内蕴在教会日常的运作和治理中；发生在教会的一切言说和行动中，尤其是发生在教会一切明确的、系统的教导和关怀体系中，也就是发生在牧养体系的方方面面和每一个环节，形成休戚相关的信仰共同体。
具体而言，由于教会生活主要是以群体的崇拜形式来体现的，因此在牧养体系的建设中，必不可少的内容和措施应包括：狠抓主日崇拜及其他类型的崇拜，更新和提升崇拜精神；深化细化小组化牧养，帮助信徒夯实基础、筑牢根基；强调委身，以恩典彼此服事；作光作盐，造福社会，见证基督，等等。
3. 严起来——完善治理体系，为发展“自我”保驾护航
教会是一个信仰的团体，也是一个生活的团体，众信徒在教会内彼此是兄弟姊妹，手足情深，应忠厚、友爱、乐于同居共处，知道同舟共济。但如何保证教会在作为一个生活团体的同时保证信仰团体的本色不变，只有规矩才能定方圆，这就需要一套有理有据且行之有效的治理体系来实现。
自马丁·路德改教以来，新教教会都秉持改教家的传统和精神。一般都承认判定真假教会的标志为圣道、圣礼和教会纪律是否被正确地宣讲和执行。因为只有权威的教会纪律才能保证圣道得到正确地宣讲、圣礼得到正确地施行。同理，教会福音事工的重心由重数量增长向重素质提升的转变能否实现，信仰告白能否贯彻牧养教导的始终，牧养体系及牧养模式能否顺利推行，都有赖于教会纪律执行的规范性、适切性和有效性。
所谓教会纪律，应包含正反两方面的内容和目的：一是正面的教导、提醒和预防，即教会教导信徒对圣经真理及伦理守则有正确的认识，并合宜地实践在生活中；二是负面的亡羊补牢后的惩戒、纠正和治疗，即是在信徒犯罪后，教会给予其相应的纪律处分，这既是对当事人的挽回教育，也是以儆效尤，以免他人受影响而败坏整体的信仰。
信仰告白的落实有赖于牧养体系的推行和运转，也离不开教会外在治理体系的保驾护航。就此而言，中国教会当务之急是建章立制，加快步伐修订完善现有的教会规章，构建教会治理体系，特别是其中要包括治疗性的惩戒原则和具体措施。
综上，在教会福音事工重心转移的过程中，信仰告白是核心，牧养体系是抓手，治理体系是保障。三者是首尾相顾，环环相扣，彼此关联而不可分割的统一体。只要能够建立起明确而权威的信仰告白、正确而有效的牧养体系、正当而合理的治理体系，由重量向重质转变的目标就一定能实现。
结语
教会若没有远象，就没有方向。历史告诉我们：如果我们在诸多问题上长期交白卷，信徒总体缺乏足够的认知基础、知识储备及空间去讨论、思考和反思，一旦被时代推到风尖浪口，突然置身于一个陌生的世代，就会发现我们的信仰根本无法承载所面临的挣扎，更会觉得圣经的教导突然变得空洞与乏力，即使在困惑与彷徨之余，奋起抗争并“补课”，或许也是亡羊补牢、回天乏术。
当下的中国教会正处于转变发展模式的历史机遇期，我们要珍惜抢抓这一发展“自我”的绝佳战略机遇。中国教会在苦练内功、强身健体上，需要我们把有限的精力更多的放在狠抓信徒信仰素质和灵命塑造上来。这不仅取决于我们的认知水平和觉悟层度，也在于如何发现并采用合适的具体的抓手和实践模式，更需要一种持之以恒的精神。这是一种沉静的工作，甚至是沉闷乃至苦闷的工作。但如果大多数信徒的灵命得以塑造，信仰素质得到提高，能力得到培养并提升，则吾人幸甚，教会幸甚，国家幸甚。
待机守时, 发展"自我" ——论中国教会事工重心由重数量向重质量转移
It is an obvious fact that various ministries have been flourishing especially in the number of newly built churches and baptized believers since the church in China reopened after the "Cultural Revolution". According to the data acknowledged by both Chinese and foreign academic circles, the number of Christians in China reached between 23 million and 40 million in 2014, accounting for 1.7% - 2.9% of the total population of China.
As far as churches in Suzhou are concerned, the proportion of 200,000 believers to its 13 million permanent residents is only slightly higher than 1.5%, even lower than the national average, but the absolute number is not small. It is believed that the number of Christians in Suzhou has reached a certain benchmark. If a church does not have the foresight to plan ahead, the quality of that church may be diluted by the huge quantity of believers, eventually losing the nature and identity of the church.
On Christmas Eve, 1989, Bishop K.H.Ting replied to questions from students in Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, holding that when a person turned to Christ, he should naturally preach the gospel to be the witness of the Lord. No one can deny that the Chinese church is a church of evangelism, otherwise, how could there be so many new believers? However, he reminded that the church had other duties, and it was very important to help believers cultivate spiritual life through worship, sermons, Bible study, and counseling.
In November 1995, at the 45th-anniversary celebration of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Bishop Ting once again urged the national churches to shift from "Three-Self" to "Three Good" in his speech. That was to say, the Chinese church should strengthen the connotation construction, not only stand up but also be strong and strict.
At present, the Chinese church is in a new historical period of deep development, and the change of the focus of church ministry from emphasizing the growth of quantity to stressing on the improvement of quality not only conforms to the trend of historical development but also fits with Bishop Ting's call of "preaching well". It is also the proper meaning of "spreading well" and the essential requirement of the Sinicization of Christianity.
1. Be established - to construct the theological "self"
The most important issue faced by church ministries when they turn their focus to the goal of improving their quality is the core problem of what kind of church we should build and what kind of believers we should cultivate. In short, what kind of "quality" should we always follow and maintain? What basic kernels and reasonable kernels does this "quality" contain? That is, what is the "self" that the Chinese church wants to show to the outside world?
Needless to say, although Chinese churches in the post-sectarian period often make overseas churches envy, we have not had the mature conditions to develop and form the theological theoretical basis of the post-sectarian identity of Chinese churches since the church practiced joint worship in 1958, which could be vividly referred to as "the blacksmith has no model while striking", resulting in a situation of confusion. From the perspective of theological construction, Chinese churches still lack clear expression on the self-positioning of ecclesiastical theory, and various theological positions and expressions are mixed, especially the expression of ecclesiastical theory such as the essence of the church and the theology of unity, which have not been formed or are still in the initial stage of construction.
Today, there are some strange and chaotic phenomena in Chinese churches, and heresy or wrong principles invade the churches from time to time. We urgently need to equip our believers with God's Word, and always be vigilant to review the faith of the church.
Therefore, the urgent task of Chinese churches is to clearly understand the beliefs and traditions of the Archduke Church, as well as their own small traditions and the character of Chinese churches. We should also understand the differences and similarities between us and churches abroad, and be able to carefully identify the unique and noteworthy advantages and disadvantages of all parties with respect and understanding. While maintaining the orthodox faith of the church, we ought to refine, summarize and develop the theological "self" of the Chinese church.
It is believed that the key to constructing the theological "self" of the Chinese church lies in formulating the "confession of Chinese church belief" or the "declaration of Chinese church belief recognition", and compiling a "Q&A of Chinese church doctrine" on this basis and spreading it among the majority of believers. Because the confession of faith is the core and soul of the church. The reason why the church is a church is based on the confession of correct faith in Christ.
In other words, the reason why the church is a church is precise that the confession of faith defines and regulates our faith. Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). Jesus said, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matt. 16:18). "This", as in "this rock", is "Peter's confession of faith" - Jesus is Christ and the son of the living God. "This" is also the core essence and cornerstone of faith that later churches must adhere to.
Only by clearly understanding the essence and connotation of "confession of Chinese church faith" and consciously and voluntarily recognizing it from the heart, can we help believers have a certain strength in faith, avoid the disadvantages of being too narrow or too tolerant, and resolve the crisis of confusion, differentiation, and deviation from the truth. Only with the guidance of a clear confession of Chinese church faith, can we not lose our way and drift with the tide in the process of changing church ministry from weight to weight.
Only the understanding and speculation of orthodox theology solidly based on the Bible can guide and shape the spiritual life of believers, and the church can stand on the rock without shaking. Only when believers follow Christ's orders, strengthen their inner life, and live a good moral life through spiritual practice, can they play the role of Christian light and salt.
In addition, it should be noted that for some controversial topics of faith and church tradition, besides referring to the speeches of church ancestors, spiritual leaders, and biblical scholars in past dynasties, we must also conduct in-depth and comprehensive research on related issues, teach and encourage them with gentle patience, and seek to shape a common belief in accordance with biblical lessons in our churches.
2. Be strong - to establish a nurturing system that cultivates "self"
Q: Are you satisfied with theological education?
A: I can't say I'm very satisfied. As to the teaching of theological teachers and students, the preaching of preachers, and the writing of authors, I hope that we will not be careless because we don't worry about fewer believers today. I hope that while "satisfying the believers", we will not forget to improve the believers, as Paul prayed for Philippians, "and this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ" (Phil. 1:9-10).
This was the ardent expectation of Bishop K.H.Ting in an interview by Tianfeng, or Heavenly Wind, the magazine of TSPM church in China, in January 1997. He hoped that the "three teams" of Chinese churches (teachers in theological colleges, pastors and preachers in churches, and serving staff engaged in the work of Christian writing) "should not be satisfied with simply 'satisfying believers', but also 'improving believers'". From "satisfying believers" to "improving believers", we should pay attention to the improvement of believers' belief quality and the shaping of spiritual life.
Then, how can this goal be achieved? This involves the problem of the church pastoral system: how the church implements the confession of faith, what kind of training is given to the believers who have already believed in it, how to bring up the long-time believers as serving staff, how to build their confidence, ethics, and character with biblical discourse, and how to develop their gifts and encourage them to commit themselves to the church, etc. The systematization and standardization of these related issues are the processes of establishing a good pastoral system.
The reason why a church becomes a church lies not only in the specification and definition of the confession of faith but also in the concrete implementation of the confession of faith in the pastoral system and process of the church. The necessity of this logic requires us to establish and cultivate a pastoral system that can realize the confession of faith.
In the process of establishing the pastoral system, it is thought that the following aspects are particularly crucial: First, the church should shape the character of believers in the group environment, take the confession of faith as the red line throughout the pastoral process, and take the fundamental goal of building a belief community that highly recognizes the distant image of the church, commits itself to the church group, and believes in giving gifts to serve each other, so as to solidly popularize the education and re-education of the "confession of faith".
Secondly, the church builds and cultivates the self-consciousness of the "confession of faith", which makes all believers consciously realize that we are a faith community with "one master, one faith, one baptism", loyal to Christ, sincere in orthodoxy, and witnesses to the gospel.
Once again, the faith and adherence to the confession of faith are not only reflected in oral confession, but also in the actual teaching, prayer, witnessing, communication, and training of the church, as well as in the daily operation and administration of the church. It takes place in all the words and actions of the church, especially in all the clear and systematic teaching and caring systems of the church, that is, in all aspects and every link of the pastoral system, forming a community of beliefs that are closely related to each other.
Specifically, because church life is mainly embodied in the form of group worship, the essential contents and measures in the construction of pastoral system should include: paying close attention to Sunday worship and other types of worship, updating and upgrading the worship spirit; deepening the refinement of group care and helping believers lay a solid foundation; emphasizing commitment and serving each other with grace; being the light and the salt, benefiting society, testifying Christ, etc.
3. Be strict - to improve the administration system and enhance the development of "self"
The church is a religious group and a living group. All believers are brothers and sisters in the church. They should be loyal, friendly, and willing to live together and help each other in the same boat. However, only measures can determine the outcome, which requires a set of a well-founded and effective management system.
Since Martin Luther's conversion, Protestant churches have upheld the tradition and spirit of reformers. Generally, it is recognized that the marks of judging true and false churches are whether the holy teaching, holy sacrament, and church discipline are correctly preached and implemented. Because only authoritative church discipline can guarantee the correct preaching of the holy way and the correct implementation of the sacraments. In the same way, whether the focus of an evangelism ministry can be changed from increasing quantity to improving quality, whether the confession of faith can be carried out through pastoral teaching, and whether the pastoral system and model can be carried out smoothly; these all depend on the standardization, appropriateness, and effectiveness of the implementation of church discipline.
The so-called church discipline should include both positive and negative contents and purposes: first, positive teaching - the reminding and prevention - the church teaches believers to have a correct understanding of biblical truth and ethical code, and to practice it appropriately in life; second, the negative - punishment, correction, and treatment - after the believers commit sins, the church gives them the corresponding disciplinary sanctions, which is not only a remedial education for the parties but also an example to prevent others from being affected and ruining the whole faith.
The implementation of the confession of faith depends on the implementation and operation of the pastoral system and the effort of the church's external management system. In this regard, the urgent task of the Chinese church is to establish rules and regulations, speed up the revision and improvement of existing church regulations, and build a church administrative system, especially including therapeutic disciplinary principles and specific measures.
To sum up, in the process of shifting the focus of evangelical ministry, the confession of faith is the core, the pastoral system is the starting point, and the administrative system is the guarantee. The three are the unity of caring for each other, interlocking, interrelated and inseparable. As long as a clear and authoritative confession of faith, a correct and effective pastoral care system, and a proper and reasonable administrative system can be established, the goal of changing from quantity to quality will certainly be realized.
Conclusion
If a church has no vision, it has no direction. History tells us that if we leave many issues blank for a long time, believers will generally lack enough cognitive foundation, knowledge reserve, and space to discuss, think and reflect on them. Once pushed to the cusp of the times and suddenly placed in a strange generation, we will find that our faith simply cannot bear the weight of the struggles we face, and we will feel that the teachings of the Bible have suddenly become empty and weak. Even after confusion and hesitation, it may be better to fight and "make up".
At present, the Chinese church is in a period of historical opportunity to change its development mode, so we should cherish this excellent strategic opportunity to develop "self". Chinese churches need to pay more attention to their believers' faith quality and spiritual life in the hard work of internal strength and physical fitness. This depends not only on our cognitive level and consciousness level, but also on how to find and adopt suitable and specific grasping and practice modes, and more importantly, a spirit of perseverance. This is a kind of quiet work, and even dull and depressing work. However, if the spiritual life of most believers is shaped, the belief quality is improved, and the ability is cultivated and promoted, then we, the church, and the nation become fortunate.
(This article was originally published in a Christian magazine named "Faith and Learning". CCD translated with permission.)
- Translated by Charlie Li
Opinion: Chinese Church Ministries Should Shift from Quantity to Quality
