Reflections on China by Jim Gordon

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 8, 2014

Global Ministries and New Church Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) teamed up to organize an immersion trip to China August 30 to September 15, 2006. The purpose of the trip was to expose new church pastors to Global Ministries’ partners in China and to experience firsthand the vibrant Chinese church. Each participant was encouraged to consider how this exposure to the global church could have an impact on their new church starts back in the U.S. and Canada.

Reflections on China
by Jim Gordon

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to visit China with my friends and colleagues in New Church Ministry; and I feel greatly blessed to have shared this experience with a most amazing ambassador for Christ, the Rev. Dr. Xiaoling Zhu, Area Executive for East Asia and Pacific, Common Global Ministries of Disciples and UCC, and a delightful journalist, Sherri Wood Emmons (Managing Editor of Disciples World). In my 39 years of ministry, I have never had a more eye-opening or more heart-warming experience. I will always cherish the memories, the friendships and the insights that I have gained.

And, speaking of friendships, I feel that one of the great values of this trip was the opportunity to bond with a wonderfully gifted, culturally diverse group of New Church pastors. What a great experience that was! I am a better pastor and a better person for having been in the company of such committed servants of Jesus Christ.

As for my experiences in China, I hardly know where to begin. I was overwhelmed by the number of people that I saw and by the thousands of high-rise apartment buildings that we passed. As I tried to comprehend the immensity of it all, I recalled a poem I once read. I don’t recall who wrote it, but I do remember the words (more or less)—and somehow they seemed to fit what I saw during the two weeks that I was there. The poem went something like this:

Before my inward open vision, millions of faces crowd into view; sad eyes that say, “For us is no provision—give us your Savior too. Give us,” they cry, “your cup of consolation; never to our outreaching hands ‘tis passed. We long for the Desire of every nation; and we die, oh so fast.”

But, in spite of the hugeness of the task, there is no doubt in my mind that the church will continue to grow . . . because the spiritual vitality of the Church in China is unmistakable. I saw evidence of it everywhere we went.

I will never forget the energy and enthusiasm of the pastors that we met (some of them much older than I). Even though they had been through some very difficult times in the past, they were totally focused on the future and full of excitement about the new facilities they were planning to build and the new ministries they were planning to undertake. I was inspired by their dedication and by their refusal to let age or circum- stances deter them from their calling.

I will never forget the commitment of those faithful souls who attended the Sunday worship service in Nanjing (some of whom had been there since 5:30 a.m.). The extreme heat and humidity could not keep them away. Nor could the lack of seating space keep them away. They were determined to worship God, even if they had to stand outside under the open windows or gather around a closed-circuit TV in the building next door in order to participate. I found this to be in stark contrast to the apathy that so often characterizes the church in America.

I will never forget the rural church that we visited where the entire congregation came out to greet us—on a Saturday! I was humbled by their wonderful hospitality and by their extreme generosity. The choir sang beautifully and with such obvious love for the Lord. But the most memorable part of the visit was when we said our good-byes. The smiles, the handshakes, the hugs, the tears—all served to underscore the fact that we are one body in Christ . . . with one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all. And as I looked out the back window of the bus and saw the people standing at the gate watching us depart, I felt that I was leaving part of my family behind. It was a very moving experience!

And, most of all, I will never forget the young woman from Xi’an (Lucy) who, during the flight to Beijing, accepted an invitation to attend worship the following Sunday. I was so honored to be able to give her the Bible that I had purchased as a souvenir while I was in Shanghai. She is now on our church prayer list as well as my personal prayer list. I am hoping to make contact with her via e-mail to let her know that she remains in my thoughts and prayers.

One of the most meaningful moments of our entire trip was the Memorial Service for Rev. Zhu (Xiaoling’s father) in Hefei. I felt greatly honored to be present for this service. It was very apparent that Rev. Zhu was greatly loved by the students and faculty of Anhui Seminary. One of the students who sang in the choir caught my eye because of the tears that she shed during the service. Later, another member of our group commented to me that he had observed the same thing. The soloist (Xiaoling’s sister-in-law) communicated in a powerful way the hope that is ours in Christ. I didn’t have to understand the words to understand the message of the song—and it lifted my spirit.

I was also grateful for the opportunity to meet Michael and Doreen McFarlane (in Nanjing) and Elizabeth and Doug Searle and their son (in Chengdu). They are capable and caring people, and it makes me proud to know that people of their caliber and commitment are serving in China. If I didn’t love doing New Church Ministry so much, I would seriously consider joining them.

I was tremendously impressed with the social service/education programs of Amity and the Amity Printing Press. I knew that China was no longer closed to Christianity and to the dissemination of the Gospel, but I was totally unprepared for what I saw when we visited the printing press. The work that they are doing is phenomenal. I couldn’t believe how many Bibles they are printing and distributing (with the help of United Bible Societies) throughout China. And to think that some of my friends in America are still under the impression that Bibles are being smuggled into China. How things have changed!

If there is one need that weighs more heavily on the Church in China than any other need, it would have to be the need for teachers who can prepare young men and women for ministry in the local church. There are thousands of congregations (i.e., meeting places) without an ordained pastor. The seminaries and Bible Schools are doing the best that they can with woefully inadequate resources; but they need to do more. Hopefully, the check that I am forwarding by snail mail will help to equip the library at Anhui Seminary with some much-needed books.

I could write many more pages about my experiences in China and the feelings that I have about what is happening there. But, hopefully, what I have written will serve to convey my profound gratitude for the opportunity that was given to me. Thank you, Rick, for inviting me to participate. And thank you, Xiaoling, for the grace and good humor that you extended to all of us while we were there. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my entire life; and it has given me a whole new appreciation for the work that is being done through Global Ministries. If part of the purpose for this trip was to help new churches like Cross Bridge become more outwardly focused, it certainly worked. If you ever decide to take another trip to China, I would love the opportunity to tag along.