Author: Simon Bartz, 18 October 2024
‘I used to feel like the most shameful person – being poor and looked down upon by others,’ says Zhao Pingxian, aged 75. ‘Now that I've studied the Bible, I'm not afraid of others' judgment. I just want to follow Jesus. Jesus is my only Saviour. Without him, I would be bound by sin.’
Zhao lives in a Chinese town called Longtan and grows vegetables for a living. She often used to wonder about the true meaning of life.
She got sucked into a cult that offered empty promises of redemption as well as putting her trust in fortune tellers. None of it worked out.
When she was confined to her bed by illness and unable to tend her crops, she despaired. It was then that she was visited by members of the Christian community in the town.
They tenderly shared the gospel with her and Jesus healed her wounded spirit. She started attending church and talking to the pastor.
When her younger son vanished in Myanmar, Zhao was devastated. She prayed hard and focused on Deuteronomy 28.4: ‘Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock’ (ESV). Zhao trusted in the Lord and a few months later her son was found alive and well.
She recently received a Bible from her church’s pastor and can be found reading it every morning as the sun rises. When our colleagues in China visited her, she was eager to share her story.
‘The burden of my past struggles started to lighten as I drew nearer to Jesus. It was replaced by a newfound sense of joy and contentment found in God’s word,’ she says.
Over the years, millions of Bibles have been distributed in China and Bible Society supporters have been at the centre of this mammoth distribution. But these Christians need leadership. There is only one ordained minister for every 6,700 believers in China. That’s why your support for pastor training programmes is vital. These Christians need guidance so they can better engage with the Scriptures you have given them.
There are many stories of cults taking advantage of the lack of biblical teaching people are receiving and leading Christians astray. One way of stopping this is to train more ministers. Longtan is a good example of a Christian community that has been blessed with a good leader. The faith of the Christians there is incredibly strong and, despite leading simple lives without luxury, they are full of joy.
The training of young, energetic Chinese ministers will be a massive blessing to Christian communities in rural areas such as Longtan. It will also help Bible mission efforts in Chinese cities where many young people from rural hometowns go to find work.
The Church in China is growing, with an average of 500,000 baptisms and more than a million people joining local fellowships every year. All of these new believers need Bibles and trained ministers to lead their churches and help them to engage with the Scriptures.
Your support will train a leader to open the Bible for a believer like Zhao.
Donate now
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