初谈宋尚节
（接上文）

厦门鼓浪屿三一堂 Trinity Church in Gulangyu

美国归正教厦门差会传教士一览表 List of The Reformed Church Xiamen Missionaries

• 我的厦门之旅

        2025年6月8日，带着一颗谦卑寻索的心，我与乔治牧师踏上了追寻早期传教士与宋尚节属灵足迹的旅程。结束草湖教堂的参观与学习后，我们于下午三点半自莆田启程，驱车前往那座古老与现代交织的城市——厦门。

• 潘维廉

        傍晚五点多，我们如约见到了厦门大学的潘维廉教授（Dr. William N. Brown）[1]。此时的厦门车水马龙、人潮如织，连停车位都成了奢侈的期待。潘教授是一位美国的“中国通”，笑容温和，语气亲切，谈吐间充满幽默与智慧。虽是初次谋面，却有一种久别重逢的亲切感。我笑着问他：“厦门这么拥挤，你怎么会喜欢这里？”我之所以这样问，是因为与我居住的美国小石城相比，这里显得热闹喧嚣得多，几乎让人透不过气。     
  他幽默地回答：“我从来没有喜欢过这里，但上帝却让我在这里生活了三十七年。”
  这句风趣却饱含深意的话，让我们都会心一笑。
  潘教授确实深爱这片土地。他是1992年福建省第一位获得外国人永久居留证的人，多年来积极投入地方文化、教育与社会发展的研究与交流。他被誉为“中国通”，并于2019年获评央视“感动中国年度人物”之一。2024年央视元旦晚会上，我们甚至还在YouTube上看到他熟悉的身影。
  晚餐时，潘教授带我们到一家素食餐馆。那一晚，整个餐馆只有我们三人。短短两个小时，我们畅谈信仰与人生——从他与妻子在中国的生活点滴，到我在美国牧会、研究福建传教史及宋尚节的经验。他提到自己曾经历两次癌症手术，如今仍蒙主保守，使他依然可以在中国工作和生活。他给我的印象是：他这个美国人，比我这个中国人更了解中国；而我这个在美国生活多年的中国人，却未必真正了解美国。
     他语重心长地说：“我们不能只透过西方媒体了解中国，就像不能只透过中国媒体了解美国一样。若想真正认识一个地方，就必须亲自走进去，否则我们没有资格评论。”的确，眼见为实、耳听则虚。
     谈到信仰生活，他分享自己在中国参加登记教会的聚会。对于家庭教会与三自教会之间的关系，他则以更广阔的神国眼光去看待和理解。那种包容与洞察的胸襟，对我极有启发。
        夜色渐浓，我们还要前往拜访另一位牧者，只得与潘教授依依惜别。临别时，他送给我三本著作：《我不见外：老潘的中国来信》（Off the Wall—How We Fell for China）、《老外看老鼓浪屿》（Old Gulangyu in Foreigners’ Eyes）、《从泉州出发：老潘说海上丝绸之路》（From Quanzhou: Old Pan Talking about the Maritime Silk Road）。这些书成为我旅途中最珍贵的纪念——它们不仅帮助我更深入了解福建与海上丝绸之路的历史，也让我看到古代外国人眼中的福建人形象，以及传教士初入福建时留下的珍贵史料。        
          那天晚上，我们又去了厦门东屿堂，拜访一对牧师夫妇。尽管夜色已深，两位牧师和几位同工仍热情接待我们，向我们介绍了当地教会的基本情况。那晚，牧师安排一对基督徒夫妇刘弟兄和钟姐接待我们，住在他们家开的家庭旅馆。钟姐是教会的女执事。他们非常淳朴热情，我们在主里交通至深夜。我们觉得住在他们家给他们添麻烦了，但他们笑着说：“在主里我们都是一家人，能相聚就是缘分，能接待神的仆人实在是神的祝福。”
        与他们分享时，刘弟兄特别提到：“在别的地方，人会问你家几个人信主；但在福建，人们通常会问，‘你们家几代人信主？’” 从这个简单的问题，就可见福建基督教有深厚的历史与信仰根基。
         第二天早晨，我们在钟姐家享用了她亲手准备的爱心早餐后，便赶往码头乘船去鼓浪屿。从厦门到鼓浪屿的一河之隔，正是当年宋尚节举行布道会时，人们经过的路线。

• 鼓浪屿人民小学

         我们乘坐邮轮约二十分钟后抵达鼓浪屿。这座岛上没有车辆，所有人都徒步而行。从码头走十分钟的弯曲小路，我们便来到三一堂。由于时间尚早，接待人员尚未到，我们就在周围随意走走。岛上随处可见传教士历史的印记。靠近教堂的是鼓浪屿人民小学，孩子们正在操场上做早操。围墙上记载着学校的历史：
               “鼓浪屿人民小学前身是英、美教会十九世纪中期创办的鼓浪屿怀仁女校和毓德女
                校。两校从小学办起，发展为包括小学、中学、师范部在内的女子学校。1938年
                学校开始招收男生……1967年学校更名为鼓浪屿人民小学。
                     怀仁女学为闽南女子学校（乌埭dài女学）1877年由美国长老会倪为霖牧师
             娘（Mrs. Macgregor）与吴罗宾牧师娘募资建校于鼓浪屿。当时的主理是“仁历西
             姑娘”（Jessie Johnston，1861-1907）。乌埭女学开办之初，仍以传教、教读《圣
             经》为主，兼学如地理、算术、缝纫、家务经济等。
                     毓德女校则是在1870年美国归正教会（R.C.A.）打马字牧师娘玛丽·（Mrs.
            Eliza Deventer Talmage），汲澧澜牧师娘海伦(Mrs. Helen Culbertson Kip)、戴维斯牧
           师娘埃玛（Mrs. Emma C. W. Davis）在厦门创办女学，中文校名为“培德学校”
        （Character-Developing School），1921年称毓德女子中学”。[2]

• 三一堂

         我们再次回到三一堂。教堂外墙上有一副乳白色石雕壁画《主是好牧人》：青山绿水之间，耶稣左手持杖、右手抱着一只小羊，身后跟随着许多羊。壁画中耶稣慈祥的目光深情注视着怀中的小羊，流露出他无微不至的爱。
                  “三一堂奠基石：中鐫“蓋所置之基，即耶穌基督也”（林前3：11），中上刻有發
                  光之十字架；連十架而下有向左右伸出心狀形之棕樹枝。三一堂會：要建造在基
                  督的基礎上。要永遠以十字架夸勝。會友們的心要備為聖神駐蹕[2]之所（摘自
                 1935年刊印的三一堂会宗旨及奠基石铭”。[3]         

         我们走进教堂的二楼。墙上张贴着“美国归正教厦门差会传教士一览表”（见上图）。正如希伯来书所说：“从前引导你们、传神之道给你们的人，你们要想念他们，效法他们的信心，留心看他们为人的结局”（来13：7）。
          雷远焱长老热情接待我们，并简要介绍了三一堂的历史。他说，“三一堂”的名字本身就是合一的见证：它包含三位一体的真神；新街、竹树、厦港三堂会友合一成一教会；三个堂会合建三一教堂；美国归正教、英国伦敦会、英国长老会三公会联合资助建造三一教堂等多重意义。
         上帝赐给三一堂的地址是在岛的正中心，四面八方都能听到教堂的钟声。教堂于1927年筹建，1934年10月24日破土动工。一位荷兰工程师为三一堂义务设计了一座先进无梁钢结构屋顶，并自费到香港督造，解经建筑中最大的技术难题。[4] 这位荷兰工程师说：“我母亲叫我读神学，做传道，我没有照母亲的话读神学，所以，我在各地为教会做什么工作，都是奉献的。”[5]
          1936年7月，屋顶吊装及室内粗装修完成。同年7月10日，由宋尚节博士主持，为期一个月，共一千六百人参加的第二届全国基督徒查经会如期在三一堂举行，以此为标志，本堂第一阶段建筑工程宣告完成。[6]
          雷长老还介绍说：原来教堂的邻居是不信主的，但多年以后主做了奇妙的工作，感动他和家人信主。终于在“1997年，上帝感动旅居加拿大李金燕姐妹将邻接三一堂东边的施恩房产全部献给三一堂。” [7] 至此，三一堂曲折的六十六年建筑史终于圆满。

• 蔡丽霞

          雷长老听说我研究宋尚节，便立即带我们去探访一位蔡丽霞老人，并说她曾亲身接触过宋博士。我们早上九点多抵达她家，由儿媳接待。老人亲自弹奏《每想到你》（Lord Jesus, When I Think of Thee）。[8]
         老人今年93岁，不到一岁时双目失明。本来她的眼睛不该失明，却因医生误用药物而致盲。她一岁多时，阿姨抱她去见宋博士，还没开口，宋博士就说：“上帝有旨意，你盲眼比眼睛看到更好。” 从此，她外在看不见，却一生看见了上帝的光明。
         我问她：“您学过弹琴吗？”
         她答：“二十岁时在家里请老师教过，但没上过正规学校。”
         她的儿媳补充说：“她小时候六七岁到福州盲校学习，十多岁到上海盲校。她能识字，连英文都会讲。五十多岁才学英语，能读英文盲文圣经，也会用盲文写。” 尽管看不见光明，她的心灵却极其丰富。
         我又问：“她什么时候结婚？”
         儿媳说：“大约1960年结婚。她先生也是盲人，两人因工作相识。那时鼓浪屿成立了教会办的盲人学校，她在那里任教，教盲人写字和生活技能。后来学生减少，盲校改成聋哑学校，她便被分配到残疾人印刷厂工作，不久后退休。”
         她从上海回来后，尚未结婚就已在教会司琴。她服事主七八十年，用生命见证了神的大能。直到今年，她才停止在教会司琴。
         乔治牧师感叹道：“宋博士告诉你的话，影响你一生的路。上帝告诉你他有旨意，也告诉你他所预备的更好。为上帝而活，太宝贵了！”
         他又说：“我真的觉得这样的圣诗太好了！它本身就是信仰。现在年轻人或许技巧很好，但少了那份灵性。”
        老人微笑着补充：“他们不能把意思弹出来。”
         由于赶飞机，我们匆匆离开。雷长老带我们走一条隧道直达码头。路上我好奇地问：“这个地方为什么叫鼓浪屿？”
         雷长老解释：“因为岛上岩石受海浪撞击，声若击鼓，因此得名。”更具体地说，“岛南部有一岩礁，其洞穴受浪拍击，远听如擂鼓，故名鼓浪屿。” [9]
        鼓浪屿真是人杰地灵，许多历史名人在此留下足迹，成为这座小岛无形的财富与不可取代的魅力。穿过隧道，墙上镌刻着许多名人介绍，包括中国第一位专业声乐教育家、第一位合唱女指挥家、第一位女作曲家周淑安（1894–1974），病毒学家、中国科学院院士黄祯祥（1910–1987），中国近代体育先驱马约翰（1882–1966），[10] 著名作家林语堂（1895–1976；他于年老时皈依基督），以及厦门第一所正规医院小溪和鼓浪屿救市医院、闽南近代第一所医学专科学校创办人、妇女医院与护士组织创办者、医学博士兼传教士郁约翰（John Abraham Otte，1861–1910）等。
         结语：
　   读万卷书，行万里路。短短一个晚上与一个下午的行程，匆匆掠过这座历史与文明交汇的古城厦门，虽觉意犹未尽，却在所见所遇之间，心灵深受触动。从拜访潘教授，到漫步鼓浪屿、参观三一堂、探访蔡丽霞老人，每一处都让我学到宝贵的属灵功课，也为我对宋尚节的研究开启了新的视野。
　　厦门三一堂的戴弟兄曾意味深长地说：“教会历史需要时间的沉淀与深入的思考，才能更好地领悟神的旨意。” [11] 这句话宛如回响，提醒我：凡属上帝的工作，都在时间中被炼净，被显明。
　　回眸之间，在上帝那里，千年如一日，一日如千年。人间的一夜，在永恒中不过是光中的一瞬。然而，那一夜与一晨的厦门之行，仿佛在基督的光照下，让我得以窥见永恒的一隅。愿上帝那不息的荣光，继续照耀这片曾蒙眷顾的土地，也照亮每一个仍在寻找家园、渴望遇见主的心田。（全文完）
 

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                    [1] 李春海：“初谈宋尚节”，10/19/25 牧者之言，浏览于2025年11月12日，https://lricbc.org/?p=1762。

             [2] 当时传教士夫人创办女子学校具有重大的时代意义：首先，它打破性别封闭，铲除中国旧社会妇女缠足的陋习，推动了男女共同拥有受教育的权利；第二，引入西式教育理念，奠定中国女子教育制度基础；第三，以教育为桥梁，推进福音在华落地生根。

                [3] 三一堂始建于1934年，2006年入选全国重点文保单位, 2025-05-10 08:12 发布于：福建省, 浏览于2025年11月11日，https://www.sohu.com/a/889146709_100199564。

               [2] 蹕读bì，指古代帝王出行时清道戒严的意思。更进一步说，当圣灵在信徒里面内住时，任何人或事物都无权打扰或侵犯。

           [4]《三一堂八十年》（Trinity Church, 1934-2014）（厦门：厦门市基督教三一堂，2014），4.

             [5] 《三一堂八十年》（Trinity Church, 1934-2014），18。

             [6] 《三一堂八十年》（Trinity Church, 1934-2014），34。

             [7]《三一堂八十年》（Trinity Church, 1934-2014），ii, 18。

             [8] 《三一堂八十年》（Trinity Church, 1934-2014），ii-iii。

              [9] “盲人基督徒司琴师93岁蔡丽霞 1- 93 Blind Christian Pianist Sister Cailixia 1,” 浏览于2025年11月13日，  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm0zHqqAf2A&list=RDGm0zHqqAf2A&start_radio=1。

              [10] 潘维廉（William N. Brown）：《老外看老鼓浪屿》(Old Gulangyu in Foreigners’ Eyes)，潘文功、钟太福译（厦门：厦门大学出版社，2010），29。

               [11] 马约翰说：“我是基督徒，是浸信会的成员”。袁 帆：“春田学院官网马约翰史料介绍与评析”，清华大学校史馆，浏览于2025年11月12日，https://xsg.tsinghua.edu.cn/info/1003/2798.htm。

              [12] 《三一堂八十年》（Trinity Church, 1934-2014），297。

An Initiative Reflection on John Sung
(continued from the above)

• My Journey to Xiamen

       On June 8, 2025, with a humble and seeking heart, Pastor George and I set out to trace the spiritual footsteps of early missionaries and John Sung. After visiting and studying at Caohu Church, we departed Putian at 3:30 p.m., driving toward Xiamen, a city where ancient history and modern life intertwine.

Dr. William N. Brown
       Around 5 p.m., we met with Professor William N. Brown of Xiamen University [1] as planned. At that time, Xiamen was bustling with traffic and throngs of people; even finding a parking space felt like a luxury. Professor Brown, an American well-versed in Chinese culture, greeted us with a gentle smile and warm demeanor. His conversation was full of humor and wisdom. Although it was our first meeting, there was a sense of familiarity, as if we were old friends reunited. I jokingly asked him, “Xiamen is so crowded—how do you manage to like living here?” I asked this because, compared with Little Rock, where I live in the U.S., Xiamen seemed far livelier and noisier, almost overwhelming.
       He replied with a humorous yet profound remark: “I’ve never really liked living here, but God has allowed me to live here for thirty-seven years.” This witty statement brought knowing smiles to both our faces.
       Professor Brown clearly loves this land deeply. In 1992, he became the first foreigner in Fujian Province to receive permanent residency. Over the years, he has been actively involved in the study and exchange of local culture, education, and social development. He is regarded as a “China expert” and was recognized as one of CCTV’s “Touching China” figures in 2019. We even saw his familiar presence on YouTube during the 2024 CCTV New Year’s Gala.
       That evening, Professor Brown took us to a vegetarian restaurant, where we were the only three guests. During those two short hours, we talked extensively about faith and life—from his daily experiences in China with his wife to my ministry in the U.S. and research on the history of missions in Fujian and John Sung. He shared that he had undergone two cancer surgeries, yet God had preserved him, allowing him to continue working and living in China. I was struck by the irony: he, as an American, knows China better than I do as a Chinese; yet I, a Chinese who has lived in the United States for many years, may not truly understand America.
       He earnestly said, “We cannot understand China only through Western media, just as we cannot understand the U.S. only through Chinese media. To truly know a place, you must go there yourself; otherwise, you have no right to comment.” Indeed, seeing with one’s own eyes is far more reliable than secondhand information.
        On the topic of faith, he shared about attending registered church gatherings in China. Regarding the relationship between house churches and Three-Self churches, he looked with a broader perspective of God’s kingdom, demonstrating a spirit of humility and insight that deeply inspired me.
         As night fell, we had to visit another pastor, so we reluctantly parted with Professor Brown. Before leaving, he gifted me three of his books: Off the Wall—How We Fell for China, Old Gulangyu in Foreigners’ Eyes, and From Quanzhou: Old Pan Talking about the Maritime Silk Road. These became cherished mementos of my journey, helping me gain deeper insights into Fujian’s history, the Maritime Silk Road, and the early missionaries’ impressions of the region.
         That night, we visited Dongyu Church in Xiamen and met a pastor couple. Despite the late hour, they and several church coworkers warmly welcomed us, introducing the local church situation. The pastor arranged for Brother Liu and Sister Zhong, a Christian couple, to host us at their family-run guesthouse. Sister Zhong serves as a deacon in the church. They were incredibly kind and hospitable. Although we worried about causing them trouble, they said with smiles, “In the Lord, we are all one family. Meeting together is a blessing, and hosting God’s servants is truly God’s favor.”
         Brother Liu remarked, “In other places, people ask how many in your family are Christians; in Fujian, they ask, ‘How many generations in your family are believers?’” This simple question reveals the deep roots of Christianity in Fujian.
        The next morning, after enjoying a lovely breakfast prepared by Sister Zhong, we hurried to the pier to take a boat to Gulangyu Island. The river separating Xiamen from Gulangyu was the very route people took when attending John Sung’s revival meetings.
Gulangyu People’s Primary School
After about twenty minutes by ferry, we arrived at Gulangyu. There are no vehicles on the island; everyone travels on foot. A ten-minute walk along a winding path from the pier brought us to Trinity Church. Since it was still early, the reception staff had not yet arrived, so we wandered the area. Everywhere on the island bore the marks of missionary history. Near the church stood Gulangyu People’s Primary School, where children were doing morning exercises. The wall displayed the school’s history:
           “The predecessor of Gulangyu People’s Primary School was the Huairen Girls’ School
            and Yude Girls’ School, founded in the mid-19th century by British and American
            churches. These schools started as primary schools and eventually developed to include
            middle schools and teacher training departments. In 1938, the school began admitting
            boys, and in 1967 it was renamed Gulangyu People’s Primary School.
                  Huairen Girls’ School was established in 1877 in Gulangyu by Mrs. Macgregor, the
           wife of Presbyterian pastor Ni Weilin, and Mrs. Wu Luobin(吴罗宾牧师娘?), funded by
           donations. Jessie Johnston (1861–1907) served as the head. The school initially focused
           on Christian teaching and Bible reading, alongside geography, arithmetic, sewing, and
           household economy.
                   Yude Girls’ School was founded in 1870 in Xiamen by Mrs. Eliza Deventer
            Talmage, Mrs. Helen Culbertson Kip, and Mrs. Emma C. W. Davis of the Reformed
            Church in America. The Chinese name was “Character-Developing School,” later
            renamed Yude Girls’ Middle School in 1921.”[2]

Trinity Church in Gulangyu [3]

          We returned to Trinity Church. On the outer wall, a cream-colored stone relief depicted The Good Shepherd: amidst green hills and flowing water, Jesus held a staff in his left hand and a lamb in his right, followed by many sheep. His tender gaze conveyed the depth of His love.
         The foundation stone of Trinity Church reads:
         “The foundation that has been laid is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11), with a radiant cross
         engraved above, and palm branches extending sideways in heart-shaped forms. Trinity
         Church must be built upon the foundation of Christ, forever glorifying the cross, and the
         hearts of the congregation prepared as dwelling places of the Holy Spirit. (From the 1935
         Trinity Church Constitution and Foundation Stone Inscription)  [4]

        Inside, we saw the “List of The Reformed Church Xiamen Missionaries” posted on the second floor. As Hebrews 13:7 reminds: “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”
        Elder Lei Yuanyan warmly welcomed us and briefly introduced Trinity Church’s history. He explained the meaning of its name, which signifies unity: the Trinity, the unification of congregations from Xinjie, Zhushu, and Xiagang, and the joint funding by three missionary societies—the Reformed Church in America, the London Missionary Society, and the Presbyterian Church in England.  
        God placed Trinity Church at the island’s center, where its bell can be heard from all directions. Construction began in October 1934, with a Dutch engineer volunteering an advanced beamless steel roof design, supervising its construction in Hong Kong at his own expense. [5] The Dutch engineer said, “My mother wanted me to study theology and become a preacher. I did not follow her wish to study theology, so whatever work I do for the church anywhere is my volunteer offering to God.”[6]
         The roof and rough interior were completed in July 1936. On July 10, 1936, Dr. John Sung presided over the second Nationwide Christian Bible Conference with 1,600 participants, marking the completion of Trinity Church’s first phase. [7]
        Elder Lei shared that initially, the church’s neighbors were non-believers, but over the years, God moved them and their families to faith. Eventually, in 1997, Sister Li Jinyan, residing in Canada, donated the adjacent Shien property to Trinity Church,[8] completing its sixty-six-year building history.

Cai Lixia
        Learning that I study John Sung, Elder Lei took us to meet a Senior Sister, Cai Lixia, who had personally met Dr. Sung. We arrived around 9 a.m., greeted by her daughter-in-law. Cai played Lord Jesus, When I Think of Thee herself.[9]
        At 93, she has been blind since infancy due to a medical mishap. When she was just over one year old, her aunt took her to meet John Sung. Before her aunt started to talk, Sung said, “God has a plan. Your blindness is better than sight.” Though she could not see physically, she spent her life seeing God’s light.
      I asked if she had learned piano. She replied, “At twenty, I had lessons at home, but never in formal school.”
       I then asked, “When did she get married?”
       Her daughter-in-law replied, “She got married around 1960. Her husband was also blind; they met through their work. At that time, a church-run school for the blind was established on Gulangyu Island, and she taught there, instructing blind students in writing and daily living skills. Later, as the number of students declined, the school for the blind was converted into a school for the deaf and mute. She was then reassigned to work at a printing factory for people with disabilities, where she stayed until her retirement.”
         After returning from Shanghai, she was already serving as a church organist even before she got married. She has served the Lord faithfully for seventy to eighty years, bearing witness to God’s mighty power through her life. It was only this year that she finally stopped playing the organ at church.
         Pastor George commented, “What Dr. John Sung told you shaped your life. God reveals His will and prepares something even better. Living for God is invaluable!” He added, “Such hymns are wonderful—they embody faith. Today, young people may have skill, but lack that spirituality.” Cai smiled and added, “They cannot express the meaning through the music.”
         Due to our flight schedule, we left hurriedly. Elder Lei guided us through a tunnel to the pier. Curious, I asked why the island was called Gulangyu. Elder Lei explained that the rocks are struck by waves, sounding like drums, hence the name. Specifically, a southern reef’s caves echo waves like a drumbeat.
         Gulangyu is indeed a place where remarkable people have left their marks, contributing to the island’s irreplaceable charm. Along the tunnel walls were introductions to notable figures, including China’s first professional vocal educator, the first female choral conductor, composer Zhou Shuyan (1894–1974), virologist and CAS academician Huang Zhenxiang (1910–1987), sports pioneer X John Ma (1882–1966), [10]  famous writer Lin Yutang (1895–1976, who converted to Christianity in old age), and medical missionary Dr. John Abraham Otte (1861–1910), founder of the first Western medical hospital — Hope Hospital — in Xiaoxi and Gulangyu, as well as the first modern medical college and women’s hospital in Fujian.

Conclusion
        As a Chinese saying goes, “Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.”
In a mere evening and morning, we fleetingly passed through Xiamen, a city where history and civilization converge. Though brief, the experiences deeply touched my heart. From visiting Professor Brown, strolling Gulangyu, exploring Trinity Church, to meeting the blind Senior Sister Cai Lixia, each encounter imparted precious spiritual lessons and opened new perspectives for my research on John Sung.
       Brother Dai of Trinity Church once said meaningfully, “Church history requires the sedimentation of time and in-depth reflection to better understand God’s will.” This echoes in my heart: all of God’s work is refined and revealed over time.
       Looking back, with God, a thousand years is like a day, and a day like a thousand years. One night on earth is but a fleeting instant in eternity. Yet, that evening and morning in Xiamen, under the light of Christ, allowed me a glimpse of eternity. May God’s unceasing glory continue to shine upon this once-favored land and illuminate every heart still seeking a home and yearning to encounter the Lord.    (The end)

---

              [1] Li Chunhai , The Initiative of John Sung, 10/19/25 Pastor’s Word，accessed November 11, 2025, https://lricbc.org/?p=1762.

            [2] The establishment of girls’ schools by missionary wives at that time carried great historical significance. First, it broke through gender barriers and helped eradicate the old Chinese custom of foot-binding, promoting equal educational opportunities for both men and women. Second, it introduced Western educational concepts, laying the foundation for China’s modern system of female education. Third, it used education as a bridge to help the gospel take root and flourish in China.

            [3] Trinity Church was originally built in 1934 and was listed as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2006, the picture published on: May 10, 2025, 08:12, in Fujian Province, accessed November 11, 2025, https://www.sohu.com/a/889146709_100199564.

            [4]Trinity Church, 1934-2014(Xiamen: Xiamen Trinity Church), 4.

              [5] Trinity Church, 18.

              [6] Trinity Church, 34.

              [7] Trinity Church, ii, 18.

              [8] Trinity Church, ii-iii.

               [9] “93 Blind Christian Pianist Sister Cailixia 1,” accessed November 13, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm0zHqqAf2A&list=RDGm0zHqqAf2A&start_radio=1.

              [10] X John Ma said, “I am a Christian, and member of the Baptist church.” Yuan Fan, “Introduction and Analysis of Historical Materials on X John Mo on the Springfield College Official Website,” Tsinghua University History Museum, accessed November 12, 2025, https://xsg.tsinghua.edu.cn/info/1003/2798.htm.

初谈宋尚节 （接上文）宋尚节在厦门         第二届全国查经大会         另一件重要的事件是1936年7月10日至8月8日宋尚节带领在厦门举办的第二届全国查经大会（The Second Nationwide Bible Institute）。[1] 鼓浪屿的三一堂抢在大会之前盖好，堂内可容纳一千六百人。[2]大会共有约两千名代表参加，其中不少人远道而来，包括台湾、新加坡、马来西亚和菲律宾等。数千人共同用一个月时间查考整本圣经，场面极为震撼。蔡志澄记下了此次大会开幕式上宋尚节所讲的“本届查经大会的使命”：[3]         “感谢主赞美主叫我们这第二届全国基督徒布道团查经会，得于今晚依期开幕。召集大会原非易事，幸蒙上主亲自作为其间，诸事乃得顺适如意。客秋，曾一度至南洋群岛为主作证，蒙恩者5000余人，饥渴慕义可见一斑，临行时，1000多人挥泪送别，状极伤感，登轮后独自一人关门恳吁上主垂怜这一般乏牧喂养的群羊。忽听微音，促余在厦举办第二届查经大会。感谢主竟自完成他所应许的话。回国后周行南北继续作证，眼看各处兄姊在奋兴后一片热诚低落千丈，轻信左道异端，走失迷途者比比皆是，更叫我坚心靠主完成本届查经会的使命。同时有北平等好几个地方，要我到他们那边去开查经会，可是为要顺服主的旨意，就决定在厦门举行了。         到底这次查经大会使命何在？我们也不能不细心思想。上帝选召我们原要造就我们做个良好的工人，忠勇的战士。在这末世主快再临的时候，上帝再三催促我们要起来担负他所付托我们的职责！我们到这里来，并不是为物质上的享乐，乃要付相当代价追求真理的实在。好像这次从沪到厦同行者80多人，受不了风浪颠荡，许多人晕吐僵卧备尝辛苦，叫我不禁伤感流泪。同行的人，束手无策只好用吟诗祈祷互相安慰。上帝愛我们召我们到达此地，要我们在真道上打定根基，希望大家多用安静工夫或在山上，或在密室，恳切求主指示，叫我们更加认清此来的使命。现在请看提摩太前书第一章，这里所提的6点很可以做我们本届查经大会的参考：辨别真伪——3，4节。在这末世时代左道邪说，到处烽起，淆乱听闻，一不小心必至跌倒。去年我到南洋一带工作，一走之后，就有人传讲须受浸两三次………才能得救等异端，动摇软弱兄姊的信心，其他各处恐怕也有同样的情形发生。希望主这次赐给我们一个辨别真伪是非之灵，叫我们不致误堕撒旦的网络。愛心道路——5节。我们愛主的心，太浅薄了。真诚愛主的人较诸夫妇之愛还亲密。雅歌一书即在描写基督徒间的亲密关系。那种纯洁、真挚的愛心是我们每个基督徒应有的。求主领导我们跑上愛的道路，叫我们愛主之心，一天深似一天。谦卑到底——6至11节。蒙恩的人常常犯了一种通病，步教法师的后尘，目空一切，高傲自大。丰富的灵恩就因着高傲断送去了。去年杭州大会的时候，灵恩沛然下降，多少弟兄姊妹大受灵雨滋润，勇气百倍，为主作证成绩斐然，魔鬼也在那个时候乘虚而入，叫一部分的人夸耀自己，一蹶不能复振，真太可怜。求主帮助我们克服自己，情愿与他同死同生，献给主用。荣耀圣名——17节。当我们向外布道，人家不喜欢的时候，常要故态复萌闹出气，责骂别人。其实我们都要经过这个阶段，使徒保罗蒙了恩召他并未夸张自己，且深知自己毫无力量，完全出乎主之恩愛，换句话说，他把一切的荣耀归给为他被杀的羔羊。打美好仗——18节。信徒和恶魔绝无妥协的余地。信徒虽然渺小无为，但靠凯旋之主凡事必能得胜有余。此番南下船中有180几个受过军事训练的青年学生，他们的精神饱满英气万分。在他们的思想中好像只有远大的将来，没有丝毫的怯懦彷徨混杂其间。但愿在座同道个个都受属灵的军事训练，成为基督的精兵，在战场上打美好的胜仗！保守良心，洁净自己——19，20节。许多信徒，良心丧失，在罪恶中混沌过活，有如汪洋扁舟，被风浪打得破烂不堪，覆沉堪虞！我们切要求吾主，管教我们，拯救我们，叫我们冲出孽海的汹涌，延登彼岸，做个完全得救的人！末了，但愿慈悲之灵、愛人的上帝把这些恩赐，丰丰富富的浇灌我们，充满我们，阿门！ ”              宋尚节在一个月之内带领会众查考整本66卷圣经，一千一百八十九章。令人赞叹的是，有972人全程参加。期间，宋尚节有时晚上备课到十二点，凌晨三四时又起来继续准备。他似乎预示到大雨将至，心中有极强的紧迫感，嗷嗷待哺的小羊需要装备，免得他们在风雨中走迷道路。七月二十六日早上，在毓德学校后山开露天查经会，天降大雨，许多人撑起伞，伞伞相连，形成一个合一的屏障，大家在雨中肃然而立，安静听道。会后，许多人仍留在雨中，心中涌出的感动久久不能平静。[4]          八月四日，宋尚节在日记中写了一首短歌：          “举目四面是黑暗，不觉伤心下泪。           靠自己奔跑前程，孤单灰心失志。           求我主与我同行，领我经过幽谷，           名利生命可丢弃，有主可说够了！”[5]         在大会闭幕时，宋尚节说到：“这本圣经算是你们的了。现在你们要带出去。我不过是送给你们一把钥匙，你们回去还要自己研究，里面有许多隐藏的宝贝，等候你们自己去开发。但愿上帝重用你们，为末世的精兵——这是这一次查经会最大的目标…… 虽然人家攻击毁谤，可是我只觉得在上帝与人之间无愧。我只是拼命的传福音，不贪取一块钱；同时我在这一个月中，好像被囚在监狱里，好多人要见我，实在抱歉得很。然而，这是出乎万不得已的，因为我每天都要预备分给大家的灵粮，忙得不可开交……        此外，我还要求上帝祝福你们，巴不得你们回去，到各地方鼓励查经。亲愛的兄弟姊妹！不要亏欠上帝的荣耀，你们白白得来的恩赐，也要白白的施舍出去……         我还告诉你们上帝奇妙的恩典。在还未开会以前，我求上帝三件事：一、天气凉快；二、聚会有良好的精神；三、会员身体平安。感谢主！他愛我们，不但叫天气特别凉快，还使聚会的精神一天比一天好。会员中虽有几位身体软弱的，然而一经祷告身体就好了。哈利路亚！荣耀归主！……        末了，愿上帝与你们同在，直到主再来！阿门！”[6]        这次聚会深深感动了一位教育传教士——在厦门女子中学（The Amoy Girl’s Middle School）任校长的霍尔克博尔小姐（Miss Tena Holkeboer）。她在写给朋友的信中说，那是“自己最深刻的经历”——看到来自中国各地的代表团被介绍给会众，并聆听他们各自献上最喜愛的圣诗。[7]        后来，蔡志澄评价道：       “夫圣经者真理之宝藏也。其宗旨之正大。感力之雄伟。诚为世上万书之书。历万古而常新。盖即上帝亘古以来。藉诸先圣先知将其律例典章救恩妙道。昭示世人之经典也。经中真理丰富深远。令人取之不尽用之不竭。凡蒙圣神启示。心虚玩索。必能百读不厌津津有味也……以言人数不谓不多。以言区域不谓不广。实空前之盛会。而以一月时光采用单纯式考查新旧约书。使一般人士得窥圣经全豹。饱尝灵恩滋味。尤称壮举”。[8]                [1] 宋尚节主领的第一次查经大会于1935年在杭州举行。                [2] 施玮(Shi Wei), 《献祭者》The Sacrifice，518。                [3]John Sung, Commentary on Joel, https://wellsofgrace.com/messages/song-sj/hmgl/07.htm, notes complied by Cai Zhicheng (蔡志澄), https://wellsofgrace.com/messages/song-sj/hmgl/07.htm, accessed October 29, 2025.  John Sung, Dr. John Sung’s Bible Study(I) (宋尚節全集———講經集（上）（Taiwan: Glory  Press, 1988), 3-5.                    [4] 施玮(Shi Wei), 《献祭者》The Sacrifice，520-521。                    [5] 施玮(Shi Wei), 《献祭者》The Sacrifice，522。                    [6] John Sung, Dr. John Sung’s Bible Study(III) (宋尚節全集———講經集（下）（Taiwan: Glory  Press, 1988), 469-471.                 [7]Anne C. Kwantes, She Has Done a Beautiful Thing for Me: Portraits of Christian Women in Asisa (Manila, Philippines: OMF Literature, 2005), 184-185. 转引自Lim Katong, The Life and Ministry of John Sung (Singapore: Genesis, 2012), 185.                    [8] Cai Zhicheng (蔡志澄), “宋尚节讲经集原序”(The Original Preface to John Sung’s Bible Study), in Commentary on Joel, https://wellsofgrace.com/messages/song-sj/hmgl/07.htm, accessed October 29, 2025.

11/9/25 Pastor’s Word   An Initiative Reflection on John Sung (continued from the above) Xiamen· John Sung in Xiamen         The Second Nationwide Bible Institute (1936)         Another significant event was the Second Nationwide Bible Institute, held in Xiamen from July 10 to August 8, 1936 by John Sung. [1] The newly built Trinity Church on Gulangyu was completed just in time, able to seat 1,600 people. [2] The conference drew about 2,000 delegates, including representatives from Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. For a full month, thousands studied the entire Bible together—a truly stirring scene.          Cai Zhicheng (蔡志澄) recorded John Sung’s opening message, “The Mission of This Bible Institute”, [3] in which Sung expressed gratitude for God’s providence and recounted how the Lord had impressed upon him to hold the second national Bible conference in Xiamen after his evangelistic tour in Southeast Asia, where over 5,000 came to faith. Seeing the spiritual decline and spread of heresy after earlier revivals, Sung believed this institute was God’s means to equip believers and strengthen the church. He expounded 1 Timothy 1, drawing six key truths for the conference:       “1. Discern Between Truth and Falsehood — Verses 3–4        In these last days, heresies and false teachings arise everywhere like raging fires, confusing the ears of many. Without vigilance, one may easily stumble. Last year, when I went to minister in the Nanyang region, soon after I left, there were people preaching strange doctrines, saying that one must be baptized two or three times to be saved. Such heresies shook the faith of the weaker brothers and sisters. I fear that similar situations may also have occurred elsewhere. May the Lord grant us this time a spirit of discernment, that we may distinguish between truth and falsehood, right and wrong, and not fall into Satan’s snares.         2. The Path of Love — Verse 5         Our love for the Lord is far too shallow. The love of those who truly love Him is even more intimate than the affection between husband and wife. The Song of Songs portrays precisely such an intimate relationship between Christ and His people. That pure and sincere love is what every Christian ought to possess. May the Lord lead us onto the road of love, that our love for Him may grow deeper day by day.         3. Humble to the End — Verses 6–11          Those who have received grace often fall into a common disease: following in the footsteps of the Pharisees—despising all others and becoming proud and arrogant. Rich spiritual blessings are often lost through pride. At last year’s institute in Hangzhou, the Spirit was poured out abundantly; many brothers and sisters were greatly refreshed by the heavenly rain and, filled with new courage, bore fruitful testimony for the Lord. Yet at that very moment, Satan took advantage of the situation—some began to boast of themselves, and they fell, never to rise again. How pitiful! May the Lord help us to overcome ourselves, to be willing to die and live together with Him, and to offer ourselves fully for His use.          4. Glorify the Holy Name — Verse 17          When we go out to preach and people do not welcome us, we often revert to our old temper and lash out in anger, blaming others. But we must all pass through such a stage. The Apostle Paul, after receiving his divine calling, never exalted himself. He knew well that he had no strength of his own—everything came from the grace and love of the Lord. In other words, he gave all the glory to the Lamb who was slain for him.          5. Fight the Good Fight — Verse 18         There can be no compromise between the believer and the devil. Though Christians may seem small and powerless, through the victorious Lord they can do all things and are more than conquerors. On my recent southbound voyage, there were 180 young students aboard who had received military training. Their spirits were high, full of heroic vigor. In their minds there seemed to be only a grand future ahead, with not a trace of fear or hesitation. May all who are present likewise undergo spiritual military training, becoming soldiers of Christ who fight the good fight on the battlefield!          6. Keep a Good Conscience and Purify Yourself — Verses 19–20          Many believers have lost their conscience and live in sin and confusion, like a broken ship tossed upon the vast ocean, beaten and battered by the waves, in danger of sinking at any time. We must earnestly ask our Lord to discipline us, to save us, to rescue us from the raging sea of iniquity, and to bring us safely to the other shore, that we may become people who are completely saved!         Conclusion         Finally, may the merciful Spirit and the God of love pour out these blessings upon us richly and abundantly, filling us completely. Amen!”         Within one month, John Sung led the entire assembly through all 66 books and 1,189 chapters of the Bible. Remarkably, 972 participants attended the full session. Sung often studied and prepared sermons until midnight, rising again at three or four in the morning. On July 26, he led an outdoor Bible study behind Yude School, despite heavy rain. People stood quietly under umbrellas, which together formed a canopy of unity. Many lingered long afterward, deeply moved by the Spirit. [4]         On August 4, Sung wrote a short hymn in his diary:         “I lift my eyes—darkness all around,         My heart breaks, and tears fall down.         Running alone on my weary way,         Discouraged, faint, without the crown.         O Lord, walk with me through the vale,         Through shadows deep, Your grace prevails;         Fame and life I can forsake—         If I have You, that is enough!” [5]         At the closing session, Sung exhorted the participants:         “Now this Bible belongs to you. I have merely given you the key—go and unlock its hidden treasures yourselves. May God use you as soldiers of the last days. Though people slander and attack me, I have a clear conscience before God and man. I have spent myself preaching the gospel without seeking a penny. For this whole month I have been shut up like a prisoner, unable to meet visitors, because I had to prepare the spiritual food for you each day…          I pray that God will bless you. Go back and encourage others to study the Bible. Freely you have received; freely give…          Before the conference began, I asked God for three things: cool weather, spiritual vitality, and good health for all. God answered beyond my expectations! The weather was cool, the meetings grew stronger each day, and those who felt weak were restored through prayer. Hallelujah! Glory to the Lord!          Finally, may God be with you until the Lord returns. Amen!” [6]         The meetings deeply moved Miss Tena Holkeboer, principal of The Amoy Girls’ Middle School, who described it in a letter to a friend as “one of the most profound experiences of my life”—witnessing representatives from across China introduce themselves and sing their favorite hymns. [7]         Cai Zhicheng later wrote:          “The Holy Bible is indeed the treasure house of truth. Its purpose is lofty, and its power profoundly moving—it is truly the Book of all books in the world, ever new through the ages. It is the divine classic through which God, since ancient times, has revealed His laws, ordinances, and the wondrous way of salvation to humankind by the prophets and holy men of old.        The truths contained in Scripture are rich and unfathomable, inexhaustible to those who seek them. Whoever, under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, approaches it with humility and meditation will find endless delight in reading it again and again…         As for the number of participants, it was by no means small; as for the regions represented, they were by no means few. Truly it was an unprecedented assembly. In the short span of a single month, by means of a simple and direct study of both the Old and New Testaments, people were enabled to gain a panoramic view of the whole Bible and to taste deeply the grace of the Spirit—indeed, a most remarkable achievement.” [8]                  [1] 宋尚节主领的第一次查经大会于1935年在杭州举行。                [2] 施玮(Shi Wei), 《献祭者》The Sacrifice，518。                [3]John Sung, Commentary on Joel, https://wellsofgrace.com/messages/song-sj/hmgl/07.htm, notes complied by Cai Zhicheng (蔡志澄), https://wellsofgrace.com/messages/song-sj/hmgl/07.htm, accessed October 29, 2025.  John Sung, Dr. John Sung’s Bible Study(I) (宋尚節全集———講經集（上）（Taiwan: Glory  Press, 1988), 3-5.                    [4] 施玮(Shi Wei), 《献祭者》The Sacrifice，520-521。                    [5] 施玮(Shi Wei), 《献祭者》The Sacrifice，522。                    [6] John Sung, Dr. John Sung’s Bible Study(III) (宋尚節全集———講經集（下）（Taiwan: Glory  Press, 1988), 469-471.                 [7]Anne C. Kwantes, She Has Done a Beautiful Thing for Me: Portraits of Christian Women in Asisa (Manila, Philippines: OMF Literature, 2005), 184-185. 转引自Lim Katong, The Life and Ministry of John Sung (Singapore: Genesis, 2012), 185.                    [8] Cai Zhicheng (蔡志澄), “宋尚节讲经集原序”(The Original Preface to John Sung’s Bible Study), in Commentary on Joel, https://wellsofgrace.com/messages/song-sj/hmgl/07.htm, accessed October 29, 2025.

初谈宋尚节（接上文）

上图：一九三四年十一月，宋尚节在厦门鼓浪屿英华书院大操场举行露天聚会[1]

• 宋尚节在厦门

        沿着早期传教士的足迹，二十世纪中国著名的布道家宋尚节多次踏上厦门这片土地。1927年他自美国归国后，于1928至1930年间外出传道，行程由近及远——起初在沿海一带的乡镇传讲福音，随后扩展至厦门、漳州、泉州等地，足迹遍及闽南、闽北以及近海岛屿，名声日益远播。[1]

        1934年11月3-13宋尚节来到厦门。当时，宋尚节在鼓浪屿最大的英华书院（Anglo-Chinese College）操场举行露天布道大会，场面盛大，人山人海。布道团的大小旗帜在鼓浪屿的大街小巷随风飘扬，成为全城瞩目的景象。鼓浪屿与厦门有一条狭窄的水道之隔。由于从厦门前往鼓浪屿听道的人数太多，奋兴会筹备委员会特地租用一艘汽船，负责运载听众往返两地。福州、泉州、厦门的长途汽车老板在听道受感后，主动将车船票价减半，以便更多人能前来参加聚会。人们早晨五点便来到会场，七点时已经座无虚席。由于天气炎热，奋兴会决定每天清晨六点开始。
        11月8日上午突降大雨，上千人仍手持雨伞，在英华书院操场聆听信息；许多人自带板凳、干粮，甚至有人宁可挨饿也不愿离开。宋尚节见听众对神话语的渴慕，身体虽虚弱，却仍不打伞，凭信心坚持讲道。9日下午专门为病人祷告。有人在报纸上发表文章，指控他通过邪术迷惑大众。有人故意安排80个患有各种疑难杂症的病人来实验他。他迫切地向上帝祷告，诗篇22：21节给了他信心：“求你救我脱离狮子的口；你已经应允我，使我脱离野牛的角”。[1] 宋尚节请人在讲台上拉起一块粗布帘，以免人群围观看热闹。面对病人，他问：“你带圣经了吗？你有信心吗?  ”他在为病人祷告时特别强调两点：第一，信心的重要；第二，认罪。[1] 他凭信心为八九百名病人逐一祷告，直到体力几乎耗尽，右手也因不断按手祷告而肿胀。等众人散去，又有四五百人进入教堂求祷告，他仍一一为他们代求。祷告完毕，他全身无力，只能将一切交托在神的手中，并不问结果。当天晚上，又有三千人参加聚会。他亲笔日记中记载：他总共为1,710位病人祷告。[2] 有位瞎眼瘸腿41年的病人可以看见和行走。另一位卧床10年、人用担架抬来的女士得到医治后，自己走回家。一位驼背女人可以直起腰来。一位富人家的博士儿子由于失去未婚妻变成疯子，在会上得到了医治。一个抽烟三十多年的人，以前每次想戒烟都痛哭流泪；但这一次，他彻底得了释放。[3]
        一位曾参加厦门聚会的基督徒女士，为患肾炎且吸食鸦片以缓解病痛的父亲担忧，便劝他参加聚会。结果他不仅得救，疾病痊愈，也戒除了鸦片。然而，他最初不愿销毁家中的鸦片储备，子女提议卖掉引发争执，他一气之下昏倒。醒来后，他讲述了一个梦，认为这是神的警告，这才愿意彻底销毁所有鸦片。[4] 这个见证也提醒基督徒悔改要彻底，并且也绝不可以再将害人的鸦片卖给别人继续害人。
        期间，约有二三十名流氓曾向会场投掷石块滋事，但很快被警察驱散。原定为期六天的奋兴会，因群众热切的回应而延长至十二天。聚会结束后，厦门一间赌馆关门歇业。由于人潮过多造成交通堵塞，警局担心再有骚扰事件，遂下令终止聚会。离开厦门前，宋尚节又为约四百名病人祷告。临行时，一千二百人涌到码头送行，场面极为感人。[5]
                             （未完待续）

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                [1] Levi Sung, The Diary of John Sung, 220.

                [2] John Sung, Rg263-006-002-v31-1934.06.24_11.13.pdf, Yale Divinity Library.

                [3] Levi Sung, The Diary of John Sung, 220.

                [4] Leslie T. Tyall, A Biography of John Sung (Singapore: Amour, 2004), 172.

                [5] 施伟(Shi Wei), 《献祭者》The Sacrifice: John Sung (Los Angeles: Spiritual Literature & Arts, 2019), 472-475.

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                [1] Levi Sung, The Diary of John Sung, 220.

                [2] John Sung, Rg263-006-002-v31-1934.06.24_11.13.pdf, Yale Divinity Library.

                [3] Levi Sung, The Diary of John Sung, 220.

                [4] Leslie T. Tyall, A Biography of John Sung (Singapore: Amour, 2004), 172.

                [5] 施伟(Shi Wei), 《献祭者》The Sacrifice: John Sung (Los Angeles: Spiritual Literature & Arts, 2019), 472-475.

---

                [1] Levi Sung, The Diary of John Sung: Extracts from His Journals and Notes, trans. by Pheng
 Soon Thng (Singapore: Genesis Books, 2012), 219.

---

                [1] Levi Sung, The Diary of John Sung: Extracts from His Journals and Notes, trans. by Pheng
 Soon Thng (Singapore: Genesis Books, 2012), 219.

---

                    [1] Leslie T Lyall, A Biography of John Sung (Singapore: Genesis, 2004), 270.

An Initiative Reflection on John Sung
(continued from the above)

John Sung in Xiamen
         Following in the footsteps of early missionaries, the renowned Chinese evangelist John Sung (宋尚节) visited Xiamen several times. After returning to China from the United States in 1927, he began itinerant preaching from 1928 to 1930. His ministry started in small coastal towns and gradually expanded to cities such as Xiamen, Zhangzhou, and Quanzhou, spreading throughout both southern and northern Fujian and even to nearby islands. His fame grew rapidly. [1]
         
         The 1934 Evangelistic Meetings in Xiamen
        From November 3–13, 1934, John Sung held large open-air evangelistic meetings on the athletic field of the Anglo-Chinese College on Gulangyu Island. The scene was spectacular—crowds packed the grounds, and banners of all sizes bearing the name of the evangelistic team fluttered through the streets and alleys of the island. Gulangyu and Xiamen were separated by only a narrow stretch of water. Because so many people from Xiamen wished to attend, the revival committee chartered a steamship to transport the audience back and forth between the two locations.
       Touched by the revival, long-distance bus and boat owners from Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Xiamen offered half-price tickets so that more people could attend. People arrived as early as five a.m., and by seven the place was already full. Because of the heat, the meetings were scheduled to start at six in the morning.
       On November 8, heavy rain fell, yet over a thousand people, holding umbrellas, remained to hear the message. Many brought stools and food, while others chose to fast rather than miss the sermon. Seeing their spiritual hunger, Sung, though weak in body, refused to use an umbrella and preached in faith.
       On the afternoon of the 9th, he prayed specifically for the sick. Some newspapers accused him of using sorcery to deceive the masses. Skeptics brought about eighty seriously ill people to test him. Deeply burdened, Sung prayed earnestly, and Psalm 22:21 gave him faith: “Save me from the mouth of the lion; you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.” [3] He asked that a coarse curtain be hung around the platform to prevent curious onlookers from distracting the crowd. To the sick he would ask, “Do you have your Bible? Do you have faith?” He emphasized two things in his healing ministry: faith and confession of sin. [4] With faith, he prayed for 800–900 patients one by one, until he was completely exhausted and his right hand swollen from laying hands on so many people. After the crowd dispersed, another 400–500 entered the church for prayer, and he interceded for each of them. When all was done, he was drained of strength and simply committed everyone into God’s hands without asking about the results. That evening, another 3,000 people attended the meeting. In his diary, he recorded that he had prayed for 1,710 sick people in total. [5]
        Miraculous healings abounded: a man blind and lame for forty-one years could see and walk; a woman bedridden for ten years and carried on a stretcher walked home by herself; a woman with a hunched back could stand upright; a Ph.D. Son from a rich family who had gone insane after losing his fiancée was healed; and a smoker of over thirty years who had wept every time he tried to quit was completely delivered. [6]
        A Christian woman who had attended the meetings became concerned for her father, who suffered from nephritis and used opium to ease his pain. She persuaded him to attend, and there he was saved, healed, and delivered from his opium addiction. Yet he initially refused to destroy the opium stock in his house, proposing to sell it instead. A quarrel broke out, and in anger, he fainted. When he came to, he described a dream—a warning voice from God—which convinced him to destroy all his opium. [7] This testimony reminded believers that repentance must be thorough, and one must not sell opium (sin) to harm others.
        During the meetings, about twenty to thirty hooligans tried to disrupt the gatherings by throwing stones, but the police quickly drove them away. The revival, initially scheduled for six days, was extended to twelve days due to overwhelming response. After the meetings, a gambling den in Xiamen closed down. Because the enormous crowds caused traffic jams and the police feared further disturbances, the revival was eventually ordered to stop. Before leaving Xiamen, Sung prayed for about 400 more sick people, and over 1,200 people came to the pier to see him off—a deeply moving scene. [8]
 

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                     [1] Leslie T Lyall, A Biography of John Sung (Singapore: Genesis, 2004), 270.

                    [2] Refer to: accessed October 29, 2025, https://cmchurch.org/2018/10/29/%E4%BA%8C%E5%8D%81%E4%B9%9D%E3%80%81%E6%81%A9%E9%97%A8%E5%A4%A7%E5%BC%80%EF%BC%881934-1935%E5%B9%B4%E9%97%BD%E8%8B%8F%E6%B5%99%E7%B2%A4%E6%B4%A5%E4%BA%AC%E5%86%80%E8%8F%B2%EF%BC%89/.

                [3] Levi Sung, The Diary of John Sung: Extracts from His Journals and Notes, trans. by Pheng
 Soon Thng (Singapore: Genesis Books, 2012), 219.

                [4] Levi Sung, The Diary of John Sung, 220.

                [5] John Sung, Rg263-006-002-v31-1934.06.24_11.13.pdf, Yale Divinity Library.

                [6] Levi Sung, The Diary of John Sung, 220.

                [7] Leslie T. Tyall, A Biography of John Sung (Singapore: Amour, 2004), 172.

                [8] 施伟(Shi Wei), 《献祭者》The Sacrifice: John Sung (Los Angeles: Spiritual Literature & Arts, 2019), 472-475.

初谈宋尚节
（接上文）

厦门

• 厦门传教史略考
• 宋尚节在厦门
• 我的厦门之旅

约翰·凡·涅斯特·打马字        
约翰·凡·涅斯特·打马字（John Van Nest Talmage, 1819年8月18日－1892年8月19日）是赴中国福建厦门的基督教新教宣教士，由美国改革宗教会（Reformed Church in America）于1847年至1890年差派。正如人们形容雅俾理博士（Dr. Abeel）那样，也可用来形容打马字博士：“他生命中‘最美的冠冕’就是‘他的谦卑’。” [1] 约翰·G·法格（John G. Fagg）在《中国南方四十年：打马字传》（Forty Years in South China: A Biography of the Rev. John Van Nest Talmage）序言中写道：“打马字博士无法忍受夸张之词。没有什么比诚实与陈述的准确更令他敬佩。这一点足以提醒任何谈论他的人，应避免不加分辨的颂扬。”[2]
         打马字于1819年8月18日出生在美国纽约州萨默维尔（Somerville, New York）的一座农舍里，父母是大卫·打马字（David Talmage）与凯瑟琳·范·内斯特（Catharine Van Nest）。他于1842年毕业于罗格斯大学（Rutgers University），1867年获荣誉神学博士学位。他深深感受到上帝呼召他前往中国宣教。当他怀着忐忑的心情向母亲表明要去中国传道的决定时，原以为会震惊全家、遭到反对，没想到母亲却对他说：“我早已在神面前暗暗祷告此事，我怎能反对呢？” [3] 母亲因儿子愿为福音之故赴华感到欣慰与骄傲。1845年，他毕业于新布伦瑞克神学院（New Brunswick Theological Seminary），1846年在荷兰归正教会（Dutch Reformed Church）被按立为牧师。1847年，他乘船前往中国厦门宣教，航程历时四个月。
         基督信仰的目的之一，是为人的盼望提供理性的根据。主命令我们“查考圣经”，这不仅需要“聆听的耳”，也需要“阅读的眼”。在当时的闽南地区，约一百名男子中或许只有一人识字，而女性识字者更是千中无一。因而圣经翻译的事业在当时是极具远见的工作。早期宣教士为圣经翻译奠定了基础，对他们自身而言，这项翻译事工也是一次大胆的尝试。打马字从早年起便投入文字事工，直至生命的最后一刻。他采用罗马字系统（Romanized system）从事翻译。当中国信徒看到罗马字母取代了他们所尊崇的汉字时，既惊讶又好奇。[4] 然而，打马字克服了一切障碍，发展出一种以白话罗马字拼写的系统，使文盲的信徒也能阅读圣经与宗教书籍。他翻译了约翰·班扬的《天路历程》（The Pilgrim’s Progress），并先后译出《路加福音》、《加拉太书》、《以弗所书》、《腓立比书》以及《约翰书信》、《彼得书信》。1852年，他出版了《唐话翻字初学》（Tn̂g-oē Hoan-jī Chho͘-ha̍k），这是一本关于白话字（Pe̍h-oē-jī）的早期著作。白话字又称“教会罗马字”，是一种用于书写闽南语（特别是台语与厦门话）的拼音系统。1885年，他出版《厦门土语英华字典》（Chinese-English Dictionary: A Dictionary of Amoy Vernacular and English），1894年出版《厦门方言新字典》（New Dictionary in the Amoy Dialect）。这些译作不仅使老少皆能读写，也成为远超前人思想启蒙的重要力量，对推动文教事业产生深远影响。
         在众多宣教士中，打马字比其他同工更早意识到：他们所建立的中国教会，不应只是自己宗派的延续，而应在本地的土壤上独立生长。1856年9月17日，打马字致函改革宗教会的宗议会，信中简述了福建宣教的历史：
           “福建的宣教工作由已故的雅俾理博士（Rev. David Abeel, D.D.）于1842年2月24
            日开始……美国圣公会的布恩牧师（Mr. Boone）在厦门停留不久……美国长老会
            宣教士麦克布赖德牧师（Rev. T. L. McBryde）于1842年6月开始在厦门的宣
            教……库明医生（W. H. Cumming, M.D.），虽非隶属任何差会的医疗宣教士，于
            1842年6月抵厦门，1847年初离开……伦敦会宣教士斯托拿克（J. Stronach）与杨
            威廉（William Young）于1844年7月开始厦门宣教……首批信徒由波尔曼牧师
         （Mr. Pohlman）于1846年4月施洗，两位年长弟兄受洗……下一批信徒由伦敦会的
           A.斯托拿克（Mr. A. Stronach牧师于1848年3月施洗……” [5]
这是考虑中国本地教会独立的起点。1863年，在改革宗教会的大会上，打马字草拟了一份关于中国教会自立的提案，但未获通过，理由是中国信徒尚需有符合圣经标准的信仰规范。翌年，他再次提案，强调宣教士应摒弃成见，在圣灵的引导与眷顾下，建立自治、自养的本地华人教会，以最有效地推进神国度的扩展。此次提案得到积极回应。[6] 会议通过如下决议：
        在异教徒中建立的教会，应依照我们宗派惯行的规章组织；指示厦门的同工在教会数量足以维持永久性组织时，向奥尔巴尼长老会申请成立一个“中会”（Classis，即教会治理机构）。[7] 具体实施包括：地方教会应行使自主管理权；各教会应设立大会，选举长老与执事，长老会有权处理教会事务。此决议对闽南教会联合运动（Minnan Church Unity Movement）产生重大影响，结出丰硕成果。1856年4月14日，打马字牧师主持的全体男会友大会，选举出由中国人组成的“长老执事会”（4位长老/4位执事）来管理教务，形成闽南教会的自治模式，为日后各地建立的堂会所遵循，奠定了闽南教会自立发展的基础。[8]
        打马字对中国教会成长的贡献深远，他被列为极具影响力的宣教士之一。腓力·威尔逊·皮彻（Rev. Philip Wilson Pitcher）在其著作中指出：就福建的宣教工作而言，若雅俾理、杜弟（Duty）、波尔曼（Pohlman）奠定了坚实的正统根基，那么打马字博士则以智慧、坚毅和稳固的精神在其上建造……他的奉献、智慧与爱，在今日我们所见的教会建筑——圆顶与塔尖、墙壁与柱廊、檐角与拱券、圣坛与中殿上——都写下了不可磨灭的印记。当主接他回天家时，“若他的工作不是根基上的大石，必然是上层建筑的坚柱之一。” [9]  钱伯斯（Chambers）也评价说：“在众多宣教士中，无论雅俾理或汤普森，都未曾超越打马字博士在任何天赋或后天素质上所表现出的卓越，他实为‘十字架的宣教士’中最杰出者之一。” [10]                                                                                                             （未完待续）

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                [1] Philip P. W. Wilson, Fifty Years in Amoy, Or, A History of The Amoy Mission, China (Los Angeles: HardPress Publishing, 1893). It is cited by Sue Brown & Dr. Bill, “Rev. John Van Nest Talmage,” https://www.amoymagic.com/AM_Talmage.htm, accessed on December 7, 2022.

                   [2] John Gerardus Fagg, Forty Years in South China: A Biography of the Rev. John Van Nest Talmage (New York: The Board of Publication,1894), 8.

                   [3] Fagg, Forty Years in South China, 45.

                   [4] Fagg, Forty Years in South China, 103-104.

                  [5] Fagg, Forty Years in South China, 170-177.

                  [6] Talbot W. Chambers, “In Memoriam: The Rev. J. V. N. Talmage, D.D.,” Forty Years in South China, 285-286.

                  [7] Fagg, Forty Years in South China, 187-188.

                  [8] 戴弟兄：《三一堂八十年》（Trinity Church 1934-2014）（厦门：厦门市基督教三一堂，2014），15.

                   [9] Wilson, Fifty Years in Amoy, Or, A History of The Amoy Mission, China. It is cited by Brown, “Rev. John Van Nest Talmage.”

                  [10] Chambers, “In Memoriam, 287.

Xiamen

• A Brief Study of the History of Missions in Xiamen
• John Sung in Xiamen
• My Trip to Xiamen

1. John Van Nest Talmage (1819 – 1892)

        John Van Nest Talmage (18 August 1819 – 19 August 1892), was a Protestant Christian missionary to Amoy, Fujian. He was sent by the Reformed Church in America from 1847 to 1890. As it was said of Dr. Abeel, so it could be said of Dr. Talmage: “‘The crowning beauty’ of this man’s life was ‘his humility.’” [1] John G. Fagg mentions in the preface of Forty Years in South China: A Biography of the Rev. John Van Nest Talmage: “Dr. Talmage could not endure exaggeration. Nothing so commanded his admiration as honesty and accuracy of statement. That ought to be sufficient to guard anyone who speaks of such as man against indiscriminate eulogy.” [2]
          Talmage was born on August 18 of 1819 in a New Jersey farmhouse at Somerville, New York, United States. Son of David and Catharine (Van Nest) Talmage. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1842. Later he received honorary Doctor of Divinity in1867. He deeply felt God called him to go to China for mission work. When he told the decision of going to China for mission to his mother with trepidation, he thought it would shock the whole family and receive objection. Unexpectedly, his mother said to him: I have already prayed in secret before God for this matter, “how can I object?” [3] The mother was joyful and proud that her son could determine to go to China for the gospel’s sake. He graduated from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 1845. After he was ordained to ministry in the Dutch Reformed Church, 1846, he sailed for Amoy China as missionary, 1847 after a four months’ voyage.
           Protestant Christianity attempts to provide a reason for people’s hope of faith. The Lord commands us to “search the Scripture.” This requires not only listening ears, but also reading eyes. At that time in southern Fujian, maybe only 1 out of 100 men could read, and maybe 1 out of 1,000 women could possibly read. The Bible translation project was an advanced and forward-looking undertaking at that time. The early missionaries laid the groundwork for the effort to prepare the Bible translation. For the missionaries themselves, the translation work they did was a bold experiment. Talmage began his literary ministry very early until the last moment of his life. He did his translation work using the Romanized system. When Chinese believers saw that the Romanized letters replaced their highly venerated Chinese characters, they were even more skeptical with curiosity. [4] However, Talmage cleared all obstacles, he developed Romanized form of writing vernacular so that the illiterate Christians could read the Bible and other religious literature. He has translated John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. Next, he translated the Gospel of Luke, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and the letters of John and Peter. In 1852, Talmage published Tn̂g-oē Hoan-jī Chho͘-ha̍k, an early book on Pe̍h-oē-jī, also sometimes known as the Church Romanization, is an orthography used to write variants of Southern Min Chinese, particularly Taiwanese and Amoy Hokkien. In 1885, he published Chinese-English Dictionary: A dictionary of Amoy Vernacular and English. In 1894, he published New Dictionary in the Amoy Dialect. These translations not only realized the possibility of reading and writing for young and old, but also functioned as an enlightenment that far exceeded that of the older generation. It has a positive effect on getting people to do more with literature.
            Among many missionaries, Talmage realized earlier than other brethren that the Chinese church they started should not be a continuation of their denomination. The Chinese church should have its own independent existence and grow on the soil planted by missionaries. On September 17 of 1856, the letter Talmage wrote was sent to the Synod of the Reformed Church. It states a brief mission history of Fujian in China:
                “It was commenced by the late Rev. David Abeel, D.D. on the 24^th of February,
                1842… Mr. Boone, of the Episcopal Church of the United States, was at Amoy but a
                short time… The mission of the American Presbyterian Board at Amoy was
                commenced by Rev. T.L. McBryde, in June, 1842…W. H. Cumming, M.D., a medical
                missionary, but not connected with any missionary society, arrived at Amoy, June,
                1842, and left Amoy in the early of 1847. The London Missionary Society was
                commenced by Rev. Messrs. J. Stronach and William Young, in July, 1844… The first
                converts received into the Christian Church at Amoy were two old men, baptized by
                Mr. Pohlman in April, 1846. The next converts received were two men baptized by Mr.
                A. Stronach, of the London Missionary Society, in March, 1848…”[5]
It was the time to consider the independence of the local Chinese church. At the General Synod in 1863, he drafted a proposal for self-government of the Church in China. The proposal was rejected. The reason was that the Chinese converts needed to have standards and norms of belief that conform to the Bible. In the second year, he proposed again and emphasized that missionaries should eliminate their past prejudices, and under the teaching and providence of the Holy Spirit, establish an autonomous and self-supporting local Chinese church in order to most effectively advance God’s kingdom on earth. The proposal was received positively.[6] The following resolutions were recommended: Resolved, 1. The formation of churches among the converts from heathenism was organized according to the established usages of our branch of Zion. 2. That the brethren at Amoy be directed to apply to the Particular Synod of Albany to organize them into a Classis, meaning a governing body in some Reformed churches, so soon as they shall have formed churches enough to render the permanency of such organization reasonably certain.[7] The specific practices included: the local church shall exercise self-government; each church shall establish a General assembly, and appoint elders and deacons. The Elders Council has the right to decide the church business. The resolutions had a big effect on Minnan Church Unity Movement and gained a fruitful result. On April 14, 1856, under the leadership of Rev. John Van Nest Talmage, a general assembly of all male church members was convened. During this meeting, a “Board of Elders and Deacons,” composed entirely of Chinese believers (four elders and four deacons), was elected to oversee church affairs. This marked the establishment of a self-governing model for the Minnan Church, which later became the pattern for congregations established in other regions and laid the foundation for the self-supporting and self-developing Chinese church in southern Fujian. [8]
            His other contribution was for the growth of Chinese church. Talmage has been listed as a noteworthy missionary. Rev. Philip Wilson Pitcher mentions in his book that concerning the missions work in Fujian, if Abeel, Duty, and Pohlman laid a solid and deep foundation on a sound orthodoxy, Dr. Talmage also built on it with saga, firmness, and solidity… his devotion, wisdom and love wrote indelible words on the domes and steeples, on the walls and columns, on the cornices and capitals, on the chancel and nave of the structure we see today. When he was taken up by the Lord, “if his work was not one of the great stones in the foundations, surely it was one of the strong pillars of the super-structure.” [9] Chambers comments on him by saying: “But I think that none of them, neither Abeel nor Thompson, surpassed Dr. Talmage in any of the qualities, natural or acquired, which go to make an accomplished missionary of the cross.” [10]
                             (To be continued)

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[1] Philip P. W. Wilson, Fifty Years in Amoy, Or, A History of The Amoy Mission, China (Los Angeles: HardPress Publishing, 1893). It is cited by Sue Brown & Dr. Bill, “Rev. John Van Nest Talmage,” https://www.amoymagic.com/AM_Talmage.htm, accessed on December 7, 2022.

[2] John Gerardus Fagg, Forty Years in South China: A Biography of the Rev. John Van Nest Talmage (New York: The Board of Publication,1894), 8.

[3] Fagg, Forty Years in South China, 45.

[4] Fagg, Forty Years in South China, 103-104.

[5] Fagg, Forty Years in South China, 170-177.

[6] Talbot W. Chambers, “In Memoriam: The Rev. J. V. N. Talmage, D.D.,” Forty Years in South China, 285-286.

[7] Fagg, Forty Years in South China, 187-188.

[8] Brother Dai, Trinity Church 1934-2014 (Xiamen: Xiamen Trinty Church, 2014), 15.

[9] Wilson, Fifty Years in Amoy, Or, A History of The Amoy Mission, China. It is cited by Brown, “Rev. John Van Nest Talmage.”

[10] Chambers, “In Memoriam, 287.