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.

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

        对我这个出生在黑龙江的北方人来说，“厦门”这个南方城市的名字既熟悉又陌生。熟悉，是因为它是一座享有盛名的国际港口城市，早在1842年《南京条约》签订后，便成为中国最早的五个通商口岸之一；陌生，则在于我从未亲自踏足那片土地。
       直到2022年，我在修读“宣教学”课程、研究基督教传入福建的历史时，厦门这个名字才在我心中渐渐鲜活起来。那段时间，我通过网络结识了厦门大学管理学院（商学院）的潘维廉（William N. Brown）教授——一位深爱中国、熟悉中国文化的美国人。他慷慨地提供了许多关于早期传教士的书籍与资料，使我得以顺利完成那篇论文：《这人撒种，那人收割——探索宋尚节之前中国福建的新教宣教历史》（“One Sows and Another Reaps”: Exploring the Protestant Missions History in Fujian China before John Sung’s Ministry）。[1]
         正是通过潘教授，我与这座城市之间产生了一种奇妙的连结。厦门，从记忆中的概念，渐渐变成一座有情感的地方——那里有宣教士的足迹，有福音的种子，有宋尚节布道的脚踪，有上帝在中国南方海岸默默展开的救赎故事。从那时起，我便渴望有一天能亲自走进那片土地，看看那位昔日“撒种”的上帝，如今在那里的田地中结出了怎样的果实。

• 厦门传教史略考

        每当提及新教入华的历史，学者们往往称马礼逊（Robert Morrison, 1782–1834；1807到澳门）是第一位来华的传教士。[2] 事实上，更准确的说法是，他是第一位对中国产生深远影响的新教传教士。在他之前，已有不少西方新教传教士尝试踏上这片古老的土地，但多因历史、政治及文化等阻隔而未能产生持久成果。马礼逊的独特之处则在于他用生命开启了一场以文字、翻译与教育为核心的福音旅程，为后来的宣教工作奠定了坚实的根基。

1. 干治士和约翰纽修斯

        早在十七世纪，新教传教士乔治·干治士（Georgius Candidius，1597–1647，中文名：干治士）便已将福音带到了邻近福建的台湾。[3] 1627年至1637年间，正值中国明代，他在台湾从事宣教工作。干治士是出生于德国的荷兰籍传教士，受教于归正宗神学院。1624年，荷兰人殖民台湾，荷兰东印度公司派遣干治士前往当地，原意是要服侍殖民者。然而，他到达台湾后，却立志要服事当地的百姓。
         干治士认真学习当地的语言与文化，并于1629年撰写了一本介绍台湾的著作，帮助外界了解当地人民的处境与宣教的需要。他深入民间，勤奋事奉。来台十六个月后，他在报告中写道：
         “我极其勤奋地学习他们的语言，并从一开始就教导他们基督信仰；感谢主的恩典，
          截至1628年圣诞节前半月，已有一百二十八人能熟记祷文，并能对基督教信仰的主
          要要点做出令人满意的回答。但因某些原因，这些人尚未受洗……我深信上帝必赐
          福这工，使祂为自己建立教会，让人以单纯的心志事奉祂。” [4]
        同年，另一位荷兰传教士约翰纽修斯（Johniusius）也来到台湾协助干治士。一年之后，他们带领了一百二十人归向基督。两人同心事奉，成果丰硕，福音工作迅速发展，许多人归信主耶稣。台湾因此成为亚洲最早的新教宣教工场。
        归正宗强调圣经是最高权威，因此干治士与同工开始进行圣经翻译工作。他将《马太福音》和《约翰福音》译成当地语言。1647年，干治士在巴达维亚（今印度尼西亚雅加达）安息主怀。据记载，当时台湾南部与中部约有六成当地居民受洗归主。
        然而，继任的宣教士缺乏使命热情，道德败坏；信徒归信的动机也多有不纯。许多人虽能背诵信经或教理问答，却未真正明白其中的意义。[5] 这些因素导致福音事工逐渐衰落。1662年，郑成功收复台湾。由于郑氏家族与天主教关系密切，便驱逐了荷兰归正宗的传教士，直到十九世纪六十年代，福音之门才再次开启。[6]

1. 厦门：中国新教发源地

        中国基督教新教的诞生地是哪里？ 潘维廉教授（Willaim N. Brown）在《老外看鼓浪屿》（Old Gulangyu in Foreign’s Eyes）中指出：中国新教的诞生地是厦门。[7] 据亚历山大·哈密尔顿（Alexander Hamilton）记载：在1700年，厦门大约有五十个基督徒，他们由法国传教士管理一座礼拜堂；但那些会众多是社会的‘下层之人’，他们的基督信仰也同样浅陋。[8]
       为何传教士首选厦门呢？巴博（Barbour）指出三个主要原因：第一，这里的人很友好，他们从不排斥老外；第二，福建本地人与外界的交往较多，使这块土地上产生更为自由的情感；第三，如你所知，到中国的第一个宣教差会在马六甲组成，[9] 那里的华人来自漳州（福建南部），传教士学会了他们的方言。当中国的大门被打开时，一批受过训练有经验的传教士已经准备开展工作了……厦门不仅成了传教士光顾的首选地区之一，而且在到来的传教士中，有六七个可以从头传播福音。他们是有经验的人，不用在投石问路方面浪费时间，而是一开始就从很熟悉的系统做起，随后稳步前进。神的领导是多么奇特啊！ [10] 原来神的工作从来都如一粒种子，慢慢孕育、发芽、开花、茁壮成长，最终结出累累硕果。

1. 大卫·雅俾理（David Abeel，1840–1846）——首位到福建的传教士

        在第一次鸦片战争结束之后——这场战争发生于1839年至1842年，由英国与清朝之间爆发，并最终以中英南京条约签订以及五个通商口岸向西方开放告终——大卫·雅俾理（David Abeel，中文名：雅俾理，拼音：Yǎ bǐlǐ，1804年6月12日－1846年9月4日）于1842年来到福建厦门。[11]他是福建首位开拓的新教传教士。[12] 与此同时，美国圣公会主教威廉·琼斯·布恩（Rev. William Jones Boone, 1811–1864）也抵达厦门。
        雅俾理1804年6月12日出生于新泽西州新布伦瑞克。他最初在罗格斯学院（Rutgers College）学习医学，随后转入该地的归正会神学院（Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church）学习神学。他先在纽约雅典市牧会两年，1829年10月启程前往中国广州。一年后，他加入美国海外差会（American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions），并访问爪哇、新加坡和暹罗（今泰国）。他学习中文，但因身体欠佳，1833年经欧洲回国。途经瑞士、法国、荷兰等国时，他积极呼吁西方人士关注福音传播到其他民族的使命。在英国，他还协助创立了一个促进亚洲女性教育的协会。返回美国后，雅俾理出版了《世界对福音的需求》（The Claims of the World to the Gospel）、《在中国的居留》（Residence in China）以及《耶路撒冷的差会大会》（The Missionary Convention at Jerusalem）。[13] 他的著作极大地增强了他在早期宣教运动中的影响力。
       1839年，他再次访问马六甲、婆罗洲及亚洲其他地区。1842年，他在厦门建立了宣教点，但到1845年，身体状况迅速恶化，于1846年因肺结核回国去世。他忠心事奉至最后一刻，他的工作并非徒劳。厦门的前两位归信者在1846年受洗时，将他们最初的信仰印象归功于雅俾理的讲道。
         两年后，厦门建成了新街教堂，这是中国第一所新教教会。2018年11月21日，《中国日报》报道了新街教堂“建堂170周年——‘中国第一所圣堂’纪念”。[14] 在雅俾理短短42年的生命中，他不仅开拓了厦门宣教，使中国的第一所新教教会得以建立并取得成功，还在东方开创了女性教育的先河。

1. 杜嘉德Carstairs Douglas

         杜嘉德（Carstairs Douglas，中文名：杜嘉德，拼音：Dù Jiādé）出生于1830年12月27日，苏格兰人，生于雷恩弗鲁郡基尔巴尔昌（Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire）。他是一位苏格兰传教士，主要因研究福建南部的闽南方言而被后人铭记。为了在福音事工中取得成效，杜嘉德来到厦门后很快意识到，他必须精通当地语言。他很快就能够流利地使用闽南话。在厦门期间，杜嘉德牧养教会，教导学生，并经常外出布道，无论寒冬酷暑，有时甚至在月光皎洁的夜晚行程数十里。他于1873年编纂了《厦门土话中英文词典（Chinese–English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy）》。[15] 为了编纂这本词典，杜嘉德勤奋工作，每天至少花费八小时。长期的劳累使他的容貌看起来比实际年龄苍老许多。他在46岁时去世，但人们普遍认为他已超过六十岁。在他22年的宣教生涯中，他所完成的工作，比大多数人两倍时间所能完成的还要多。摘自1877年8月，驻汕头的H. L. Mackenzie牧师致差会友人的两封信中写道：
        “在二十二年多的时间里，他的劳苦从未间断，唯有主再来的大日才能宣告，这位深受爱戴的人——如此‘坚毅不动、常在主的工作上丰富有余’——他的劳苦并非徒然。” [16]
       为了编纂词典，杜嘉德广泛收集闽南方言词汇。每当听到新词，他会立刻记录在笔记本中，并反复练习，直到完全掌握。由于这部词典的重要价值，他获得母校颁发的荣誉博士学位。词典出版后，立即成为所有闽南语学习者必备的重要参考书。值得一提的是，他最后一次公开事工是参加1877年5月1日在上海举行的传教士大会，大会有来自全国各地的100多位代表，充分代表了各地教会和团体。大会任命了一位美国主席和一位英国主席，英国代表一致授予杜嘉德博士最高荣誉，这显示了人们对他工作和人格的高度评价与认同。这似乎也是他公开事工的一个特别收官安排。[17] 杜嘉德最后的日子非常感人。英国长老会传教士威廉·麦格雷戈（William McGregor）在一封信中写道：“当他的医师告诉他病情结果非常不确定，并建议他若有安排最好尽快处理时，似乎是担心会让他过于惊慌，他还补充说：‘但你千万不要激动，你是个哲学家。’杜嘉德立即制止他说：‘我是基督徒；’然后稍作停顿，又补充：‘这样更好。’” [18]
        过了一会儿，他安慰一旁哀悼的信徒说：“唯有神的恩赐，在我们的主耶稣基督里乃是永生。”（罗马书6:23）
        1877年7月26日，杜嘉德在厦门鼓浪屿去世，葬于此地。（未完待续）

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               [1] 李春海：“初谈宋尚节”，8/31/25 牧者之言，浏览于10月14日2025，https://lricbc.org/?p=1689。

               [2] Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions, 2^nd ed(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2004), 178. Stephen Neill, A History of Christian Missions, Volume Six in the Pellican History of the Church, Revised for the Second Edition by Owen Chadwick (London: Penguin Books, 1990), 238. J. M.Terry & R. L. Gallagher, Encountering the History of Missions: From the Early Church to Today (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017), 253.

             [3]Taiwan’s old name was Formosa. 

             [4] George Candidius, “Account of the Inhabitants,” Formosa under the Dutch: Described from Contemporary Records, with Explanatory Notes and a Bibliography of the Island, ed. William Campbell (London: Kegan Paul, 1903), 25.

             [5] John Lai, “063 George Candidius,” A Collection of Articles on the History of Christianity in Taiwan, http://www.laijohn.com/BOOK1/063.htm, accessed on December 12, 2022.

             [6] John Lai, “051Chenggong Zheng Treats Victorio Ricci Kindly,” A Collection of Articles on the History of Christianity in Taiwan, http://www.laijohn.com/BOOK1/063.htm, accessed on December 12, 2022. Paul Wu, “Is Robert Morrison the first Protestant Missionary to China?” China Christian Daily, trans. Alvin Zhou, March 05, 2017, accessed December 2, 2022, http://chinachristiandaily.com/news/culture/2017-03-05/is-robert-morrison-the-first-protestant-missionary-to-china-_4260.

               [7] 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），421。

            [8] Alexander Hamiliton, New Account of the East Indies, Being the Observations and Remarks of Captain Alexander Hmilton, 1688-1723, Volume II (New Delhi ★ Madras: Asian Educational Services, 1995), 245.

           [9] 最早面向中国的基督教新教宣教活动是在马六甲形成的，当时传教士罗伯特·马礼逊（Robert Morrison）和威廉·缪恩（William Milne）于1818年创立了英华书院（Anglo-Chinese College）。由于当时禁止传教士在中国大陆直接设立学校，这所书院作为江外宣教（Ultra-Ganges Missions）的一部分而成立。这一举措成为新教早期在亚洲宣教工作中的关键一步。Lin Yihong, “The Origin of The Ultra-Ganges Missions and Its Periodical Press,” Cultural and Religious Studies, Vol. 10, No. 7 (Guangzhou: Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, July 2022): 385-394.

          [10] George F. Barbour, “China and the Missions at Amoy, with Notice of the Opium Trade” (Edinburg: William P. Kennedy, 1855), 29-30.

             [11] Sue Brown & Dr. Bill, “David Abeel–Amoy’s 1st Missionary,” The Amoy Mission 1841-1951, Xiamen–Birthplace of Chinese Protestantism (amoymagic.com), accessed on December 3, 2022.

             [12] Philip Wilson Pitcher, In and About Amoy (Shanghai & Foochow: The Methodist Publishing House in China, 1912), 299.

             [13] David Abeel, The Missionary Convention at Jerusalem (New York: John S. Taylor, 1838).

                  [14] David M. Stowe,  “1804—1846 David Abeel Pioneer American Missionary to China,” Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1999), https://bdcconline.net/en/stories/abeel-david, accessed on December 3, 2022.

               [15] John M. Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs: Missionary of the Presbyterian Church of England at Amoy, China (London: Waterlow and Sons Limited, Printkks, London Wall, 1877), 45-48.

               [16] Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 72.

               [17] W. S. S Wanson, “His Missionary Career,” Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 68.

               [18] Wm. McGregor, “His Closing Days,” Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 53.

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

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

        For me, a northerner born in Heilongjiang, the southern city of Xiamen was both familiar and unfamiliar. It was familiar because it is a renowned international port city and, as early as 1842, following the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing, became one of the first five treaty ports in China open to foreign trade. Yet it was unfamiliar because I had never personally set foot on that land.
       It was not until 2022, when I was taking a course in mission and researching the history of Christianity to Fujian, that the name Xiamen gradually came alive in my mind. During that time, through the internet, I made the acquaintance of Professor William N. Brown from the School of Management (Business School) at Xiamen University—a devoted American who loves China and is well-versed in Chinese culture. He generously provided me with numerous books and materials about the early missionaries, which enabled me to complete my paper, “One Sows and Another Reaps: Exploring the Protestant Missions History in Fujian China before John Sung’s Ministry.” [1]
       It was through Professor Brown that I developed a special connection with this city. Xiamen, once merely a name in memory, gradually became a place full of meaning—where the footsteps of missionaries can still be traced, where the seeds of the gospel were sown, where John Sung once preached, and where God quietly unfolded His redemptive work along the southern coast of China. From that moment, I longed for the day when I could personally set foot on that land, to see how the God who once “sowed the seed” is now bringing forth fruit in that field.

1. Georgius Candidius and Johniusius

         Church historians and scholars believe that Robert Morrison (1782-1834) from the British was the first Protestant missionary coming to China in 1807. [2] However, in the seventeenth century, the Protestant missionary Georgius Candidius (1597-1647, Chinese name: 干治士, pinyin: Gān Zhìshì) brought the gospel to Taiwan,[3]   which is adjacent to Fujian, from 1627 to 1637 during the Ming Dynasty in China. [4] Candidius, a Dutch born in Germany, was the first Protestant missionary to China. He was taught at the Reformed Theological Seminary. In 1624 Netherlands colonized Taiwan. The Dutch East India Company sent Candidius to Taiwan for serving the colonists. When he arrived in Taiwan, he considered serving the local people. He earnestly studied the local language and culture, and wrote a book about Taiwan in 1629, helping people understand the situation of the local people and the needs of missions. He went into the local community and worked hard for the ministry. After sixteen months of coming to Taiwan, he reports:
             “I have used great diligence to learn their language, and from the outset to instruct them
              in the Christian faith; and I have succeeded so far that a fortnight before Christmas of
              the year 1628 there were a hundred and twenty-eight persons who knew the prayers and
              were able to answer in the most satisfactory manner with regard to the principal articles
              of our Christian faith; but for certain reasons none of these have been baptized…I trust
              the Lord of God will bless this work, and that he will build up a church onto Himself,
              serving Him will all singleness of heart and mind.”[5]
In the same year, another Dutch missionary, Johniusius, came to Taiwan to help him. A year later, they led 120 people to Jesus. They served fruitfully with one heart, missions made progress rapidly, and many people converted to Jesus. Taiwan became the first mission land in Asia. The Reformed Church emphasized that the Bible is the highest authority, so Candidius and his companions began to translate the Bible. Candidius translated the Gospels of Matthew and John into local language. He went to the Lord in 1647 in Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia). The sixty percent of the locals in southern and central Taiwan were baptized to Christ. [6] The successive missionaries lacked passion for missions and had corrupt morals. The believers converted with wrong motivation.  They might memorize some doctrines or catechism, but probably did not understand the meaning. [7] These factors caused a decline of the gospel ministry. In 1662, Zheng, Chenggong recovered Taiwan. Due to the close relationship between the Zheng family and the Catholic Church, they expelled the Dutch Reformed missionaries from Taiwan until the 60^th of the nineteenth century. [8]

1. Xiamen: The Birthplace of Protestantism in China

        Where was the birthplace of Protestant Christianity in China? Professor William N. Brown, in Old Gulangyu in Foreign Eyes, argued that the cradle of Chinese Protestantism is Xiamen. [9]According to Alexander Hamilton’s account: In 1700, there were about fifty Christians in Xiamen, served by French missionaries in a small chapel; however, most of these believers belonged to the lower classes of society, and their Christian faith was quite superficial. [10]
        Why did missionaries choose Xiamen as their first station? Barbour identified three primary reasons. First, the people there were friendly and never hostile toward foreigners. Second, the residents of Fujian had frequent contact with the outside world, which fostered a more open and liberal spirit in the region. Third, as you may know, the first missionary society to China was formed in Malacca, [11] where most of the Chinese community came from Zhangzhou in southern Fujian. The missionaries there had already learned their dialect. Thus, when China’s doors were opened, a group of trained and experienced missionaries was already prepared for the work ahead.
         “Xiamen,” Barbour noted that became not only one of the most favored regions for missionary endeavor but also a place where six or seven missionaries could begin spreading the gospel from scratch. They were experienced men, wasting no time in uncertainty, but proceeding steadily from a system they already knew well. “How strange ae the leadings of Providence!” [12] Indeed, God’s work has always resembled a seed—quietly planted, slowly germinating, blossoming, growing strong, and finally bearing abundant fruit in due time.

1. David Abeel to Fujian

        After the end of the first Opium War—a military engagement fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842, with the signing of the Sino-British Nanjing Treaty and the opening of the five treaty ports to the West, David Abeel (Chinese: 雅俾理, pinyin: Yǎ bǐlǐ, June 12, 1804 – September 4, 1846) came to Amoy Fujian in 1842. [13] He was the first pioneer Protestant missionary to Fujian. Rev. William Jones Boone (1811-1864), Bishop of the American Episcopal Church arrived at the time. [14] Abeel was born June 12, 1804, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He began medical studies at Rutgers College and later turned to study at the Theological Seminary of the Reformed church in that place. He first pastored in Athens, New York, for two years, then sailed to Canton, China, in October 1829. A year later, he transferred to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and visited Java, Singapore, and Siam. He studied Chinese, but because of his poor health, he returned home via Europe in 1833. As he passed through Switzerland, France, Holland, and other countries, he urged Westerners to concern about the gospel reaching other nations. In England he helped build a society for promoting the education of women in Asia. Upon his return to America, Abeel published The Claims of the World to the Gospel, Residence in China, and The Missionary Convention at Jerusalem.[15] His influence in the early missionary movement was greatly increased by his writings. [16]  In 1839 he visited Malacca, Borneo, and parts of Asia again. In 1842 he established a mission at Amoy, but by 1845 his health had deteriorated rapidly, and he returned home to die of pulmonary tuberculosis in 1846. He labored faithfully to the very last, and his work was not in vain. The first two converts at Amoy, baptized in 1846, ascribed their earliest impressions to his preaching. [17] Two years later, Xiamen built Xinjie Church, the first Protestant Church in China.
On November 21, 2018, China Chinese Daily reported Xinjie Church’s “170th Anniversary of ‘First Holy Church of China.’” [18] Within Abeel’s short 42 years, he not only pioneered the Amoy Mission, which led to building China’s first Protestant church and the successful mission, but also pioneered women’s education in the East. 

1. A Presbyterian missionary Carstairs Douglas to Fujian

          Carstairs Douglas (Chinese: 杜嘉德, pinyin: Dù Jiādé) was born on December 27 of 1830 in Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire. He was a Scottish missionary, being remembered chiefly for his writings concerning the Southern Minnan dialect of Fujian. To be effective in the gospel ministry, when Douglas came to Amoy, he soon realized he must be proficient in the local language. He was soon able to speak fluently Minnan dialect. When Douglas was in Amoy, he pastored the church, taught students, and often went out to preach despite the cold and heat, sometimes traveling dozens of miles on moonlit nights. He compiled Chinese–English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy in 1873. [19] He worked hard, spending at least eight hours a day on it. Because of his tedious labor, he looked much older than his age. He died of forty-six-year-old, but people thought him of over sixty. He did more work during the twenty-two years of his missionary life than the most of men accomplish in twice that time.  Extracts from two letters, dated August 1877, by Rev. H. L. Mackenzie, Swatow, to friends connected with the Mission: “For more than twenty-two years his labors have been unceasing, and the great day of the Lord’s coming will alone declare how this beloved man, so ‘steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,’ did not labor in vain.” [20] In order to compile the dictionary, Douglas collected Minnan dialect extensively. Whenever he heard a new word, he immediately wrote it down in his notebook and practiced it repeatedly until he could master it well. For the dictionary, Douglas received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater. As soon as this dictionary was published, it immediately became an essential book for all Minnan learners. It is a noticeable event that the last public ministry he did was to attend the Missionary Conference in Shanghai on May 1, 1877. There were more than 100 representatives present. They came from all over China and fully represented various local churches and societies. An American president and a British president were appointed, and the British delegates unanimously bestowed the high honor on Dr. Douglas. This shows everyone’s high evaluation and approval of his work and character. This seems to have been a special arrangement, as a closing chapter of his public ministry.[21] The story of his last days was quite touching. A Letter from the Rev. William McGregor, Amoy, one of the Missionaries of the Presbyterian Church of England states:
         “When his medical adviser told him that the result of his illness was very doubtful, and that
          if he had anything to arrange he had better do it, apparently fearing he might alarm him too
          much, he added, ‘but you must not excite yourself, you know; you are a philosopher.’ Dr.
          Douglas here at once checked him, and said, ‘I’m a Christian;’ then, pausing for breath,
          Added, ‘that’s better.’” [22]
After a while, he comforted the mourning believers on the side: “The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6: 23). On July 26 of 1877, he died, and was buried on Gu Langyu islet in Amoy, China.                              (To be continued)

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                  [1] Li Chunhai, “An Initial Reflection on John Sung,” 8/31/25 A Pastor’s Word，accessed October 15, 2025, https://lricbc.org/?p=1689.

               [2] Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions, 2^nd ed(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2004), 178. Stephen Neill, A History of Christian Missions, Volume Six in the Pellican History of the Church, Revised for the Second Edition by Owen Chadwick (London: Penguin Books, 1990), 238. J. M.Terry & R. L. Gallagher, Encountering the History of Missions: From the Early Church to Today (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017), 253.

              [3]Taiwan’s old name was Formosa. 

              [4] Donald Frederick Lach & Edwin J. Van Kley, Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume III (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993), 277.

            [5] George Candidius, “Account of the Inhabitants,” Formosa under the Dutch: Described from Contemporary Records, with Explanatory Notes and a Bibliography of the Island, ed. William Campbell (London: Kegan Paul, 1903), 25.

           [6] Georgius Candidus, A Short Account of the Island of Formosa in the Indies, Situate Near the Coast of China: And of the Manners, Customs, and Religions of Its Inhabitants (London, 1732). This book gave some reports concerning the ministry.

           [7] John Lai, “063 George Candidius,” A Collection of Articles on the History of Christianity in Taiwan, http://www.laijohn.com/BOOK1/063.htm, accessed on December 12, 2022.

           [8] John Lai, “051Chenggong Zheng Treats Victorio Ricci Kindly,” A Collection of Articles on the History of Christianity in Taiwan, http://www.laijohn.com/BOOK1/063.htm, accessed on December 12, 2022. Paul Wu, “Is Robert Morrison the first Protestant Missionary to China?” China Christian Daily, tran. Alvin Zhou, March 05, 2017, http://chinachristiandaily.com/news/culture/2017-03-05/is-robert-morrison-the-first-protestant-missionary-to-china-_4260, accessed on December 2, 2022.

           [9] William N. Brown, Old Gulangyu in Foreigners’ Eyes，trans. Pan Wengong, Zhong Taifu  (Xiamen: Xiamen University Press, 2010), 421.

           [10] Alexander Hamiliton, New Account of the East Indies, Being the Observations and Remarks of Captain Alexander Hmilton, 1688-1723, Volume II (New Delhi ★ Madras: Asian Educational Services, 1995), 245.

           [11] The first Protestant mission to the Chinese formed in Malacca with the establishment of the Anglo-Chinese College in 1818 by missionaries Robert Morrison and William Milne. The college was founded as part of the Ultra-Ganges Missions because it was forbidden for missionaries to set up a school directly in mainland China at the time. This initiative was a critical step in the early Protestant missionary efforts in Asia. Lin Yihong, “The Origin of The Ultra-Ganges Missions and Its Periodical Press,” Cultural and Religious Studies, Vol. 10, No. 7 (Guangzhou: Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, July 2022): 385-394.

           [12] George F. Barbour, “China and the Missions at Amoy, with Notice of the Opium Trade” (Edinburg: William P. Kennedy, 1855), 29-30.

              [13] Sue Brown & Dr. Bill, “David Abeel–Amoy’s 1st Missionary,” The Amoy Mission 1841-1951, Xiamen–Birthplace of Chinese Protestantism (amoymagic.com), accessed December 3, 2022.

              [14] Philip Wilson Pitcher, In and About Amoy (Shanghai & Foochow: The Methodist Publishing House in China, 1912), 299.

              [15] David Abeel, The Missionary Convention at Jerusalem (New York: John S. Taylor, 1838).

              [16] David M. Stowe,  “1804—1846 David Abeel Pioneer American Missionary to China,” Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1999), https://bdcconline.net/en/stories/abeel-david, accessed on December 3, 2022.

            [17] John Gerardus Fagg, “The Mission Field: David Abeel, Missionary to China (1895). It is cited by Sue Brown & Dr. Bill, “DAVID ABEEL–Father of Amoy Mission,”  https://www.amoymagic.com/Am_Abeel.htm, accessed on November 30, 2022.

 [18] Ye Lan, “The 170th Anniversary of ‘First Holy Church of China,’” China Christian Daily,  November 21, 2018, tran. Lin Changfeng, http://chinachristiandaily.com/news/church_ministry/2018-11-21/the-170th-anniversary-of–first-holy-church-of-china-_7927, accessed on December 9, 2022.

           [19] John M. Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs: Missionary of the Presbyterian Church of England at Amoy, China (London: Waterlow and Sons Limited, Printkks, London Wall, 1877), 45-48.

           [20] Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 72.

           [21] W. S. S Wanson, “His Missionary Career,” Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 68.

               [22] Wm. McGregor, “His Closing Days,” Douglas, Memorials of Douglas Carstairs, 53.

初谈宋尚节

草湖基督教堂之行
3. 圣经植物园项目
         草湖基督教堂的另一个特色是，他们正在建设的圣经植物园项目。走进教堂，可以看到这间教会于2025年春天刚刚启动的工程——“草湖基督教堂圣经植物园项目介绍”：
         “主内平安！2025年，一场意义非凡的建造工程即将在我们的教堂周边拉开帷幕，这是神赐予我们的神圣使命，也是我们共同荣耀主名的宝贵契机，让我们齐心协力，投入其中，投身其中。
    本教会计划在教堂旁边兴建一个充满圣经意境的植物园。这里将栽种许多圣经中富含深刻属灵意义的植物：橄榄树，象征生命与和平；葡萄树，象征主耶稣基督与门徒之间紧密的联系；无花果树，象征复兴与繁荣；还有生命树——预表主十字架上的牺牲。一片片郁郁葱葱的绿植，将讲述圣经的故事，彰显信徒生命如金银宝石般多结果子，彰显主的荣光与国度的荣耀。在绿意盎然之中，我们的信仰将得到更深的见证与传扬。园区已不仅仅是植物的天地，更是信仰的圣殿。
    除了植物景观，园内还将设计精美的圣经故事雕塑与主题小品，激励信徒追寻圣经真理，默想神话语的深邃内涵；圣殿模型则能让我们重温仰慕神圣启示的庄严，激发内心对神的敬畏与向往。
    该项目不仅具有深远意义，还将展示属灵激荡带来的灵感，让更多人感受到基督信仰的品质。未来，这里有望成为一处别具特色的旅游打卡点，吸引游客前来感受基督教文化与自然景观完美融合之美。这不仅能为乡村带来更多人气与活力，还能促进地方商贸、民宿、餐饮的发展，为改善农村社会做出积极贡献。我们的努力，将成为乡村发展的新动力，也会令人看到基督信仰的光辉与见证。
    在此，我们诚挚邀请每一位弟兄姐妹踊跃参与，无论是奉献支持，还是投入时间精力，您的一份付出都将为这个项目注入强大的属灵力量。我们坚信，在神的带领和弟兄姐妹的共同守望下，这项工程必将顺利完成，神的荣耀必然显明！让我们携手共建，以爱为基石，以信为梁，在2025年，为我们的家园添砖加瓦，共同见证神的奇妙作为，也为我们的家园创造更美好的明天！”
         教堂的墙上张贴着许多圣经植物的图片和解释，包括：

• 圣经中的树木：无花果树、橄榄树、皂荚树
• 圣经中的花卉：百合花
• 圣经中的草本：牛膝草、玫瑰花、薄荷
• 圣经中的水果：石榴、葡萄、芦苇
• 圣经中的香料：肉桂
• 圣经中的蔬菜：芫荽、苦菜、乳香
• 圣经中的农作物：红豆、稗子

           这间教会筹款的方式很独特。教堂里设有一块白板，写着“草湖基督教堂植物园专款奉献公布栏”：上面列着人名和奉献金额。这种公布奉献款项的做法有圣经依据（比如民7:12-17；代上29:3-5；可12:41-44）。今日中国南方及港台的许多教会奉献弟兄姐妹的名字（或无名氏）公示出来，鼓励弟兄姐妹在财务上甘心奉献、积极参与神家事工。
         我好奇地问王洪福牧师：“你们怎么会有要建圣经植物园这么美好的异象？”
         王牧师很谦卑，只是面带微笑，没有正面回答我。退休的陈国恩老牧师则马上回答说：“是神给王牧师的灵感”。他还说：“主赐予王牧师的异象，我们一定要大力支持。”
         现任牧师走在前、前任牧师走在后，两代牧者仍能同工同心合意地的这副场景非常美！尽管前任牧师已经退休，但仍紧随年轻牧师之后，全力支持神家事工。
        草湖基督教会灵活拓展事工的理念值得学习。他们希望教会通过建立植物园可以为耶稣传福音，另一方面人们也能从这些植物中明白整本圣经中的福音真理。此外，在今日国家倡导美学享受的氛围下，人们也能得到美的滋养。
         当被问到他们为何有如此大的信心和勇气去承担如此庞大的工程时，黄媛传道回答：“答案总比问题多，上帝总比困难大！”中国大陆的基督徒真有信心，他们信心的榜样值得在美国的华人教会效法！
         真是感恩！草湖基督教会继承林振珍、宋尚节等属灵前辈的遗产：信心、勇敢、积极为主传福音等，并在新的时代将其发扬光大。 这次草湖教会之行受益匪浅，不仅有主里美好的团契，也获得许多新知识，学习了教会历史，品尝了宋尚节复兴的寻根盛筵，更从草湖基督教会靠主砥砺前行的广大心胸怀与国度视野中得到深深的激励。（未完待续）

10/12/25 Pastor’s Word
An Initiative Reflection on John Sung
(continued from the above)

 
Journey to Caohu Christian Church
3. The Biblical Botanical Garden Project
         Another distinctive feature of Caohu Christian Church is their ongoing Biblical Botanical Garden project. Upon entering the church, one can see this project, which was just launched in the spring of 2025 — “Introduction to the Caohu Christian Church Biblical Botanical Garden Project”:
        *“Peace in the Lord! In 2025, a highly significant construction project is about to unfold around our church. This is a divine mission granted by God, and a precious opportunity for us to glorify His name together. Let us unite in effort and dedication, fully investing ourselves in this undertaking.
       Our church plans to establish a botanical garden adjacent to the church, imbued with the spiritual imagery of the Bible. The garden will feature many plants with profound biblical significance: olive trees, symbolizing life and peace; grapevines, symbolizing the close relationship between Jesus Christ and His disciples; fig trees, representing revival and prosperity; and the tree of life, prefiguring the sacrifice on the cross. Lush greenery will narrate biblical stories, demonstrating how the lives of believers can bear fruit like gold and silver, reflecting the glory of the Lord and His kingdom. Amidst this verdant splendor, our faith will gain deeper witness and promotion. The garden will not merely be a collection of plants, but a sanctuary of faith.
        In addition to the plant displays, the garden will feature finely crafted biblical story sculptures and themed installations to inspire believers to seek biblical truth and meditate on the depth of God’s Word. A model of the temple will allow visitors to relive the awe of divine revelation, fostering reverence and longing for God.
       This project is not only of profound spiritual significance, but also aims to showcase the inspiration arising from spiritual awakening, allowing more people to experience the essence of the Christian faith. In the future, it is expected to become a unique tourist destination, attracting visitors to appreciate the harmony of Christian culture and natural beauty. This will not only bring vitality to the local village but also promote local commerce, homestays, and dining, contributing positively to rural society. Our efforts will become a new driving force for village development and demonstrate the radiance and testimony of the Christian faith.
        Here, we sincerely invite every brother and sister to participate enthusiastically. Whether through financial contributions or by offering time and effort, your involvement will infuse this project with powerful spiritual energy. We firmly believe that under God’s guidance and the joint watchfulness of our church family, this project will be successfully completed, and God’s glory will be revealed! Let us work hand in hand, building with love as our foundation and faith as our framework, adding bricks and tiles to our home in 2025, witnessing God’s wondrous deeds, and creating a brighter future for our community!” *
On the church walls, many pictures and explanations of biblical plants are displayed, including:

• Trees in the Bible: fig tree, olive tree, carob tree
• Flowers in the Bible: lily
• Herbs in the Bible: achyranthes, rose, mint
• Fruits in the Bible: pomegranate, grape, reed
• Spices in the Bible: cinnamon
• Vegetables in the Bible: coriander, bitter herbs, frankincense
• Crops in the Bible: red beans, millet

       The church has a unique fundraising approach. Inside the church is a whiteboard labeled “Caohu Christian Church Botanical Garden Donation Board”, listing the names of donors and their contributions. This public display of donations is biblically based (see Num. 7:12–17; 1 Chron. 29:3–5; Mark 12:41–44). Today, many churches in southern China and Hong Kong/Taiwan display the names (or anonymity) of contributing brothers and sisters to encourage willing and generous participation in God’s work.
       With curiosity, I asked Pastor Wang Hongfu, “How did your church come up with such a beautiful vision of building a Biblical Botanical Garden?”
        Pastor Wang humbly smiled and did not respond at once. Retired Pastor Chen Guoen immediately answered, “It is God who inspired Pastor Wang.” He also added, “We must wholeheartedly support the vision God has given Pastor Wang.”
        It was beautiful to witness the current pastor leading the way while the retired pastor followed, two generations of pastors working together in unity. Even though the former pastor had retired, he still followed closely behind, fully supporting the work of God’s house.
        The flexible approach to ministry at Caohu Christian Church is commendable. They hope that through the botanical garden, the church can both proclaim the gospel of Jesus and allow people to understand the gospel truths throughout the Bible via these plants. Moreover, in today’s cultural emphasis on aesthetic enjoyment, people can also be nourished by beauty.
        When asked why they had such great faith and courage to undertake such a massive project, Minister Huang Yuan replied, “Answers are always more than questions; God is always greater than the difficulties!” Chinese Christians indeed have remarkable faith, and their example is worthy of imitation in Chinese churches in the United States.
       Truly, we are grateful! Caohu Christian Church carries forward the heritage of spiritual predecessors such as Lin Zhenzhen and John Sung — faith, courage, and active evangelistic work — and continues to promote these virtues in a new era. This visit to Caohu Church was extremely enriching, not only offering wonderful fellowship in the Lord, but also providing abundant knowledge, church history learning, a taste of the revivalist roots of John Sung, and deep inspiration from the church’s broad vision and steadfast reliance on the Lord.
(To be continued…)

初谈宋尚节
（接上文）
草湖基督教堂之行

2. 林振珍纪念室

宋尚节奋兴会布道会

林振珍纪念馆里有一个专栏，介绍宋尚节奋兴布道会，标题：主曆一九三七年四月七日至十四日普仙聖公會美以美聯合會請宋尚節博士返梓在美會總堂主領奮興大會並組織佈道隊全體攝影紀念。上图照片拍摄于 1937 年，当时宋尚节在莆田举办了一场奋兴会。照片中有上千人参加，拍摄技术在当时已相对清晰，宋尚节的脸部轮廓都清晰可见。
         黄媛传道介绍说，当时一位老人回忆：“他亲眼见到宋尚节在圣路加医院搭台讲道。讲道结束后，宋尚节邀请需要祷告的人留下，他便为他们一一祷告。留下的人中有身体有疾病的，也有瘸腿的。宋尚节特别为其中两人祷告，其中有一个人当他得医治后，心里还很怀疑，觉得不可信。他带着怀疑的态度说：‘太神奇了，我的腰竟然直了！’他走了几步，忽然想起说：‘我的拐杖呢？’眼睛往后找，于是他的腰一下子又弯下去，再也站不起来了”。
         施伟《献祭者》中也讲到，这位老人当时是十三岁姓林的小男孩：“下午，爸爸带他去见主仆宋尚节，他拉着我的手，摸着我的头，问我读经祷告的情况。我问他：‘为什么被按手的，有人痊愈？有人不痊？’他坦然说：‘因为被按手的人的信心不同，所得的医治也不同。’爸爸请他为我祷告，他祷告毕，我们告辞而去。”
         宋尚节就像一团火，他走到哪里，就给哪里带去复兴。
         退休的陈国恩老牧师补充说：“照片里有人拿旗，你们知道那是干什么的吗？那是布道旗。拿布道旗的人说明他们领受了呼召，都要去为主布道传福音的。”
        上图照片下面的文字不是讲1937年宋尚节带领的大复兴，而是在讲1909年兴化的大复兴的。展厅为什么要这样设计呢？他们想要说明的是，为什么莆田教会能出宋尚节呢？因为莆田有培养宋尚节的土壤。这块土壤中主要的事件是1909年兴化的大复兴。文字是这样描述的：
          兴化五旬节大复兴，二十世纪初的兴化教会，过分强调个人影响，仰仗物质刺激，忽视圣灵的感动，其结果虽入教者众，而不少却是来吃教依教者，外表兴旺，内里冰凉，识者忧之，普鲁士夫妇 （Dr and Mrs. William Brewster）……宋学连……等人为此率众禁食祷告，美籍传教士万明治女士 (Missionary Miss Winnie Wilson) 函告其在美母亲撒拉，每天为兴化教会之灵性复兴而恳切祈求。1909年3月23日，万母致书于女：“神允所求，深信书未达，而圣灵已降。”[2] 当时只有海运每封信五星期后才能到达。
           1909年4月9日，莆田总堂举行受难礼拜，林鸿万痛表耶稣受难苦况，闻着泪下，
晚聚会有道学生薛明春站起立忏悔认罪，曾在广业牧区分肥杂费二元，痛苦自责，并退款，全场听众，受圣灵感动，心如刀扎，纷纷起来认罪，这是将于兴化教会的第一把火。
         结果，台下许多人老少都站起来认罪悔改。宋尚节在《灵力激光》一书中也提到这一幕，并记载当时在这场聚会里，教会共收回五百个足球——那些原本被孩子们偷走的足球。当时宋尚节9岁。他于1922年美国下乡布道期间梦到这次兴化大复兴的场景，而且分毫不差。十七年后，在1937年11月8日，当宋尚节返回中国来到婶婶家时，这个兴化大复兴的场景再次如放电影一样一幕幕浮现在他眼前。[3]
           可以说，这场复兴极大影响了宋尚节，使他后来每一场奋兴会都强调认罪悔改，并深刻改变了许多人。所以，当有人问宋尚节的奋兴会为什么会大有能力呢？其中一个关键原因就是“认罪悔改”。 

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[1] 施玮：《献祭者——宋尚节传》（The Sacrifice: John Sung），洛杉矶：灵性文艺，2019，543.

[2] 施玮：《献祭者》（The Sacrifice），69-71。

[3] 施玮：《献祭者》（The Sacrifice），239-241。

An Initiative Reflection on John Sung
(continued from the above)
Journey to Caohu Christian Church

2. Lin Zhenzhen Memorial Room
     John Sung Revival Meetings

       In the Lin Zhenzhen Memorial Hall, there is a special column introducing John Sung’s revival crusades. The title reads: “From April 7 to 14, 1937, the Episcopal Church of Puxian, together with the United Methodist Episcopal Church, Invited Dr. John Sung to Return to His Hometown to Lead a Revival Crusade at the Main Hall of the American Church and Organized the Evangelistic Team, All Captured in a Commemorative Photograph.” The photograph above was taken in 1937, when John Sung held a revival meeting in Putian. Over a thousand people attended, and the photographic technology of the time was relatively clear, making John Sung’s facial features easily recognizable.
        Minister Huang Yuan introduced that at the time, an elderly man said: “He personally saw John Sung preaching on the stage at St. Luke’s Hospital. After the sermon, John Sung invited those who needed prayer to stay behind, and he prayed for each of them individually. Among those who remained were people with illnesses, including some who were lame. John Sung prayed especially for two of them. One of them, after being healed, still doubted in his heart, thinking it was unbelievable. With a doubtful attitude, he said, ‘Amazing! My back is straight!’ He took a few steps, then suddenly remembered and said, ‘Where is my cane?’ As he looked back, his back immediately bent again, and he could no longer stand.”
        Shi Wei’s book Sacrifice also recounts that this elderly man was a thirteen-year-old boy surnamed Lin:
       “In the afternoon, my father brought me to see the Lord’s servant John Sung. He held my hand, touched my head, and asked about my Bible reading and prayer life. I asked him, ‘Why do some people get healed when the hands are laid on them, while others do not?’ He replied calmly, ‘Because the faith of those upon whom hands are laid differs, and the healing they receive differs as well.’ My father asked him to pray for me. After he prayed, we took our leave.”[1]
        John Sung was like a fire; wherever he went, he brought revival.
        Retired Pastor Chen Guoen added: “In the photograph, some people are holding flags. Do you know what those flags are for? They are evangelistic flags. Those holding them had received the call and were committed to preaching the Gospel for the Lord.”
        The caption below the photograph does not describe the 1937 revival led by John Sung, but instead refers to the 1909 revival in Xinghua. Why is the exhibition designed this way? The curators wanted to show why the Putian church produced John Sung: because Putian had the spiritual soil to cultivate him. The most significant event in this soil was the 1909 Xinghua revival. The description reads:
        During the Pentecostal revival in Xinghua, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the church overly emphasized personal influence, relied on material stimulation, and neglected the work of the Holy Spirit. As a result, although many joined the church, many did so merely for the benefits of religion. Outwardly the church seemed prosperous, but inwardly it was cold. Those who understood this worried. Mr. and Mrs. William Brewste…… Song Xuelian……, and others led the congregation in fasting and prayer. Missionary Miss Winnie Wilson in America wrote to her mother Sarah Wilson, earnestly praying each day for the spiritual revival of the Xinghua church. On March 23, 1909, Sarah wrote to her daughter: “God has granted the request; I firmly believe that even if the letter has not arrived, the Holy Spirit has already descended.” At that time, mail by sea took five weeks to arrive.
        On April 9, 1909, Putian Main Hall held a Good Friday service. Lin Hongwan vividly described the suffering of Jesus, moving the congregation to tears. In the evening meeting, a theological student, Xue Mingchun, stood up to confess his sins. He returned two yuan that had been improperly collected in the Guangye parish, expressing deep remorse. The entire audience, moved by the Holy Spirit, felt as if their hearts were pierced by a knife, and many stood up to repent. This was the spark of the first revival in the Xinghua church.
         Many young and old in the audience stood to repent. John Sung also mentioned this scene in his book The Power of the Spirit, noting that the church collected back five hundred soccer balls—those originally taken by children. At the time, John Sung was nine years old. During his 1922 rural evangelistic trips in the United States, he dreamed of the Xinghua revival scene, recalling it in detail.[2] Seventeen years later, on November 8, 1937, when John Sung returned to China and visited his aunt’s home, the revival scene once again appeared vividly before his eyes, like a movie playing.[3]
        This revival greatly influenced John Sung, shaping his later crusades to emphasize confession and repentance, profoundly transforming many people. Therefore, when asked why John Sung’s revival meetings were so powerful, one key reason was the practice of confession and repentance.                                                               (to be continued)
 

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                [1] Shi Wei, The Sacrifice: John Sung (Los Angeles: Spiritual Literature and Arts Press, 2019), 543.

                    [2] Shi, The Sacrifice, 69-71.

                    [3] Shi, The Sacrifice, 239-241.