Y (pseudonym), a pastor from southeast China, is a seventh-generation Christian and the fourth-generation pastor in his family. And his grandfather associated with his contemporaries John Sung (a famous evangelist) and Watchman Nee (a church leader) in the ministry.
Being a grandfather now, Y still remembers the hardships that his grandfather and father endured decades ago on account of their ministry and faith during the Cultural Revolution. Because of his grandfather’s Christian convictions, the family had a similar experience of house raiding at that time. And once at a time, his father took him to a place where his father was going to be criticized, and he watched it all unfold.
Because of the humiliation that elder generations suffered in public and the difficulties they encountered in church ministry, Pastor Y once had a sense of conflict and distance towards the faith. But he went on the path of serving God when he experienced a rebirth and the grace of God at the age of 18.
He recalled, "In those special years, though the whole family experienced hardship, thankfully, my grandpa insisted on building family altars which I didn't know what this was at the time, but later realized this was family worship after I began to serve God. The family gatherings once or twice a week supported the family members through those difficult times with God’s grace flowing in our hearts.”
And then this baton was passed from his grandfather and father to Pastor Y. "Since 1983, I started to lead the family altar, with the family gathering once or twice a week. Although my son works overseas having his own children, we conduct online family worship at least once a week.”
"With many Christian members, my family experienced the sufferings collectively, which strengthened the members’ faith. Without the family altar and the grace of God, we would not have been able to stand and have spiritual support for each other. During that special historical period, some believers secretly gathered at our home, and even some Catholics came to pray here. That scene was imprinted on my memory," Pastor Y added.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
