With the increasing of an aging population, more Chinese churches start to establish homes for the aged, since the aged believers's occupying a large percentage in rural churches and of the society's need.
Xiesong Home for the Aged, located in Shangyu, Zhejiang, was co-founded by the two local churches of Xietang and Songxia villages in 2001. Originally with only 46 beds, it received 3000 seniors and had 500 beds until December, 2015.
Supposed to serve only Christian seniors, the home opened publicly, in terms of the care demand from a large number of seniors. The number of non-Christian members is a bit over that of Christians. Later the local Christians established a shelter center for the disabled and a rehabilitation center for the children with autism.
Zheng Zhangsheng, the president of the elderly's home, tells CCD that more than 350 people including their relatives followed Jesus since the founding.
Even an senior who moved into the home in the morning decided to receive baptism that afternoon. A elderly people who was about to be baptized said, "You smile to me every day. Everyone gathers to pray for me when I don't feel well."
Zheng says, "They value our deeds."
He shares that churches have a lot of advantages in carrying out the elderly care ministry.
He says churches that open nursing homes have advantages of love and staff over others. A great deal of evaluation shows that the nursers here are more kind and patient because they depend on God's infinite love. Love is an action. Many sisters serves others whom people refuse to care for the Lord's love. All the working staff are Christians who don't mind the hard work because of the love of Jesus Christ.
Every afternoon the elders or church co-workers from the church nearby lead a bible study or praise and worship in the chapel seated inside the home. In addition, some old healthy believers living here spontaneously make a visiting team who pray for the elderly people with sickness or troubles and communicate with them.
So this is the difference between the Christian home and the social nursing homes, he says.
Besides, churches have their own property. Some choose to set up nursing homes in the church annexes.However, they encounter a number of difficulties including the unqualified employees. Zheng says enhancing their professional skills is the key to forge a brand of Christian elderly care he expects.
"During the current work phase, the employees are generally at old ages with poor education, inadequate professional skills and high mobility, which is harmful to the long-term stead development of the elderly care profession." Zheng spoke at a seminar where represents from 101 domestic aged homes gathered in December, 2015.
There is also another challenge for church homes for the aged: succession. Connected with the church management in a large scale, the work of the homes can't be implemented smoothly due to the possible fact that the next church leadership may not share the same emphasis on elderly care as the previous one whose term of office lasts five years.
China's population is aging rapidly and the extra gray hairs have put immense stress on the world's second-largest economy in the past three decades. A 2010 report released by a government think tank said China will become the world's most aged society in 2030, reported by IBT. And by 2050, senior citizens will make up more than 30 percent of China's total population.
