At least 34 retired volunteers ages 70 and up were included in the first farewell collective meeting held by the Moore Memorial Church (Mu En Church) on May 1. According to the report of Shanghai Ethnic and Religion, 400 volunteers attended the meeting.
Each retired volunteer received a gift as part of the ceremony with a red flower for each one of them.
The 140-year-old church said they will hold farewell meetings to recognize the years of service of each volunteers every Easter in the next coming years. The church would also take into consideration measures that would improve the succession of two generations so that the church volunteer team can easily transition in any situation.
The Moore Memorial Church or the Mu En Church was established by American missionaries in 1887 with a large endowment from Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Royster Moore of Kansas City, triggering the Church to be renamed in 1900 as Moore Memorial Church. In 1931, the Church was expanded to accommodate 1,000 or more parishioners. Slowly, the Church managed to build its local membership in thousands which was clearly seen when the church was reopened in 1979 after the Cultural Revolution.
