In recent years, it has been an epidemic in the churches in China that there are preachers and seminary graduates no longer continuing their pledge to God and His church. No one questions what impact it may have on the church, but what is indeed its impacts? I have no idea how many churches run into trouble and whether they remedy or reflect on themselves to improve the situation.
What are the reasons that cause the problem for the church and its servants? In this article, I will explain them through the following five aspects.
Payment
Payment is always the lifeblood of employees who may be dissatisfied with low salaries and allowances.
Maybe, it is partial reason why some seminary graduates move to the church in southeastern China for high payment and preachers work outside the church.
Although there is a payment standard for the pastoral staff and fixed subsidies for those with educational background, the servants of God hardly receive any money and some who are extremely poor get a little less than enough if there is any.
Do the provincial CCC&TSPM issue the preachers' payment or does the local church pay for their own preachers? I believe it's hard to execute payment for preachers whether it is released by either the CCC&TSPM or the local church itself.
Church management
In some churches, "confusing teachings" appear, leading the congregation to not to follow the truth. For example, if the believers are accustomed to testimonies or miracles, who would like to hear the message about salvation, the righteousness through faith and sanctification alone?
The random issuing of "certificate of pastors" results in lowering the pastoral level of the church and even in the presence of "false and confusing teachings". Some disqualified pastors share testimonies to please the congregation by reading books, another person' sermons, topics and their own or others' testimonies.
What's worse is the fact some misinterpret the Bible and attack the truth, while some church managers are not capable or do anything to discover and solve this problem.
Then, which people can teach and nurture the church? What kind of truth should be taught by untrained preachers?
Pastoral guide
It will be an honor to see and interact with a new seminary graduate or preacher that can guide or preach like Moses.
However, the usually good leaders who are good judges of talent are busy with work for the local CCC&TSPM. How should they train new talents?
I am aware that there are very few church leaders who are good judges of talent. However, can the church pay the price of letting a senior pastor guide a new preacher? Is it practical to replace the old pastor with a new one? There should be a transition period to allow the new preacher to get settled in the position.
Can the church put up with the young generation as they make mistakes and be zealous while guiding the new generation to find their place in the church?
Passion for service
It's pretty common for the pastoral staff to feel downhearted: they propose suggestions that may be not adopted, carry out work that may be not recognized and preach sermons everyone may not like during their service.
What's more, the church requests super-high demands for the graduates and preachers and those who have versatile talent in the church tend to be pressed to their limits by the church administration.
For instance, they are required to preside over the service, deliver sermons, pray, praise, play the piano, conduct a band, hold training for choirs, as well as provide pastoral counselling and comfort in skills.
They lose confidence or the sense of existence as they face the extraordinary demands raised by the believers and church.
Attack and persecution
Some graduates and preachers are slandered by co-workers and unacknowledged by the church, some even personally attacked and accused of crime they did not commit. It may upset them after the long day toil from doing church activity.
There's mutual persecution and attack between the church's co-workers. A preacher who disagrees with another preacher may choose to not to hold a gathering if his or her rival delivers a sermon.
Some believers set up restrictions of their freedoms due to existing or self-imposed prohibitions in society.
Meanwhile, their relatives, friends and neighbours tend to express sarcasm to the servants of the Lord, whose family may not understand the importance of their service or object to their service.
It is good news that in the recent years, there's a growing interest when it comes to pastoral problem, self-nurturning and care for the staff and how it can be solved. Let's raise our hands together to take care of the seminary graduates and understand the plight of preachers!
