Xinjiang Ethnic & Religious Affairs Committee holds a five-day training for all the pastoral staff in the province, starting from Dec. 1, 2016. This marks the second study for the church staff in the whole province, 11 years after the first training class conducted in 2005.
74 co-workers from nine provincial areas attend it. A law expert, officials from local and state administrations for religious affairs and pastors from CCC & TSPM like Rev. Chen Yi Lu and Rev. Shan Weixiang are the speakers.
The training covers the topics: the history of religions in Xinjiang, church management in the direction toward sinicization of Christianity, the cults in the perspective of theological construction as well as the relations between church and society, Christianity and other religions.
The trainees talk about the hardship of local church ministry, such as a serious lack of preachers in the northwestern Xinjiang , preparation for ministries and ordination for pastors. They also put forward the suggestions on the religious management of the authority.
On the last day, six student representatives appeal for the establishment of a long-lasting training system and expect the pastoral staff of Urumqi to lead the training ministry of Xinjiang. Rev. Fan Chenguang proposes to facilitate the ordination according to the regulations and rule.
Translated By: Karen Luo
