On September 24, 2018, the traditional Chinese Mid-autumn Festival, Rev. Yang Jianli who served in Beijing Chongwenmen Church since 1999 passed away at 53 due to recurrent liver cancer.
Born in a rural family in Baoji, Shaanxi, Rev. Yang was called to study in Yanjing Theological Seminary and began to work in a church in Shaanxi after graduation.
Struck by the recurrence of the disease, he was hospitalized in a Beijing hospital.
In his funeral held on Sept 28, his past ministry in the pulpit and around sickbeds was recalled. One part of his work was to baptize terminal patients. He also wrote faith articles at the WeChat account of the church.
"In the call with my friend, I naturally talk about my health conditions. In the face of my ' let nature take its course'and 'nothing matters'attitudes, she told me to care about myself and keep tough under all circumstances. I will certainly keep going because it's universally not easy for humans to survive and we insist to cross all kinds of thresholds. Life itself is a process of continuous persistence before death and reveals its existence and significance through the process", he wrote on August 27, 2017.
His memorial service will be conducted in Chongwenmen Church on Oct 2.
- Translated by Karen Luo
