In Liaoning Province, an Anshan church integrating Han and Korean ethnic groups reopened last Sunday after suspension due to the resurgence of COVID-19 before the 2021 Spring Festival.
Following COVID-19 protocols, Yongle Church in Anshan resumed its in-person Sunday service, while the service including praise and sermon in Korean restarted.
Pastor Pei Lianshu mentioned that the church was to resume on-site gatherings twice a week, with the online Sunday service held as usual.
On the Sunday morning of March 21, after the hymns sung by the congregation, Pastor Liu Zaigen, dressed in formal attire, led the congregation in reading the scriptures. He later gave a sermon lasting about an hour.
During the service, taking off her shoes, a sister walked to the altar with a rectangular case in her hands, as Chinese-Koreans do not normally enter their homes or walk to the altar with shoes. Receiving the box, Pastor Liu laid it on the podium and placed his hands on it, praying in Korean. Afterwards, Pastor Pei said that two of the ministry's finance staff put the money contributed by believers on that day from the offering box into the case and gave it to the pastor. Pastor Liu’s prayer had two meanings: one was to plead with God to remember these believers’ love, to bless and be with them; the other was to pray that the offering money would be properly used in the holy work of evangelism, and that the pastor of the church might take care of the money for God.
After the service, inside the elevator going downstairs was an old sister with crutches. At the age of 86, she had believed in the Lord for more than 30 years; she had a broken leg since last year. It was really commendable for her to go to church at such an old age.
(The original article is published by Gospel Times)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
