BURDEN
The
origin of the Chinese-speaking Campus Work in North America
“In
1983 I began to feel led of the Lord that we should not miss the chance
to work on these
Chinese
students on their campuses and also on the Chinese community.”
“I
feel that our cooperation with the Lord in this work is very crucial. Of
course, this is not a direct work with the English-speaking people.
However, I believe that since most of the young generation of these
Chinese immigrants are graduates with master’s degrees and Ph.D. degrees,
when they get saved, gained by the Lord, and trained with the New
Testament economy, the truth of the recovery will be channeled through
them to the English-speaking people…We have to follow the Lord’s
sovereign arrangement. This situation is something sovereign of the
Lord.”
(Elders’
Training, chapter 10, pp. 114-115)
Characteristics
of the Mainland Scholars’ Work in North America
Currently
several hundred thousand students and scholars from mainland China study or work in North America. Each year, about 100,000 new students and visiting scholars
from mainland China come to the US. They are the elite from among 1.3
billion Chinese, and will be the leading force in shaping the future of China.
Statistics
from the Chinese-speaking meetings in the churches in North America show
that more than eighty percent of new believers are students, scholars and
new immigrants from mainland China. This is truly the Lord’s sovereign
arrangement and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Importance
of the Mainland Scholars’ Work
l
The Mainland Scholars’ Work is crucial in
regard to cooperating with the work of the
Holy Spirit, and will meet the needs of gospel preaching, of spreading
the high-peak truth,
and of spreading the church life after the opening of mainland China.
l
David Aikman, former Beijing Bureau Chief
of Time Magazine, in his recently published
book, Jesus in Beijing, said “Within the next thirty years, one-third of China’s
population could be Christian, making China one of the largest Christian
nations in the
world. These Christians could also be China’s leaders, guiding the
largest economy in the
world.”
OBJECTIVES
To carry out this work in harmonious coordination with the
churches and in the Body
l
To help the saints follow, appreciate,
affirm, be constituted with, build up a taste for, and
become propagators of the ministry of the age for the building up of the
Body of Christ.
l
To establish the saints to live the
God-man living in an exercised way so that they could have a prevailing
prayer life to practice shepherding in the vital groups.
l
To help them learn to coordinate
harmoniously in the churches, to know the Body, care for the Body, honor
the Body, and also to have the feeling of the Body.
To prepare for the spreading of the
gospel of the kingdom in mainland China
l
To labor in 100 North American campuses
and gain 10,000 remaining fruit within 10 years.
l
To produce 100 full-timers from the
10,000.
l
To prepare people to spread the gospel of
the kingdom in mainland China.
To gain a good number of thoughtful
people for the churches
Within
10 years, more than half of the new educators on North American campuses
will be scholars from Mainland China according to some forecasts. Thus,
preaching the gospel to mainland scholars will further the spreading of
the gospel to the English-speaking community on the college campuses.
The
mainland scholars’ work will give the Lord a way to reap many…“This work
will also exercise a great effect on the English-speaking community. We
all need to pray for this.”
(Elders’
Training IV, chapter 10, p.118)
ACTIVITIES
PSRP
l
The number of participants in the Summer
and Winter Trainings has increased. In the last training, around 200
mainland scholars, saints, and serving ones practiced PSRP in the meeting
hall in Cerritos.
Truth seminars/gospel meetings
l
In 2006, 20 gospel seminars were conducted
in North America. Over 4,300 participated and 147 were baptized.
l
In Europe, gospel seminars were conducted
in: London, Birmingham, Keele, Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon, Stuttgart, Stockholm, Athens, and Kiev. Over 50 were baptized.
l
Among the 210 main campuses in North America, 135 (in 109 cities) had gospel activities in 2006.
l
Currently, 64 campuses have regular
Chinese-speaking gospel meetings.
Campus visitation
l
In 2006, 40 campuses in North America were
visited. Mainland scholar saints (especially in the Midwest area) who
participated in the perfecting training in New Jersey for the past four
years have emerged to become one of the stabilizing forces in the
situation.
l
A few churches have been raised up through
the visitations, such as in Starkville, Mississippi.
l
75 saints currently are holding teaching
positions on campuses in North America; 65 are from mainland China.
Perfecting conferences
“…if
the Lord wills, we will have summer conferences and training centers. The
full-timer could go to visit the campuses to work on the ‘farm.’When
summer comes, the school terms will be over. Then all these ones who are
reaped will probably be able to give two weeks to attend a conference
plus a training concerning the Christian life. Then, they will go back to
the campuses as seeds which are sown to grow into another harvest. We
also hope that we could have a long period of training…” (Elders’
Training IV, chapter 10, p.118)
l
At the one-week conference (August 2006)
in Franklin Park, NJ
l
1,135 committed to participate in daily
vital practices
l
76 desired to serve full-time
l
85 wanted migrate for the campus gospel
l
806 committed
to have watchful prayers
Statistics for the year 2006
l
In the churches in North America
(according to limited data), close to 590 from mainland China with a master’s degree or higher were baptized. Over 100 were baptized in Europe.
l
25 saints originally from mainland China attended the Full-time Training
(13 at FTTA, 12 at FTTAMA).
l
7 full-timers were produced over the year.
GOALS
FOR 2007
Plan
l
One-week perfecting conference－from
July 30 to August 5, 2007, a one-week conference will be held in Franklin
Park, New Jersey.
l
Professor saints and campus gospel
fellowship－on February 18-19, 2007, immediately after the international
Chinese speaking conference, in Cerritos.
l
25 truth seminars and gospel meetings in
North America and 15 in Europe.
Goals
l
To labor on 20 additional campuses and to
gain 1,000 remaining fruit.
l
To encourage 30 scholar saints from
mainland China to join the Full-time Training in Anaheim.
l
To produce 10 full-timers.
l
To enhance the fellowship with the
churches and the campus work in general.
|
