SHANGHAI — At the appointed time, they entered: the ministers wearing clerical vestments and the robed choir singing “The Lord is in his holy temple.”
As the organist transitioned from the call to worship to “Come, Thou, Almighty King,” the congregation rose with hymnals in hand.
Although this might have taken place in any number of Baptist churches across the country, it happened in Shanghai, China, on July 10. The Mu’en Church in Shanghai is one of the city’s oldest, tracing its roots to the mid-19th century. The church’s Methodist heritage is still evident in its worship style.
After the worship service at Mu’en Church in Shanghai supplicants fill the prayer rail. (Photo by Jim White)
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The gothic sanctuary, built in 1929, is reported to seat 1,200, and every seat was filled. Anyone arriving less than 10 minutes before the start of the service had to sit on steps in the balcony or in the overflow set up in an adjoining chapel.
The crowd, made up of a cross-section of ages and a nearly equal number of males and females, assembled unimpeded.
But the people have not always enjoyed such freedom. During the period of the Cultural Revolution, 1966-1979, the church was closed and its pastor, Shi Qi’ Gui, was sent away from Shanghai to work in a factory. During those 13 years church members lost contact with each other and the church building suffered from neglect and vandalism.
Finally, however, a change in government policy allowed the churches to reopen. With only four days notice, Pastor Shi sent 400 notices to the last known address of former members, hoping and praying that at least a handful would show up.
“From my years as pastor, I knew which door I could find unlocked,” he recalled. “While it was still dark, at 2 o’clock in the morning, I went to the church and tried to prepare the building so we could worship. Within one hour, about 50 people had arrived already. We began again on that first Sunday with 800 people who came to worship the Lord!”
The memory, still vivid after more than 30 years, caused him to choke with emotion. “I will never forget that day,” he managed to say.
Contrary to popular opinion among American Christians, churches were not forced to close with the coming of communism in 1949. Churches were, however, required to register with the government and were not impeded as long as they did not attempt to stir rebellion against the Communist Party or against national interests or preach outside the church building. Churches that registered were not required to pay taxes on their property, a practice that continues. In addition, in the “new China,” foreign influences were curtailed, meaning whatever assistance had been provided by missionaries and churches from other parts of the world were cut off.
Pastor Shi with his granddaughter, Shi Meiying. (Photo by Jim White)
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The current senior pastor of the Mu’en Church is Jiang Qian Li, who has served in that role since 2004. Although she often preaches, in this service she did not. The sermon, based on Ephesians 4:13-16, was delivered by Hua Yaozeng, a Christian leader who once lived in the city. Bibles were plentiful, but many were given to worshippers as they arrived.
Missing from the service, however, were an offering and invitation. Financial contributions are received in large boxes placed outside the sanctuary. According to church member Shi Meiying, granddaughter of Pastor Shi, the offering is not collected during the worship service so anyone who cannot give will not feel embarrassed.
Although a formal invitation was not given, when the service ended, people made their ways to the altar, filling every space at the prayer rail.
Other churches in the city are also large, and reflect the denominational heritage from which they sprang.
Paradoxically, hallmarks of the Chinese church are its diversity and its unity.
“Our church is not as formal as Mu’en Church. Our ministers do not wear robes, for example,” said Cao Shengjie, a minister and member of Grace Church, which was a Baptist congregation in former times. Cao is a former president of the China Christian Council, the official organization of Protestant churches in the nation.
According to Cao, still other churches practice a style which American Christians might call “contemporary.”