Editor’s note: Wenzhou is in Zhejiang Province, on the eastern coast of China. The city is famous as an economic powerhouse; businesspeople from Wenzhou have spread across the world. Wenzhou is also known as “China’s Jersualem,” with more Christians per capita than any other Chinese cities. Local pastors say Wenzhou people are practical, focusing above all on finding solutions that are efficient and effective.
Introductions
Hu Mujing: My most crucial ministry these days is leading a church. Our church was officially established about 15 years ago. We have several worship services, and several pastoral staff. We meet in downtown Wenzhou. Our church is evangelical, and we lean towards the Reformed faith.
My wife and I have been married more than 20 years, and both of us serve full-time in the church. My wife has been working in Sunday school for more than 30 years, and she also supports pastors’ wives.
We have two children; one is in college, and the other is preparing for her college entrance exams.
Commercial cultures emphasize profit, practicality, and being able to see results quickly.
Lu Jianxi: I was born into a semi-Christian family – my mother was a believer but my father was not, although he later came to faith. From a young age, my mother led me into children’s Sunday school. As a teen, I confirmed that I was born again. Just a year later, I started preaching!
At the time, the situation in the church was that, when young people rose up, they would encourage us to preach. The same year I began preaching, I came into contact with Reformed theology through Pastor Stephen Tong.[1] Shortly after, I decided, with a determined heart, to become a full-time minister. So, my high school and university years had a very clear goal: to prepare for ministry.
I went into full-time ministry after graduating from university. During my university years, I was involved in the university campus ministry, and after school, I served in my mother church or the traditional church. I got married during this time, and served while I studied theology.
After that, I planted a church. The church has been established for about a decade, and I’ve been pastoring it ever since.
Our church has more than a hundred people, and more than half are children. A lot of families have two or three or even four children, so we have a lot of children. Our church meets in urban Wenzhou. We have mostly young urban people, working professionals – mostly white-collar, middle-class.
I met my wife in campus ministry when we served together. We now have two children. My wife is from a long line of Christians, and I’m very grateful for that heritage.
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Profit, Practicality, and Results
China Partnership: What is unique about Wenzhou among other Chinese cities? What is special about the city’s local culture?
Hu Mujing: Wenzhou is a relatively small city. It is in a coastal area, and surrounded by mountains on four sides. Because of this, transportation was very inconvenient in the past, so the way out for Wenzhou people was to go out and do business. The entire character of Wenzhou is that of a commercial culture.
The influence of this culture leads to a lack of deep thinking, a lack of considering the “why”” behind actions.
Commercial cultures emphasize profit, practicality, and being able to see results quickly. This type of culture is very practical, and looks for things that can be used right away and put into action immediately.
From one perspective, this is a strength – implementation is stronger than in other places. But this is also a shortcoming for the Wenzhou church. The influence of this culture leads to a lack of deep thinking, a lack of considering the “why” behind actions. We Wenzhou people often neglect principles, and the essence of thought. Faith becomes utilitarian and practical. The situation here is shaped by pragmatism.
A Pragmatic People
Lu Jianxi: Wenzhou’s name means “the warm state.”[2] I often compare Wenzhou to being lukewarm, like the church in Laodicea. The name of Wenzhou has invisibly shaped some of the attributes of the churches here – they are lukewarm.
In the past, Wenzhou was relatively poor. Through necessity, poverty often leads to change: people in Wenzhou are adaptable, and know how to be flexible. Also because of poverty, Wenzhou people stick together. They can’t survive independently, so they band together. Wherever Wenzhou people go, they naturally form Wenzhou communities and associations. In other places, they form Wenzhou churches.
It’s difficult for Wenzhou people to integrate into other cultures and cities. When they are with others from Wenzhou, they speak the Wenzhou dialect, regardless of others. Wenzhou people are naturally exclusive, which invisibly reveals a kind of arrogance and selfishness, because we don’t consider others. Wherever Wenzhou people go, their voices are always louder.
Of course, Wenzhou has other characteristics. In history, there was a school of Confucian thought in Wenzhou – the city had a practical, profound culture that could benefit all those in their tradition.
The people of this city are very pragmatic. When they do church, they are also pragmatic, and look for what is usable.
The people of this city are very pragmatic. When they do church, they are also pragmatic, and look for what is usable. The culture of poverty forced Wenzhou people to be pragmatic, and they have spent a lot of time and energy pursuing material, economic benefits.
This has deeply influenced the church over the past decades. The Wenzhou church has always pursued practical achievements, God’s blessings. The Wenzhou church has a famous saying: “Be a rich man in this life, and be Lazarus in the next.”
[1] Stephen Tong (唐崇荣) is a well-known Indonesian-Chinese Reformed evangelist and theologian who has significantly influenced Reformed theology in Chinese-speaking communities.
[2] 温Wēn means warm, while州zhōu means “state” or “province.”
Hu Mujing and Lu Jianxi are pseudonyms for house church pastors in Wenzhou.
Pray for Wenzhou people to not only look for ideas that are usable, but to consider the Scriptural basis behind their actions.
