Chinese pastors in North America initiated an online celebration in commemoration of the 120th birthday of Chinese evangelist John Sung, the “Wesley of China”.
On October 26-29, the conference was held by the Chinese Pastors’ Fellowship of North America Mainland Chinese Mission, with the theme "Commemorate, Repent, and Revive".
John Sung Shang Chieh (1901-1944), born in Putian of Fujian Province, played an influential role in the revival movement in churches of China during the 1920s and 1930s. He went to the United States to study chemistry and earned a doctorate within five years. Committing himself to serve God, he cast his academic awards into the Pacific Ocean on the road back to China. Forsaking the promising major and wealthy life, Sung chose to live a poor but blessed life to save souls. With a profound influence on Chinese churches, he was regarded as "the apostle of China" and the "Wesley of China".
During the commemorative conference, five pastors and a Christian writer were invited to give six different lectures.
Rev. James Hudson Taylor IV, the great–great grandson of the founder of the China Inland Mission (now OMF International), J. Hudson Taylor, shared a lecture on "The Blueprint of Revival" on the first day, followed by Rev. Timothy Wang (a grandson of Sung) who preached on "Nailed with the Lord on the Cross".
On the second day, Rev Edwin Su, president of the magazine Overseas Campus Ministries, shared on "The Spiritual Inheritance of the Revival of Chinese Church" and Rev. Tsu-Kung Chuang, a pastor in Boston who also teaches in seminaries across the world, gave a speech titled "John Sung - A Prophet Changed the Times".
Shi Wei, an American Chinese poet and writer, give remarks on "The Repentance and Conviction of Chinese Intellectuals" and Pastor Ka-Tong Lim, senior pastor of a Chinese church in the U.S. on "John Sung and the Work of the Holy Spirit" on the third day.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
