China (MNN)–China Partner recently held a special training seminar on Christian leadership in HeiLongjiang (hey long zhyang) Provincial Bible School in Harbin.
China Partners’ Erik Burklin says sharing practical ministry tools here becomes strategic. Last year, over two thousand were baptized in the 35 registered churches in Harbin.
He explains, “The Chinese church is exploding, so they have a lot of new converts. However, they don’t have enough pastors to minister to all these new converts.”
There are only 15 ordained pastors in Harbin to tend to congregational needs of thousands. “The big issue for the Chinese church”, says Burklin, ” is not evangelism, per se, because that’s happening, but training those new believers in their newfound faith.”
A record number of Chinese are becoming believers in this region. “A lot of the training that we try to concentrate on relates to Christian leadership principles of a good effective pastor, we concentrate on pastoral care issues so that they are equipped to answer some of the tougher questions that come their way, but it’s very practical in nature.”
