英文文献
The Birth of a Church
C.Stedeford
February,Missionary Echo,
1932:25-26.
Until late at night on November 12th, Rev.R.H.Goldsworthy(高志华) wrote to me, because he had to find some vent for the joy which filled his soul. He had that day witnessed the birth of the Church of Christ in the city of Weining.The joy of joys in a missionary’s life.I cannot do better than give the account in his own words :
“You will know that for nearly twenty years we have been endeavouring to establish the Church in Weining——a notoriously lawless city which resolutely belies its name :City of Majestic Peace!——and for many years a most anti-foreign and anti-Christian city. For the past two or three years we have had a Nosu pastor resident here,Rev.An Chi Uin①,and since my return to China this term I have visited it three or four times.This year I arranged a stay of five days for the purpose of a special series of Bible study lessons,the last of which was held this afternoon.There was a regular attendance of 25,which,for a place like Weining(威宁),is quite good.To my great joy I discovered that during the past year or so a number of folk had been preparing for baptism,and at the close of this afternoon’s study session I baptised the first eight members of the Weining U.M.Church, and then had the moving experience of administering to them their first sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.I was thinking of you during the service,and thinking how much you would have liked to have shared in it.Of the eight baptized,three were men and five were women.One of the men is a Chinese graduate of the old school and about 70 years of age,while one of the women is a Taoist priestess (or rather was),who for long months has been enduring much persecution for her new faith. It is not easy in a place like Weining to come out boldly for Christ,but these converts never miss a service,and they have quickened my own faith by their zeal.Please pray for Weining and Rev.An Chi Uin.”…“And so my heart is full to-night,and I feel strangely moved.At last God is honouring and blessing the labours of His servants in this city,and An Chi Uin is proving himself a faithful minister of the Cross.‘Cast thy bread upon the waters, and thou shalt find it after many years’ “!
①:威宁彝族牧 师，姓安，具体指谁有待考察。据高志华所述，这位安牧 师在威宁县城第一个Church的建立过程中，起到了一定的作用。
