In China pastors often have several churches. Pastor Sun oversees 10 churches and 200 small groups with a membership of about 5,000. To shepherd this large and diverse flock, Pastor Sun trains lay evangelists.

Sister Xu found Christ and joined the Adventist church in the provincial capital. She wanted to share her new faith with her family and friends living in her hometown, Wu Yan, a city of about 100,000 people. When she arrived in Wu Yan, she found no other Adventists living there. Undaunted, she shared her faith first with her sister and then with others. Xu found several people who wanted to hear about Christ, and she asked Pastor Sun to send someone to help her plant a church in Wu Yan.

Pastor Sun sent Liu, a Global Mission pioneer, to work with Xu. He met with Xu’s sister and some neighbors in Xu’s home Another neighbor reported Liu’s activities to her own church officials, who made trouble for Liu.

The little band of new believers prayed that God would protect the infant flock, and Liu visited the neighbor’s church. He worshipped with them and made friends in the congregation. Liu met several people who were open to hearing what he believed, and he explained his work.

One woman in the church, Zhang, asked for Bible studies. Liu studied with her, and she in turn brought five others to meet Liu and study the Bible with him. All six people from the neighbor’s church began keeping the Sabbath. Liu encouraged them to continue attending their church on Sunday to find other honest-hearted Christians who wanted to know what the Bible teaches.

When the Sunday church’s leaders learned that more than 20 of their members were studying to become Adventists, they were angry and told them to stop attending their church. But the little group continued telling others what they had discovered. The believers invited their friends and those in need to come for prayer and help.

In one year more than 30 people are meeting regularly on the Sabbath, and 18 have been baptized. In China a new believer must know the Bible truths and pass an examination before they are baptized, so 18 baptisms is remarkable.

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