Last November at the SBC of Virginia Annual Homecoming, two Chinese pastors were surprised to encounter each other, each thinking he was the only Chinese pastor there. What started as a providential encounter between two solitary pastors has blossomed into a purposeful fellowship and connections between nearly a dozen Chinese churches throughout the SBC of Virginia.
Monthly Zoom meetings in 2022 quickly developed into a longing for in-person fellowships. Several Chinese pastors met at the SBCV office in Glen Allen to prepare for various fellowships: quarterly meetings hosted by SBCV local churches, an annual summer retreat, and SBCV Annual Homecoming breakout sessions in Mandarin.
The fellowship gathering held in March 2023 included over 40 Chinese Christians from six Chinese-majority SBCV churches. They received encouragement and training in reaching the second generation. Second-generation Chinese are those born in America who have at least one parent from China.
“Thank you so much for organizing this opportunity for us to get refreshed and strengthened,” said one attendee. “I remember the first time when I got to SBCV’s website. ‘You Are Not Alone’ jumped into my eyes and tears immediately came out. For so many years, I’ve been doing service alone.”
In addition to the encouragement and connectivity experienced by those in the fellowship, these Chinese churches have also planted two new Chinese churches with four more in the works!
Jesus’ prayer is being answered:
“I…ask…that they may all be one…that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-22, ESV). ■
