Happy to see the prosperous new life (Part 1)

[Life Story] 3 Exclusive interview with Professor Liu Xiuxian who advocates that both sexes serve the Heavenly Father side by side

Interview/Zhou Weiwei

Unwilling to bear the burden of tradition

In the feudal and conservative traditional Chinese society, the recognition that men are superior to women makes the status of the two genders very different. Men not only have authority, but also have the vast majority of decision-making and power; women are regarded as men's accessories, a voiceless and weak one. The image of a good wife and mother who takes care of her husband and raises her children at home seems to be the destiny of all women.

Going to school to seek knowledge was unthinkable for women at that time. As the proverb goes: "It is virtue for a woman to have no talent." How many women stayed with their husbands and children and spent their lives mediocrely, letting their youth run away. It's over, the years are gone.

Liu Xiuxian, who grew up at the end of that era, was not a direct victim, but she often smelled the preference for boys over girls from her grandmother's mouth. My grandmother often said: "If our family had no money, we would have to borrow money to send our son to school; if our family had money, we would not easily send our daughter to school."

Her grandmother's words often make Xiuxian feel very uncomfortable. Is this a fate that girls are destined to have for the rest of their lives? She is ignorant and has many questions about the inequality between men and women.

One day after school, Xiu Xian taught her illiterate grandmother how to write her name on a whim. Unexpectedly, her grandmother became very interested and kept holding up the pen while expressing her regrets about not being educated as a child. Even when she became a mother of five children, she still tried her best to use her spare time every day to visit the school near her home. Xiuxian suddenly realized that her grandmother, who seemed to favor boys over girls, was actually a victim of traditional baggage.

Her grandmother’s story inspired Xiuxian to want to further study Chinese female characters. When I was in my third year of high school, I had the opportunity to write a report on this topic. During the process of searching for information, Ms. Pearl Buck, a writer who came from an American missionary family and had lived in China for a long time, had a profound impact on Xiu Xian.

From Pearl Buck's eyes, she saw the neglect of women in Chinese society, which was equivalent to the strangulation of the soul. Women did not have the same educational opportunities as men, resulting in a humble status in the family and society. Understanding the helplessness of Chinese women bound by tradition, she realized that her grandmother's prejudice against encouraging her daughter to study turned out to be a hereditary blind spot in the general environment.

As for Xiu Xian's mother, she seems to be able to break out of the old ideological structure, and is much more open and progressive. In her eyes, her mother was smart, motivated and wise. She not only encouraged Xiu Xian to get a university education, but also believed that women had the right to pursue education. But when it came to further education, my mother was noncommittal. At that time, it was rare for a woman to have a college diploma. From a practical point of view, since she would be a wife and mother in the future, a college education was enough for women.

Female identity cannot be ignored

After Xiu Xian, who loved reading, entered university, she knew that her time to delve into knowledge was running out, so she deliberately chose departments with more credits to extend her time in school. The six-year course in the Department of Pharmacy first attracted her, but due to her poor memory, she finally chose the Department of Architecture, which she was interested in and had a five-year course.

The rich university life slightly satisfied Xiu Xian's thirst for knowledge, but she felt a sense of sadness when she thought that her studies would come to an end. Since you can't study further, just muddle along! The feeling of being aimless and drifting with the crowd disappointed Xiu Xian. However, in the conservative world, we do not have the right to choose the future, and we have no choice but to be an obedient child.

After graduating from university, Xiu Xian was fortunate enough to develop in the field of architecture. After working for four years, she was called by God and began to serve in the church. God seemed to reveal to her the vulnerability of women in the church. In her thirty years of service, she has witnessed with her own eyes the unfair treatment and oppression suffered by many outstanding female preachers.

For example, most female preachers receive lower salaries for serving in the church than male preachers. According to a 2001 survey of female preachers in North America by the Christian Abundance Fellowship, the monthly salary of female preachers in 80% was less than US$3,000. In a similar survey in 2010, although salary had improved, the monthly salary of female pastors in 90% was less than US$4,000. Considering the improvement of living standards and inflation, such a salary adjustment is nothing. Among them, 77% has a master's degree in seminary or above, and the burden of serving is no lighter than that of ordinary male pastors or preachers.

Regarding the ordination of female pastors, according to a 2000 survey of churches belonging to some of Xiu Xian’s classmates at the Singapore Theological Seminary (including Singapore/Malaysia/Hong Kong/Taiwan/Indonesia), only 10 of the 101 ordained pastors were Bit is female. A 2009 survey of female pastors in Hong Kong showed that female pastors accounted for only one-tenth of all female preachers. In the pastoral teams of ordinary Chinese churches in North America, brothers make up the majority, and their words have more weight. The rate of women being ordained is far lower than that in Hong Kong or general Southeast Asia.

Based on various data and examples, Xiuxian felt a sense of justice and began to do more research on women's identities, roles and status. She entered the seminary to prepare for full-time ministry. She received a master's degree in Christian education from Southwestern Baptist Seminary and a master's degree in Bible from Westminster Seminary, which values the original text of the Bible. He also received a doctorate in pastoral science from Claremont School of Theology, specializing in Old Testament style and Christian education.

Happy to see the special role of sisters

The training in the seminary was solid and in-depth, and Xiu Xian was like a hungry sponge, fully absorbing new knowledge. She gained a further understanding of God’s words. From the perspective of the New Testament apostle Paul, she discovered that God’s expectations and love for sisters are broad and not as narrowly regulated as humans. God has given different gifts to men and women. He hopes that the two will work together and help each other. Regardless of gender, everyone is valuable in the eyes of God.

Xiu Xian was pleasantly surprised to discover that women played an important role in the records of the Old and New Testaments. For example, Abraham's wife Sarah, Isaac's wife Rebekah, Jesus' mother Mary, etc. all had a profound impact on the society at that time. Xiu Xian and two sisters who have the same views as her, Qiu Qingping and Wu Shuyi, co-authored the book "Give Me Back the Plenty of Eden", focusing on women of different eras in the Bible and God's revelation and will for them. There are many dissections of the special role assigned to sisters.

In order to restore the original appearance given to sisters by God, she used Bible interpretation to delve into God’s intentions for women. After six years of Bible study and research, the publication of this book received a great response from sisters from all over the world. However, Xiuxian discovered that the problems faced by the sisters in daily life could not be solved by theoretical knowledge in books, but needed practical teaching. Feeling this, she joined the sisters' Bible study groups in the churches where she served, combining theory with practice, and further extended the teaching materials to guide sisters to apply a service attitude that is in line with God's will and to devote themselves to their families, work and churches. Use your gifts and talents.

In the process of leading the fellowship, Xiu Xian noticed that many sisters had strong spiritual insight and keenness, but due to their biased self-perception, they were unable to devote themselves wholeheartedly to service. For example, some sisters with leadership skills hesitate to serve because they are afraid of being labeled as "strong women" or "disobeying biblical teachings." Or when you have committed yourself to serve, you are criticized and become weeping and frustrated. Xiu Xian uses her own experience to comfort sisters, to accept the position God has given us by faith, and before joining the church to serve, we must first do our job well at home, and treat others with loyalty and humility. She also emphasized that sisters need to understand their unique value in the eyes of God and learn not to let themselves be disturbed by people's words.

As the number of people in the fellowship gradually increased, Xiu Xian felt an urgent sense of mission - to pave the way for the sisters to have a correct self-positioning. It is a long road for such a renewal movement to compete with traditional culture. She describes herself as a sower. Although the seeds are small now, she firmly believes that one day they will blossom and spread. On the other hand, she also actively cultivates and teaches talents, including brothers and sisters. She emphasizes that both men and women should have equal opportunities to learn and complement each other to expand the truth of the kingdom of God.

Diligent writing stimulates life

The petite Xiuxian has a gentle and humble tone, neither humble nor arrogant, and full of confidence. Talking to her, one can feel the power within her that drives her passion and tenacity to serve. Although there are moments of discouragement, Xiu Xian's positive personality and clear self-awareness make it difficult for her to be defeated by depression.

In the process of writing the book "Give Me Back the Plenty of Eden", an episode happened. One time, in order to lead a special gathering, she returned to the library of Westminster Theological Seminary to collect information. A school student whom she had never met before, an American brother, chatted with her. After learning about Xiu Xian's motivation for writing a book and her plans to lead a special topic, he actually criticized her for being disobedient and disobedient.

He angrily denounced Xiu Xian, an alumnus of the school, for knowing that women were not allowed to preach, and knowingly breaking the law, and threatening her to be judged on Judgment Day. Faced with this sudden "lesson", Xiu Xian did not start a debate with the other party. Instead, she told the other party in a firm and calm tone that her motivation for doing things was to seek God. She had done detailed research and clearly understood what she was doing and what the other party was doing. In the end, he left angrily...

Professor Liu Xiuxian summarized her years of Bible study and interpretation experience - God values the delicate hearts of women and bestows love and mercy on them, allowing sisters to receive special grace. However, does the church feel the same way? Why do female preachers face so many challenges in their pastoral and teaching ministry? Please wait for the next issue to find out.

【New book preview‧Stay tuned】

Witnesses like clouds

Bible Women's Bible Study Series

Liu Xiuxian/Author

Since co-authoring "Give Me the Plenty of Eden" with Qiu Qingping and Wu Shuyi in 1997, many sisters have revealed their struggles as women. Among them, the most common exclamation is "I can't, I dare not, and I don't want to stand out"!

After accumulating many years of observation and Bible study experience, Liu Xiuxian realized that God is a God who loves, nurtures and uses women. She couldn’t help but hope that more sisters would receive the same affirmation and release, so she began to compile teaching materials for church sisters to have fellowship or use. For group use. I have received so many wonderful responses in the past ten years that I decided to compile it into a book called "Witnesses Like Clouds".

There are four units in the book, including "Christ's Ancestors", "God's Important Women in the Old Testament", "God's Important Women in the New Testament" and "Victims of Patriarchal Society". There are ten in each unit. Biblical Women's Stories. In each lesson, she leads readers to carefully examine the scriptures, use questions to ponder the deeper meanings, and offers the urge to “get up and take action.” For example:

Abraham is called the father of faith, but what about Sarah’s faith? This mother of Israel "immigrated" with her husband, learned that God promised to have descendants as numerous as the stars, and even tried every means to find concubines for her husband to have children. What kind of journey of faith did she experience? Sarah's transformation from a dark smile to a joyous smile, what reminder does the transformation of her life and spiritual life have to today's believers?

Another example is Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar, who was kicked out of her husband’s family due to personal misfortunes, but is remembered in Jesus’ genealogy. What kind of attributes does God want us to see through this story?

Each Bible study section first brings out a topic closely related to modern women. The purpose of the discussion is to allow sisters in the 21st century to affirm their own glorious identity and status as women, bravely let go of traditional baggage, and faithfully fulfill God’s expectations, which is to work side by side with brothers in the body of Christ according to the gifts they have received. , expand the kingdom of the Lord Christ!

A must-read for Sisters’ Revival!
If you want to purchase the book, please go to the Kingdom of God website to inquire
http://www.e-krc.org

Interviewee profile

Liu Xiuxian immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong when she was in high school. Four years after graduating from the Department of Architecture at the University of California, she was called to serve full-time in several Chinese churches for more than 30 years. He received a master's degree in religious education from Southwestern Theological Seminary, a master's degree in biblical studies from Westminster Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in pastoral science from Claremont Theological Seminary. Xiu Xian and her husband Wang Linghui now live in California and serve as spiritual formation ministers at the Lord's Grace Church in San Diego.

Journalist profile

Weiwei Zhou is from Taiwan and now lives in New York. She is a bilingual teacher in public schools. Even though he is busy with family, work and church, he still devotes himself to writing and enjoys the moments of connecting with the source of life during creation.