Despite being located at the epicenter of the coronavirus, Wuhan’s Root and Foot Christian Church (RFCC) has vowed to continue on with its vital gospel work.
When thousands fled the city in fear of the fast-spreading virus, pastor Huang Lei decided to stay and tend to those in the community who were left behind. By organizing prayer groups and helping out in practical ways, Lei’s ultimate hope was that this fearful community would place their trust in Christ during such an uncertain time.
In an online webinar titled, “Chinese Churches Standing Firm Amid the Outbreak,” Lei spoke candidly about ministering to the public in the face of such uniquely challenging circumstances.
“The Wuhan Pneumonia (officially known as COVID-19) is a rarely seen disaster in human history, yet everything presents an opportunity to glorify God,” he explained.
That doesn’t mean that the church has thrown caution to the wind, however. In a bid to reduce the number of infections, RFCC decided to stop holding physical gatherings and instead shift to online services for the time being.
This isn’t slowing the ministry in any way, however. Determined to keep meeting for fellowship and prayer, RFCC is currently running some 30 small groups who gather online every day for one to two hours, praying, studying Bible, worshipping, and sharing with each other.
They are also helping tackle the virus in practical ways, too.
According to International Christian Concern, on RFCC sends out ten members on a daily basis — clad in protective gear — to deliver “meals, masks, sanitizing spray, Chinese medicine, and other antivirus supplies for vulnerable Christians to take care of their needs.”
“We have seen God’s grace after the outbreak of Coronavirus,” Huang added. “If Christians are more afraid of death than the world during a disaster, then the suffering they have endured would be in vain. God wants us to overcome difficulties through Him.”
“This epidemic provides an opportunity for us to introspect our faith, reflect on ourselves, strengthen our spiritual life and to depend on God.”
There are now over 90,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the globe, with more than 80,000 located in mainland China. The global death toll has surpassed 3,000.