Ling-Sheng Zhang
Encyclopedia
Zhang Lingsheng was born in Shandong
county, China
.
In 1900, Zhang converted to Christianity
at the age of thirty seven and became a member of the Presbyterian church for seven years and was then appointed as a Deacon
for the following three years.
On September 1909 after hearing a testimony from Elder Zhāng Pǔquán (张溥泉), Zhang journeyed from Shandong
to the Shanghai
Faith Mission to study their Pentecostal teachings. For twenty days he prayed for the Holy Spirit but did not receive it; after returning to Shandong Zhang continued praying for the Holy Spirit for fifty days. Finally on 21 December of that same year, he entered a church hall one morning in order to pray alone. It was at this time he began experiencing glossolalia
, claiming to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. In 1910 Zhang was baptised in a Suzhou
lake
by the Apostolic Faith Mission. From that time onward, Zhang resolved to offer himself to the Lord's service. Later that year at Weihsien
, Zhang established "Jesus' True Church" which was still a part of the Apostolic Faith Mission.
The following year after closely studying the Seventh-day Adventist
publications containing their doctrines, he subsequently changed his Sabbath services to Saturday
s instead of Sunday
. Worshipping sessions were held at his home with friends and relatives and the number of believers also steadily increased day by day; among those who received special spiritual gifts from God during this time was his nephew Barnabas Zhang
.
In 1914 Zhang went to the Church of God
in Beijing
and there he met an American
missionary named Berntsen
who also kept the Sabbath on Saturdays and who preached on issues concerning the baptism
of the Holy Spirit. Zhang Lingsheng then accepted the laying on of hands
by Berntsen and two other Elders and as a result was ordained as a Deacon.
In the Spring of 1918 in Tianjin
, Zhang first met Paul Wei
, who had been preaching under the name "Universal Correction Church" and had also observed the Sabbath. They seem to have hit it off well together. Wei laid hands on Zhang in an act of ordination or legitimation, and the two of them agreed to merge their two groups together under a new name and apparently put together the doctrinal foundations of a new church. The name of the church became the two former names combined, the "Universal Correction True Jesus Church" which was later shortened to "True Jesus Church" upon registration. Zhang started preaching the gospel of the TJC in co-operation with Paul Wei
.
During January 1919, Ling-Sheng and Barnabas Zhang preached at a village one hundred kilometres from Weihsien
; several people, who had not yet been baptized, received the Holy Spirit. Hence on January 27, thirty people requested to be baptized. However, prior to baptizing them, Ling-Sheng and Barnabas first baptized each other with their heads facing downwards before baptizing those new believers. On March 1919, at the urgent request of Zhang Lingsheng and Barnabas Zhang, Paul Wei travelled from Tianjin
to Weihsien
in Shandong Province to hold evangelical sessions and perform baptisms. Whilst Wei was at Weihsien, Zhang Lingsheng helped him organize the second edition of the Universal Correction Church newspaper.
On October 1919, Zhang Lingsheng, together with two other co-workers Lǐ Xiǎofēng and Liáng Qīnmíng travelled to Beijing
and aided in the publication of the Universal Correction Church newspaper.
When Paul Wei was about to pass away, he laid hands
on Zhang Lingsheng and Liang Qinming to designate them as Overseer
s and successors of the church.
, Changsha to evangelise, and also attended important church council meetings. In the spring of 1920, Ling-Sheng resigned from his position as overseer
of the church and returned to his hometown of Shandong
to settle down and pastor the local church there.
When he heard that the church in Changsha was prosperng, Ling-Sheng paid a visit to them in 1922.
In 1935 he left the True Jesus Church
and joined The Assembly of the One Undivided God (一位神召會) allegedly founded by Berntsen
.
He later died at the age of seventy-one.
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
county, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
In 1900, Zhang converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
at the age of thirty seven and became a member of the Presbyterian church for seven years and was then appointed as a Deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
for the following three years.
On September 1909 after hearing a testimony from Elder Zhāng Pǔquán (张溥泉), Zhang journeyed from Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
to the Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
Faith Mission to study their Pentecostal teachings. For twenty days he prayed for the Holy Spirit but did not receive it; after returning to Shandong Zhang continued praying for the Holy Spirit for fifty days. Finally on 21 December of that same year, he entered a church hall one morning in order to pray alone. It was at this time he began experiencing glossolalia
Glossolalia
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
, claiming to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. In 1910 Zhang was baptised in a Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
by the Apostolic Faith Mission. From that time onward, Zhang resolved to offer himself to the Lord's service. Later that year at Weihsien
Weifang
Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay to the north.-History:Weifang is a historical city...
, Zhang established "Jesus' True Church" which was still a part of the Apostolic Faith Mission.
The following year after closely studying the Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
publications containing their doctrines, he subsequently changed his Sabbath services to Saturday
Saturday
Saturday is the day of the week following Friday and preceding Sunday.Saturday is the last day of the week on many calendars and in conventions that consider the week as beginning on Sunday, or the sixth day of the week according to international standard ISO 8601 which was first published in...
s instead of Sunday
Sunday
Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. For most Christians, Sunday is observed as a day for worship of God and rest, due to the belief that it is Lord's Day, the day of Christ's resurrection....
. Worshipping sessions were held at his home with friends and relatives and the number of believers also steadily increased day by day; among those who received special spiritual gifts from God during this time was his nephew Barnabas Zhang
Barnabas Zhang
Barnabas Zhang , was an early preacher for the True Jesus Church in China, an indigenous Chinese church. Born in Wei County, Shandong Province, Zhang's former name was Diàn-Jǚ . His mother died when he was four years old and when his father remarried, Diàn-Jǚ often fled to distant locations...
.
In 1914 Zhang went to the Church of God
General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh-Day)
The General Conference of the Church of God , or simply Church of God or CoG7, is a seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christian denomination...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and there he met an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
missionary named Berntsen
Bernt Berntsen
Bernt Berntsen , also known as Brother B. Berntsen, was a Norwegian-American Protestant Christian missionary to China. In 1904, Berntsen and his wife Magna was able to preach along with several other independent Norwegian missionaries in a mission station in Damingfu of Zhili Province...
who also kept the Sabbath on Saturdays and who preached on issues concerning the baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
of the Holy Spirit. Zhang Lingsheng then accepted the laying on of hands
Laying on of hands
The laying on of hands is a religious ritual that accompanies certain religious practices, which are found throughout the world in varying forms....
by Berntsen and two other Elders and as a result was ordained as a Deacon.
In the Spring of 1918 in Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, Zhang first met Paul Wei
Paul Wei
Paul Wei , previously known as Wèi Ēnbō , was born in Hebei province, China. He was a farmer from a poor family background and had very little education. In 1902 he migrated to Beijing where he later became a prosperous silk and merchandise dealer.By his own accounts, he was previously a...
, who had been preaching under the name "Universal Correction Church" and had also observed the Sabbath. They seem to have hit it off well together. Wei laid hands on Zhang in an act of ordination or legitimation, and the two of them agreed to merge their two groups together under a new name and apparently put together the doctrinal foundations of a new church. The name of the church became the two former names combined, the "Universal Correction True Jesus Church" which was later shortened to "True Jesus Church" upon registration. Zhang started preaching the gospel of the TJC in co-operation with Paul Wei
Paul Wei
Paul Wei , previously known as Wèi Ēnbō , was born in Hebei province, China. He was a farmer from a poor family background and had very little education. In 1902 he migrated to Beijing where he later became a prosperous silk and merchandise dealer.By his own accounts, he was previously a...
.
During January 1919, Ling-Sheng and Barnabas Zhang preached at a village one hundred kilometres from Weihsien
Weifang
Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay to the north.-History:Weifang is a historical city...
; several people, who had not yet been baptized, received the Holy Spirit. Hence on January 27, thirty people requested to be baptized. However, prior to baptizing them, Ling-Sheng and Barnabas first baptized each other with their heads facing downwards before baptizing those new believers. On March 1919, at the urgent request of Zhang Lingsheng and Barnabas Zhang, Paul Wei travelled from Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
to Weihsien
Weifang
Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay to the north.-History:Weifang is a historical city...
in Shandong Province to hold evangelical sessions and perform baptisms. Whilst Wei was at Weihsien, Zhang Lingsheng helped him organize the second edition of the Universal Correction Church newspaper.
On October 1919, Zhang Lingsheng, together with two other co-workers Lǐ Xiǎofēng and Liáng Qīnmíng travelled to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and aided in the publication of the Universal Correction Church newspaper.
When Paul Wei was about to pass away, he laid hands
Laying on of hands
The laying on of hands is a religious ritual that accompanies certain religious practices, which are found throughout the world in varying forms....
on Zhang Lingsheng and Liang Qinming to designate them as Overseer
Overseer
Rob Overseer is an English DJ/producer, born in Leeds whose works have been included in soundtracks for Animatrix, Snatch, Any Given Sunday and The Girl Next Door, as well as video games like Need for Speed: Underground, NFL Gameday 2004, several Matchstick Productions ski films, and Stuntman,...
s and successors of the church.
Later life
Later on, Zhang Lingsheng joruneyed to NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Changsha to evangelise, and also attended important church council meetings. In the spring of 1920, Ling-Sheng resigned from his position as overseer
Overseer
Rob Overseer is an English DJ/producer, born in Leeds whose works have been included in soundtracks for Animatrix, Snatch, Any Given Sunday and The Girl Next Door, as well as video games like Need for Speed: Underground, NFL Gameday 2004, several Matchstick Productions ski films, and Stuntman,...
of the church and returned to his hometown of Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
to settle down and pastor the local church there.
When he heard that the church in Changsha was prosperng, Ling-Sheng paid a visit to them in 1922.
In 1935 he left the True Jesus Church
True Jesus Church
The True Jesus Church is a non-denominational Christian church that originated in Beijing, China, in 1917. The current elected chairman of the TJC International Assembly is Preacher Yong-Ji Lin. Today, there are approximately 2.5 million members in fifty three countries and six continents...
and joined The Assembly of the One Undivided God (一位神召會) allegedly founded by Berntsen
Bernt Berntsen
Bernt Berntsen , also known as Brother B. Berntsen, was a Norwegian-American Protestant Christian missionary to China. In 1904, Berntsen and his wife Magna was able to preach along with several other independent Norwegian missionaries in a mission station in Damingfu of Zhili Province...
.
He later died at the age of seventy-one.
See also
- Protestant missions in China 1807-1953Protestant missions in China 1807-1953In the early 19th century, Western colonial expansion occurred at the same time as an evangelical revival throughout the English-speaking world, leading to more overseas missionary activity...
- China's TJC History
- Barnabas ZhangBarnabas ZhangBarnabas Zhang , was an early preacher for the True Jesus Church in China, an indigenous Chinese church. Born in Wei County, Shandong Province, Zhang's former name was Diàn-Jǚ . His mother died when he was four years old and when his father remarried, Diàn-Jǚ often fled to distant locations...