Samuel Lamb
Encyclopedia
Samuel Lamb or Lin Xiangao is a Christian pastor in Guangzhou
, China. He is a leader in the Chinese house church movement, and known for his resistance against participation in the churches of the state-controlled "Three-Self Patriotic Movement
".
. His father, Paul Lamb, was the pastor of a small Baptist congregation.
Lamb was imprisoned for more than 20 years (1955—1957, 1958—1978) for his faith in Christ, but this imprisonment did not hinder his faith. In spite of "honey-bucket" duty at labor farms or backbreaking work in coal mines at labor camps, Lamb continued to teach.
In 1978, Lamb was released from prison, and in 1979, he restarted the church in 35 Da Ma Zhan, Guangzhou. Because the attendance grew quickly, he then moved the meetings to 15 Rong Gui Li, De Zheng Bei Road. Now, the house church holds four main services each week, with an estimated attendance of four to five thousand.
Since 1979, he has been publishing a series of booklets called "Voice of the Spirit"; now there are more than 200 booklets.
, refused to submit to the state-run church, known as the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). Like other house church leaders, Lamb refused to join the TSPM because of the limitations placed by government on the member congregations. The restrictions include: No preaching from the Book of Revelation
, discouragement from preaching on the Second Coming of Christ, and a prohibition on evangelizing
to minors (children's Sunday School
). In all these cases, Lamb believed that obedience to God supersedes the command in Romans
13 which requires Christians to obey their governments, and his belief is thought to be conform with the teaching in the Bible (e.g. Acts of the Apostles
chapter 5).
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China. He is a leader in the Chinese house church movement, and known for his resistance against participation in the churches of the state-controlled "Three-Self Patriotic Movement
Three-Self Patriotic Movement
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement or TSPM is a state-controlled Protestant church in the People's Republic of China...
".
Biography
Lamb was born in a mountainous area overlooking MacauMacau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. His father, Paul Lamb, was the pastor of a small Baptist congregation.
Lamb was imprisoned for more than 20 years (1955—1957, 1958—1978) for his faith in Christ, but this imprisonment did not hinder his faith. In spite of "honey-bucket" duty at labor farms or backbreaking work in coal mines at labor camps, Lamb continued to teach.
In 1978, Lamb was released from prison, and in 1979, he restarted the church in 35 Da Ma Zhan, Guangzhou. Because the attendance grew quickly, he then moved the meetings to 15 Rong Gui Li, De Zheng Bei Road. Now, the house church holds four main services each week, with an estimated attendance of four to five thousand.
Since 1979, he has been publishing a series of booklets called "Voice of the Spirit"; now there are more than 200 booklets.
Theology
Over the course of Lamb's life, he was imprisoned a few times because he did not follow Chinese government rules concerning religion. Lamb, along with Wang Ming-DaoWang Ming-Dao
File:WangMingdao.jpgWang Mingdao was an independent Chinese Protestant pastor and evangelist imprisoned for his faith by the Chinese government from 1955 until 1980.-Childhood and conversion:...
, refused to submit to the state-run church, known as the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). Like other house church leaders, Lamb refused to join the TSPM because of the limitations placed by government on the member congregations. The restrictions include: No preaching from the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
, discouragement from preaching on the Second Coming of Christ, and a prohibition on evangelizing
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
to minors (children's Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
). In all these cases, Lamb believed that obedience to God supersedes the command in Romans
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
13 which requires Christians to obey their governments, and his belief is thought to be conform with the teaching in the Bible (e.g. Acts of the Apostles
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
chapter 5).
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...