Chinese Church Voices

Celebrating Palm Sunday in Gansu Province

Chinese Church Voices is an occasional column of the ChinaSource Blog providing translations of original writing by Christians in China. The views represented are entirely those of the original author; inclusion in Chinese Church Voices does not imply or equal an endorsement by ChinaSource.


Many churches in China are still unable to meet in person. However, this church was able to resume its services in time for Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Let’s see how one church in China (all the way in Gansu Province!) prepared for Holy Week with this article from China Christian Daily.

Gansu Church Hosts Palm Sunday Service

A Gansu church held a Palm Sunday service on March 28.

After morning prayer the day before, believers from Pingliang Church emerged to wash the holy garments, wipe the chairs, and mop the floors from the sanctuary on the first floor to the prayer room on the third floor.

In the service presided over by Pastor Chen Haiying, with palm branches in hands, the members of the choir walked through the aisles to the altar. The seats on both sides of the aisle were filled with believers.

Elder Zhang Baohua gave a sermon titled “Let God be Exalted”, covering four aspects: 1. Be loyal to God (Isaiah 50: 4-9); 2. Believe in what God is (Psalms 31: 4-9); 3. Follow the example of the Lord (Philippians 2: 5-11); 4. Let God be exalted: True love and hypocrisy (Mark 14: 1-72), and The death of Jesus (Mark 15: 1-47).

After the sermon, members from the Lily Choir, holding palm branches, walked up onto the altar platform. They shouted “Hosanna” to praise the name of the Lord. They also sang two hymns, “Ride on! Ride on in Majesty” and “Surely, He Hath Borne Our Griefs.”

After that, the congregation sang a song from the Chinese New Hymnal, “Near the Cross,” and the service ended with “Fourfold Amen.”

Original Article: “Gansu Church Hosts Palm Sunday Service” translated by China Christian Daily from an article in Gospel Times.
Edited and reposted with permission.

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Header image credit: Duane Mendes on Unsplash
Text image credit: China Christian Daily
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