Bread of Life Church
Encyclopedia
The Bread of Life Christian Church (Chinese
: 靈糧堂), also known as Ling Liang Church, is an independent
Chinese church that was founded in Shanghai
, China
by Pastor
Zhao Shiguang (趙世光) in 1943 . In 1954, the headquarters were moved to Taipei
. Today there are currently 168 churches all over the world .
The evangelizing commenced in eastern China resulting in the establishment of several church networks and publications. During the Second World War, the church also undertook charity
work in war-ravaged China.
According to Zhao Shiguang, the name "Bread of Life Church" (靈糧堂) was adopted from the Bible
passage in the Gospel of John
6:35 which recorded Jesus saying: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst."
When the Communist government came to power in China, no Christian denomination, apart from the government-sponsored Three Self Church, was permitted to exist in China. In the light of these events, Zhao Shiguang abandoned all the church organizational structures in Shanghai and eastern China, and fled to Kowloon
, Hong Kong
in 1949. There he formed the Kowloon Bread of Life Church and resumed his evangelical and charity work.
The Bread of Life Church began in Taiwan when some church members fled from the Mainland to Taipei
. Nevertheless, the church was only formally established on the island on September 1954 when pastor Zhao Shiguang evangelized in Taiwan.
, that:
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 靈糧堂), also known as Ling Liang Church, is an independent
Chinese Independent Churches
The Chinese Independent Churches are a major category of churches of Chinese people.During Missionary Council Meetings in the mid to late 19th century several Western missionaries started advocating for the Chinese Christians to become independent instead of relying on outside support and funds....
Chinese church that was founded in 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...
, 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...
by Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
Zhao Shiguang (趙世光) in 1943 . In 1954, the headquarters were moved to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. Today there are currently 168 churches all over the world .
History
In 1943, a senior pastor named Zhao Shiguang established a church named "Bread of Life Church" and the "China Bread of life Worldwide Evangelical Mission" (中國靈糧世界佈道會).The evangelizing commenced in eastern China resulting in the establishment of several church networks and publications. During the Second World War, the church also undertook charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
work in war-ravaged China.
According to Zhao Shiguang, the name "Bread of Life Church" (靈糧堂) was adopted from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
passage in the Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
6:35 which recorded Jesus saying: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst."
When the Communist government came to power in China, no Christian denomination, apart from the government-sponsored Three Self Church, was permitted to exist in China. In the light of these events, Zhao Shiguang abandoned all the church organizational structures in Shanghai and eastern China, and fled to Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1949. There he formed the Kowloon Bread of Life Church and resumed his evangelical and charity work.
The Bread of Life Church began in Taiwan when some church members fled from the Mainland to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. Nevertheless, the church was only formally established on the island on September 1954 when pastor Zhao Shiguang evangelized in Taiwan.
Beliefs
They believe in the doctrine of the TrinityTrinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, that:
- The FatherGod the FatherGod the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
is the true God who created the universeUniverseThe Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
, - The SonGod the SonGod the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit...
JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
who is equal to God, came to the earth as ManManThe term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
. Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit and given birth through the virgin Mary, gave up his life on the cross to redeem the sins of mankind. His sentence enabled humanity to receive peace, the wounds inflicted on Him enables us to be healed. Jesus resurrected after the third day, ascended to heaven, and today sits at the right hand of God the Father and will return once again to judge the world. - The Holy SpiritHoly SpiritHoly Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
is the spirit of living God dwelling in the hearts of believers, the filling of the Holy Spirit can enable believers to live a life of holinessHolinessHoliness is the state of being holy or sacred.Holiness is being clean or pure, to be holy is to be like God.Holiness may also refer to:* Holiness movement, a specific tradition within evangelicalism...
and the ability to serve God. - They believe that the Holy Bible was inspired by God, it is the foundation of all faith and life.
- SalvationSalvationWithin religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
is attained by righteousness through faith. When judgement day comes during the end times, all believers and non-believers will resurrect, the believers will receive eternal life while the unbelievers will receive eternal destruction. - They believe that the church is the body of Christ. From the Apostolic days until now, we all belong to one body, this testifies to the glory of God .