Li Chang Regional Church, Jinan Municipality, Shandon Province,  China  March 16, 2002, the second day of a five-day visit to Shandong Province, part of Anne Wire's research into the songs sung by the common people of China's Protestant Church. 
  The church of Chang Zhuang village was sitting on its own pedestal of dirt surrounded by the fields and with no other buildings within a mile. 
Once the  home of several Christian families, they had been scattered during the cultural revolution, their houses torn down, and all the land but this parcel collectivized.  "God meant for something special to happen here," the Rev. Wang SanYaun, the former pastor and builder of the church, told Anne.  For nothing would grow on this plot of land where he had once lived after the homes had been torn down.  So the land waited until he could return and build a church 
Inside a walled compound, this church sanctuary was built in 1992 by its members. 

 Church leadership of the region along with their visitors:
Rev. Jiang  YuMin, Shandong Provincial Seminary teacher, organizer of the Anne's visits to churches in the province.
Cathy Zhang, China Christian Council Office for foreign visitors, in Nanjing, our guide and translator.
One of two male elders of neighboring churches, one managing the finances of the annual 20-day training program for Christian leaders in the region, the other managing  feeding and sleeping 500 persons here during that program.
Rev. Wang SanYuan, creator of the training program for the leaders of the 300 registered churches and  meeting points in this region,  now vice chairman of the Jinan Christian Council.
The other elder.
Anne
Elder Yu Zhang Lao, seminary student, current pastoral leader of this church and co-ordinator of the theological training teams working in this region.
Chen Xian Yan, choir director and leader in the music training programs for leaders of the region. 
 The dorms, kitchen, and courtyard of the regional training center, built in 1998, entirely with funds and labor from Christians in the region. 

For the past 10 years every winter there has been held a 20-day training course for lay leaders in the region, a practical response to the challenge of a burgeoning Christian community with few trained leaders.  Three to five hundred persons come for that, at least one from every church and meeting point.  Four courses are taught each year. Over a period of years participants can get 50 different courses, the basics of what they could get at more depth if they could go to seminary.  In the summer there is a week-long course on music, with many different courses, from basic singing to choir leading. 
What does it tell you about the church in the countryside that it can produce 50 choir members who gather in a quite handsome building in the middle of the wheat fields, to sing with verve and joy?   Gorgeous voices, four parts, deep bases, tenors, altos and sopranos.  Beautifully kept robes.  Strong and sweet songs.  Some very familiar hymns from the 19th century missionary movement.  Some Chinese songs.  They ended with the Ode to Joy.  These are young peasants, we were told.  Most have not had  education beyond primary school.   But they have trained wonderfully well in singing, as they have in other parts of the Christian life. 
After hearing a special concert from this choir, just for her, of music from the new church hymn book, Anne got to go to a meeting point (pictured below.) 

Sitting around a table of fruit, nuts, and tea is Mr. Yu, the elder of that meeting point in whose home a congregation of 200 gather, Professor Jiang, and Yu's daughter, elder Yu Zhang Lao.  Rev. Wang, and Chen Xian Yan joined the table, and after conversation with Anne about the old days,  began singing the old songs, with passion,  sad and happy, quiet and stirring songs.  It indeed seemed to be what we had come to Shandong to hear.. 
Story of Li Chang visit (text) Home