#4 Warren Buffet for Jesus
We went for a Western lunch of steak and fries before heading through the underground mall toward a brother’s penthouse apartment. This two storey home at the top of an officetower was home to the Warren Buffet for Jesus. He came from W., known as the Chinese Jerusalem. I was told that the people of W. have a talent for making lots of money. But more importantly, they have a passion for spreading the gospel.
I saw the brother’s relaxed manner that hid a keen mind and a quick grasp of issues financial, logistical or theological.
This millionaire believer is one of the pastors of the church which operates the school.
We sat around his custom tea table and he poured round after round of tea as we looked out his dingy top floor apartment to the mountains beyond. It was a two floor penthouse suite, but it was not what you’d expect from a millionaire.
He discussed the plans for the school and quickly organized three weeks of teaching in 2019, brought out a school prospectus and never let our cups go empty.
Full of tea we returned to the top floor of the office building where his company is located (he owns the top two floors) that also houses the school.
Imagine this army of pastors who have gone out with the ability to make money at whatever effort they attempt, yet they don’t do it out of a prosperity gospel, but simply to assist the spread of gospel preaching, sound theology and healthy churches. In China the dream is a reality.
#5 Security, Security
The elevator ride is becoming an interesting routine. The office building is packed with people so each floor makes a stop even though it is always filled to capacity.
In the elevator a tiny projector beams advertising onto the elevator doors. Sometimes it plays martial music for a fire safety ad. Other times its a Volkswagen commercial.
I’m always wondering if the rest of the people in the building know that the top floor is filled with Christians?
On one trip we piled into the elevator and the last person to get on was a Public Security Bureau officer. No one spoke. We waited to see if he would get off on one of the lower 22 floors. But he didn’t. When we got to the top floor he stepped out and proceeded towards the stairwell away from our hallway and the company offices. No one spoke until we reached the conference room. Everyone recognized that the PSB officer could have been coming to confront our meeting.
After the close call, Brother E, the school registrar handed out two books, Hackers Hardware and the other a manual on new trends in wearable internet devices. With no bibles visible (everyone used bible software) the school room looked like a tech company conference room and workspace.
