Early in the morning on 20^th October 2006, I boarded a flight from Shenzhen to Harbin. Nicknamed 'the northern wilderness' in the past, Harbin has now become an affluent city worthy of being called 'the northern granary'.

That invitation came one week prior from Rev Lu De-zhi, a doctorate student at CGST. At first, I hesitated about going because of my many commitments, but Rev Lu's sincerity convinced me to go. The purpose of the trip was to get a first-hand understanding of the needs of the church in Harbin for teacher training. Such training is much needed both for local preachers as well as teachers of training classes. The hope is to provide in-depth training to help them get acquainted with contemporary theology and developments in Biblical studies.

October was rather chilly in this northern city. The sky was blue and cloudless. The air was spotlessly clean, which was a big contrast to the heavily polluted south. I was welcomed at the airport by Rev Lu, his wife, and two personnel from the CCC/TSPM. My first stop was the Bible School where over fifty students are presently studying in a two-year program. Upon graduation, they will become volunteer workers in the region. Teachers are fresh graduates from the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary. The church of Harbin is experiencing very rapid growth, with over forty churches in the city and hundreds in the whole region.

Mrs Lu is leading three big churches, with a congregation totaling six thousand to twelve thousand. The biggest one is the Hallelujah Church, which was completed in 2000. With a seating capacity of five thousand, it has twelve thousand worshippers on Sundays. Its architecture is no different from the churches we often see in Europe. With two tall towers on both sides and a big square in the front, its magnificence has made it one of the important landmarks of the city.

The local government has maintained a good relationship with the church, which has benefited in the smooth development of its ministries. All the churches have become self-sufficient, supported by young professionals who have received the Lord and participated in the ministries. Equal emphasis is put on Biblical studies and worship through praises. Many of the young believers are engaged in the aeronautics industry, which the city boasts of having the largest market share in the whole nation.

The Harbin church has just acquired a plot of land in the suburb for the development of theological education and the provision of a retreat place for ministers. This surely will contribute towards the future training of volunteers and preachers. I am confident that the church in Harbin will prosper under the good guidance of the Lord.