True Jesus Church in China - Early Doctrines

Early Doctrines

The early workers of the True Jesus Church agreed on a long set of doctrines and practices by the time they put out their first newspaper in February 1919 - The Universal Correction Church Times (萬國更正教報). Some of the most important doctrines and practices adopted at this time were as follows:

1. receive full immersion face-down baptism;
2. seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with speaking in tongues as evidence;
3. keep Saturday as Sabbath for worship;
4. Seek the power of healing and of exorcising demons;
5. in communion break the bread, not cut it;
6. implement the sacrament of foot-washing among church members;
7. have ordination by laying on of hands;
8. have no time limit for Sabbath worship;
9. all have the right to speak during services;
10. all be permitted to pray aloud during services;
11. seek revelation of the Holy spirit in choosing overseers, elders, and deacons;
12. if evangelists, not receive a fixed salary
13. devote their heart, spirit, and livelihood to the Lord, and give at least ten percent of their income.

Interestingly, a brief comment after this list says that only those who abide by these provisions are true Christians. Another set of clauses defined a series of corrective measures which they believed must be taken by other Christian churches in order to become proper or pure. Other churches must:

1. stop using the Chinese term Shangdi (上帝) for God and use the Chinese term Zhenshen (真神, meaning "True God");
2. eliminate the appellation and the office "pastor" (牧師) and ordain only overseers, elders, and deacons;
3. stop teaching the doctrine of the Trinity and teach the unitary and undivided True God;
4. baptize only in the name of Jesus, not that of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
5. stop using denominational names and call themselves the True Jesus Church;
6. stop depending on finances or influence of foreigners;
7. stop baptizing by sprinkling, and only use immersion;
8. honor seventh-day Sabbath as the only proper worship day;
9. not restrict the right of prayer to only one person in the assembly;
10. not give set salaries to evangelistic workers
11. not put time limits on worship services.

The above sets of church regulations and demands upon other churches appeared in the first issue of the church paper in February 1919. They show a highly developed set of orthodox doctrines, as well as a striking exclusiveness in their presumption to dictate drastic changes to other churches.