Paul Wei

Paul Wei (魏保羅 Pinyin: Wèi Bǎoluó, 1877 - 1919), born in Hebei, China, was a prosperous businessman in the clothing industry. He was once a member of the London Missionary Society in China but after researching the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, he became one of their believers.

After falling seriously ill, none of the doctors' prescribed medicines were able to cure him. However, when an Elder from the Apostolic Faith Mission named Sheng-Min Xin (新聖民) laid hands on him, his dreadful illness was miraculously cured and so he became a member of their church. Under the guidance of Fendelson (an American missionary), Paul's feet were washed and he was deeply moved. These events made a deep impression on him later in life.

One day while he was praying at a church in Beijing, Paul received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and started experiencing glossolalia. In 1917, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he was led to a large river where he knelt down and prayed. Suddenly, a clear and loud voice told him, "You are to be baptised facing downwards", so Paul did accordingly and felt that his soul was cleansed.

He resolved to offer himself into the Lord's service. After fasting for 39 days, the Holy Spirit told him that the newly formed church should be named "True Jesus Church" (Traditional Chinese: 真[Zhēn] 耶[Yē] 穌[sū] 教[Jiào] 會[Huì]) and not "The Reformed Church of All Nations" (更正萬國教會) which aims to correct all the past mistakes made by other church denominations by being the 'True church' and eventually obtaining perfection.

After following the Lord's commission and preaching for another two years, Paul died peacefully in 1919 and was buried in his hometown. His son Isaac Wei continued the missionary work in Northern China.

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