 Mingdao started to pastor a house church in 1923. By 1937, it had grown so large that he built the Christian Tabernacle in Beijing, which could seat several hundred people. During this time, Mingdao spoke at conferences throughout China and also established and shepherded other house churches. He often preached on things like scriptural inerrancy, human depravity, the need for repentance, and personal salvation. He placed high priority on ethical behavior.