In 2013, the campaign to demolish crosses in Zhejiang Province signaled that Christianity in China was beginning to slow. Over the past decade, this was accompanied by confusion, dissatisfaction, anger, and even confrontation. During this period, crosses were torn down in many places, churches were raided in multiple locations, and many people were arrested and sentenced without cause. At the end of 2023, the Pew Research Center released a report on Christianity in China, noting that unlike the revival seen in the 1980s and 1990s, the number of Chinese Christians stagnated from 2010 to 2018 and has clearly declined by 2021. Even without such reports, domestic pastors and Christians have already felt it—evangelism has become difficult, secularization within churches is severe, faith is lacking, and the zeal of believers is waning.
Naturally, we must ask: Is Christianity in China truly on a permanent decline? Is this a temporary phase, or an irreversible trend? Based on a review of over 160 years of modern church history in China, the author takes an optimistic view of the current situation and firmly believes that God is preparing present-day China to embrace another great revival of Christianity—hereafter referred to as “China’s Next Revival.” If that revival comes, then Chinese Christianity will enter its fifth stage of rise and fall, as evident from historical patterns. In this article, the author reviews the four previous cycles and hopes that pastors and believers in China will prepare themselves with a multi-dimensional perspective.
Let us begin with this timeline.
The modern history of the Chinese church can be traced back to 1862, when Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission brought the gospel to inland China. Between 1862 and 1900, mission societies such as the Presbyterians, Methodists, Brethren, and Lutherans from Europe and North America dispatched a large number of missionaries into the Chinese interior. Over 2,500 missionaries entered China during these forty years, planting churches throughout the country. In their minds, a church consisted of a building, a pastor, and believers—none could be missing. Thus, the more missionaries sent, the more churches established. Despite over 2,500 missionaries and more than 100,000 Christians during this period, very few Chinese pastors were raised up. For various reasons, the Western church at the time still assumed that sending more missionaries was the best way to plant more churches.
Then came the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. Some missionaries were killed, most others left China, and only a few remained hidden in remote areas. With the pastors gone, what were the Chinese believers to do? In response to this crisis, early Chinese believers—who had once assisted the missionaries by copying texts or doing various tasks—rose up to lead the church. Among them were Ding Limei, Chen Chonggui, Lin Sihuan, Zhao Yulin, Liu Tingfang, and others. They preached the gospel and sang the songs they had learned from the missionaries. Thus, a uniquely Chinese church model began to take shape. After the Boxer Rebellion ended, Chinese churches revived, developing with their own indigenous characteristics.
From 1901 to 1951, the number of Chinese Christians grew to about 600,000. Many prominent Chinese pastors emerged during this period, including Wang Mingdao, Watchman Nee, John Sung, Jia Yuming, Zhao Ximen, and Lin Xiangao. They led and witnessed a remarkable revival across the nation. However, between 1951 and 1952, these leaders were successively arrested and publicly denounced. Soon after, churches were banned from gathering. Between 1953 and 1954, the arrested pastors received prison sentences ranging from over a decade to life imprisonment. This signaled the apparent end of the second revival of Christianity in China.
Yet unexpectedly, the third revival began quietly after this. Outwardly, Christianity seemed to have vanished after 1951–1954, but that was not the case. Although pastors were imprisoned in labor camps across the country, churches continued underground. Midnight prayer fellowships and secret gatherings signaled the rhythms of revival. More importantly, during their years in prison, these pastors experienced deep spiritual formation and strengthening of their relationship with God. What appeared to be a time of decline was actually a period of spiritual preparation.
Between 1976 and 1979, after the fall of the Gang of Four, many pastors imprisoned in labor camps were released and later exonerated. Having already prepared themselves for martyrdom, they never expected to regain freedom. Once back in their hometowns, after brief rest and reflection, they resolutely resumed preaching and witnessing. Wherever they went, they shared the gospel through the power and testimony forged in decades of suffering. During this time, new foreign missionaries also entered China. Thus began the fourth and most expansive revival in Chinese Christian history. The number of believers surged from 600,000 to over 60 million by around 2013. Several distinct characteristics marked this phase: elders who had survived prison shared powerful testimonies; their children carried these stories forward; and as China opened up, mature Western theology poured into the Chinese church. This period was marked by both growth and prosperity, but also by tension and confusion.
From 2013 until now, the sound of demolished crosses still echoes in our ears. Chinese Christianity today presents a diverse landscape. Some groups have resisted or negotiated with authorities, hoping to gain space for public religious expression. Others have opted to lay low, waiting for God’s timing to act—though that day seems far off. Still others criticize previous generations’ failures or compromises, leading to painful splits and division. Some have established new theological visions and planted emerging church groups. While this seems like stagnation, we must ask: Amidst this diversity, what holds the Christian faith together?
Looking back at the previous four revival phases, we notice a pattern: each period of persecution or suppression has been a time when God was preparing what Chinese Christianity most lacked.
- After the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, the church gained an indigenous model adapted to Chinese realities.
- After the 1951 crackdown, the church experienced deep spiritual formation.
So, what might the post-2013 period of hardship be preparing for?
At present, the spiritual climate of Chinese Christianity remains relatively intact and firm. The scale of the church is substantial, and given China’s massive population, there are still vast numbers of unreached people. The author believes that the next revival must address two key deficiencies:
- Gospel ministries aimed at collective spiritual formation.
The rapid expansion of Christian numbers in recent decades diluted the church’s emphasis on spiritual depth. Pastoral care and spiritual leadership are weak and hollow in many places. A deeper, more intentional formation of pastors and communities is urgently needed. - A holistic understanding of theology.
Over the past 20 years, theology has rushed into China’s Christian world. Though conflict occurred, it is now broadly accepted. Yet theological understanding remains narrow and fragmented. The next phase must include a broader, integrative reception and practice of systematic and holistic theology.
In summary, if China experiences another revival and enters its fifth stage of rise and fall of Christianity, at minimum, preparation in these two areas will be essential.
