Mark A. Strand, PhD, professor in public health at North Dakota State University, lived in China with his wife and three children for nearly twenty years. While in China he was involved in medical research and development with a non-profit organization in collaboration with the Chinese government.
The most important reason I am optimistic about ministry opportunities in China is because of the strength of China’s own church, and the skills and maturity of the expatriates who have gone the distance in China and are still there.
I first went to China in 1985, serving there until 2012. The level of surveillance and scrutiny of expatriates at that time was high… While the current ministry context, with highly technological surveillance tools, feels restrictive, it appears to be a change in method, rather than a change in concept. We have been here all along.
How did the Chinese Union Version of the Bible come into being? What individuals and teams did the translation work and what sources did they use?Strand provides history along with lessons that can be learned from years of labor.
Translation is complex, and the words chosen to communicate concepts are crucial; they can significantly influence the understanding of the reader. Strand gives examples of how translators struggle with this aspect of their work.
Suggestions are given for practical ways in which churches can help ease the transition of cross-cultural workers returning from China to their home country.
The author asserts that while the pace of development in China has been frenetic and its economic growth historic, there have been few substantive changes in the nation. He then addresses current trends in China, reflects on what they mean for Chinese society and the Chinese church and looks at implications for ministry by expatriate Christians living there.