Editorial reflection and analysis on issues shaping Chinese Christianity.
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.
Only by accepting Jesus can we know the truth and accept the truth, and only then can we be free, and live above the law and under grace. If we do not…accept the freedom of Jesus but continue living in the so-called freedom under the law, then we are simply taking joy in our sin.
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.
The Muslim people groups in China need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Sharing the gospel with them takes cultural sensitivity and education. Come along for a deep dive into the cultures and faith of these people and learn how to pray for them and effectively evangelize them.
We can thank God for giving Chinese the Bible in their own language, to strengthen and grow what is now one of the largest Christian churches in the world, and one with the potential to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
The suppression of Christian school education, combined with a law that restricts children under 18 from attending Sunday school, severely curtails the ability of the church to disciple its children. This is a strategic space to watch. May the church, and the education and discipleship of its youth, continue to grow. May God continue to open new doors.
More Chinese people, both believers and non-believers, are looking for ways to leave China. Some people are leaving because of persecution, while others want to escape the imposition of “Xi thought.” As Chinese immigrants arrive in our communities, we need to look for ways to welcome the newcomers and show them the love of Christ.
In recent years, the Chinese government has tightly controlled the dissemination of key societal information while treating grassroots Christianity like a political opponent. This situation has left independent Christian researchers in a predicament as they struggle to access the necessary research materials while fearing unintentionally harming Chinese Christians, particularly well-known independent scholars.
What the latest plan for Protestant leadership in the TSPM and CCC tells us is that Xi Jinping continues to attract or compel Christians to align themselves with traditional Chinese culture and, as important, with the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda.
Chinese Christians are not only receivers of traditional culture but also reformers of contemporary culture and creators of emerging culture. When reflecting on the complex relationship between the gospel and culture, we need a grand and holistic Christian worldview, capable of carrying the gospel’s tolerance of, challenge for, and renewal of culture.
The Bible presents us with good reasons both for celebrating dragons and for slaying them. Insofar as they represent those unfallen throne guardians of heaven, they should be duly revered; and insofar as they represent that fallen seraph Satan, they should be crushed underfoot.
Today it is difficult to talk about the church in China without referencing China’s church outside China. Many leaders operate with one foot on Chinese soil and the other abroad, either by virtue of their frequent international travel or via offshore organizations through which their voices are amplified, making them spokespersons for a movement that transcends China’s borders.