Like many things in China, history remains firmly under the control of the Party. Only approved topics are allowed to be researched and only approved interpretations are allowed to be taught. The narrative is tightly controlled.
Very little is taught about the history of Christianity in China, and when it is touched on, it is done so in a negative light. Western missionaries have typically been portrayed as being part of the vanguard of imperialism. Less is known about some of the positive things early missionaries were engaged in.
In recent years, however, a small space has begun to open up for the exploration of Chinese church history, as many educated Christians seek to understand the historical roots of their faith.
ChinaSource Team
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October 11, 2016
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Stories
Education is a major issue for cross-cultural workers who serve overseas with their families. Most families choose to put their kids in an international school, a local school, or to homeschool full-time at home. All of these have their pros and cons.
Tabor Laughlin
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October 7, 2016
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Stories
Many of the church structures in China were originally built by missionaries in the 1800s and early 1900s. Some are tucked away in old neighborhoods; others surrounded by gleaming skyscrapers or towering apartment blocks. All of them have interesting stories—like the story of Chongzhen Church of Wuchang.
ChinaSource Team
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October 4, 2016
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Stories
Over the past decade of living in China, I have been privileged to hear a number of wonderful conversion stories. Each is special, but occasionally one stands out as particularly uncommon. The following is one such story.
Mark Totman
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October 3, 2016
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Stories
In a culture that values filial piety, how do Christian couples live out the Biblical teaching that “a man shall leave his father and his mother.” Does it simply refer to geographical leaving, or does it also encompass emotional and psychological leaving? It is a common and difficult question that many Christians face. In the following translated article, originally published on the public WeChat account of Green Olive Books, the authors put forth their understanding of what this means in a Chinese context, arguing that “leaving” is a prerequisite to a happy marriage.
ChinaSource Team
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September 27, 2016
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Stories
The guest editor's point of view.
Stuart
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Stories
Last week we posted the first part of an interview with a rural pastor that was published on the mainland site Christian Times. The topic of the conversation was models for training in rural churches. This week we post the rest of the interview.
ChinaSource Team
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September 20, 2016
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Stories
Some forty years ago in Saint Louis, a group of Baptist churches combined their cooking skills and gifts of hospitality to host a weekly lunch for international students studying at Washington University of Saint Louis. This week the first Tuesday Lunch for Internationals of the 2016-2017 academic year took place, continuing a ministry that has welcomed students and scholars from around the world, providing them with a hot meal, and in some cases with their first opportunity to sit down and talk with a Christian.
ChinaSource Team
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September 16, 2016
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Stories
David Joannes is a self-proclaimed “missionary,” trailblazer, and ragamuffin whose newly released memoir, The Space Between Memories, chronicles twenty years of pioneering work among the minorities of Southwest China.
Brent Fulton
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September 14, 2016
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Stories
An editor from Christian Times recently had an extended conversation with a rural pastor (born in the 1980s) about his thoughts regarding the current situation of China’s rural church. They talked about the problems and potential, particularly as they relate to the need for training. What follows is a translation of the article. Due to the length of the article, we will publish it in two parts. This is part one.
ChinaSource Team
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September 13, 2016
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Stories
A young Chinese Christian faces the challenge of honoring the faith of her Christian grandmother at her funeral in a rural community in China.
ChinaSource Team
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September 6, 2016
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Stories
I just returned from a 5400-mile road trip from Minnesota to Newfoundland, Canada (and back).
Joann Pittman
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September 5, 2016
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Stories