Stories

Firsthand accounts of faith lived out in the context of Chinese Christianity.

Latest

An “American Granny” on Chinese TV

Eunice Moe Brock was born in 1917 in Hebei Province; her parents were American missionaries. She later spent her early years in Liaocheng, Shandong Province. She left in the 1930s but returned to Liaocheng in the 1990s to the land that she loved. She lived in Liaocheng until she died in 2013. Shortly before she passed away, CCTV aired a story about her on the nightly news broadcast. 

The public WeChat account called Window of Christ’s Grace (基督恩典之窗) recently posted about a story about the broadcast and how inspiring it was to see a story about a Christian on national television. The writer reflects on the importance of Christians living lives that bring honor to God. 

The Chinese Dream in 12 Quotes

Since Xi Jinping came to power in late 2012, the slogan “Chinese Dream” has been one of the guiding principles of the Chinese Communist Party. The way the Party sees it, the essence of the Chinese dream is national rejuvenation, or making China great again, so to speak. The vast propaganda apparatus has been mobilized to convince people in China that their own personal dreams are inextricably linked to the broader dream of a rising China.

“Mission China 2030” in Korea

The mainland site China Christian Daily recently reported on the Mission China 2030 conference held in Jeju, Korea last month. It is part of a movement in the Chinese church to send 20,000 missionaries out from China by the year 2030. 

Hope for Returnees

A reader responds to the 2016 autumn issue of ChinaSource Quarterly, "A Call to Partnership in Chinese Returnee Ministry" with encouragement and a reminder of God's love and grace.

Healing the River of Love

If you’ve lived in China at all during the past 10 or so years you’ve probably encountered the phrases “I believe in me,” and “I just need to be myself” fairly often. In fact, at times these phrases seem to be the mantra of the Chinese millennial. The phrases are often thrown out as the solution to friends who don’t understand you, trials you’re facing, and personal struggles with historical issues in your past. 

In this article, originally published in Jingjie, author Wang Ming Li examines the very public and famous journey of singer Annie Yi, who ultimately decided that the path to overcoming rejection by her father was to “just be myself.” But is this really a panacea for our life problems? How do we as Christians respond to significant family of origin wounds? Wang first examines Annie’s journey, then shares her own personal experience and reflections.

Homesick for Manchuria

Since I lived in Beijing for the last 15 years of my time in China, it’s not often that I get nostalgic for Changchun, the city in northeast China that was my home for most of the 90s. Lately, however, I have found myself thinking of my time there and the experiences I had. I am, dare I say, homesick for Manchuria. 

Remembering Them Every May Fourth

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. 

The Oldest Church in Wuhan

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.