Stories

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

Latest

A Conversation with a Rural Preacher (Part 1)

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.

A Century-Old Church in Xingtai

In June China Christian Daily posted an article and photo gallery of 113-year-old church in Xingtai, Hebei Province. Originally built by Presbyterian missionaries from the US, it is now one of the main churches of the city.

The Wrong Approach to Living in China

I love living in China and have immersed myself in Chinese culture. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go since I arrived here in 1991—many who approach China with negative attitudes and misconceptions.

I’d like to share my thoughts about how to enjoy this culture that God loves. Specifically, I want to note some wrong approaches to China that I hope will instruct us in a better way.

“Arduous” and “Oppressive”–the Life of a Chinese Athlete

It’s been a long time since I have watched the Olympic Games on American broadcast TV, and not CCTV5, the Chinese sports channel, and there are several things that I miss. I miss the 24-hour coverage of events and watching them in their entirety, not just highlight reels. I miss watching ping-pong and badminton. And I miss getting to know the Chinese athletes.

When Families Are Separated, How Can We Help?

“She doesn't know me anymore,” my friend Xiao Min remarked offhandedly one day, as though this fact didn't bother her. As the weeks went on, I would slowly discover that this statement reflected a very deep pain in Xiao Min's heart. The first time she brought it up, though, I was surprised she would treat the matter so coolly. After all, she was talking about her own daughter.

The Day China Changed Me

It was June 2000. I was on my first trip to China. In fact, it was my first time to leave the United States. My team and I spent six weeks meeting students, sharing the gospel, and helping in other ways.

Praying the Ten Commandments for China

The following is a translation of an excerpt of a sermon preached by Wang Yi, pastor of Early Rain Reformed Church in Chengdu. In this sermon, he proposes the Ten Commandments as a model to pray for China. For each commandment he highlights some relevant statistics about Chinese society. The sermon, titled “How to Pray for China” was originally posted on Pastor Wang Yi’s WeChat public account.  

Serving Marketplace Leaders in China

This podcast looks at faith in the workplace through the lens of a new study on Christian marketplace leaders in China. Tyler and Mark, the principal researchers, discuss their own experiences in working with Chinese Christian CEOs and reflect on lessons learned from their recent study. Tyler is originally from the United States, where he worked in finance before moving to Hong Kong with his family. Mark is from China, where he serves as a pastor to Christian business leaders.