Stories

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

Latest

We Walk This Road Together

In January Rev. Gu Yuese, pastor of Chongyi Church in Hangzhou, one of China’s largest churches, was removed by the Chinese Christian Council, the governing body of the Chinese Protestant Church. Often referred to as China’s first mega-church, the sanctuary seats more than 5000 people, and each Sunday sees around 10,000 people in attendance at the worship services.

Two Meetings, Three Hands

Some things just don’t translate well from Chinese into English. Take, for example the annual government meetings that are taking place in Beijing this week. In Chinese the meetings are referred to as Liang Hui (两会), which literally means “two meetings” (sometimes also translated as “sessions”).  Using such a term in English to describe a conference, however, leads only to blank stares.

To My Daughter Leyi

Brother Xu Guoyong, co-founder of Oak Tree Press in Beijing, was killed in an accident while attending a conference in the United States in January. In this excerpt from his writings he reflected on the life of his first daughter, Leyi, who died tragically during the time he and his wife were imprisoned for their faith. 

Going Home

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a summit of local (Minnesota) Chinese-student-ministry leaders to discuss ways to help new Chinese believers prepare for returning to China.

My Story in the Cell

Brother Xu Guoyong, co-founder of Oak Tree Press in Beijing, was tragically killed in an accident while attending a conference in the United States in January. In this excerpt from his writings he reflects on the time he spent imprisoned for his faith. 

The Violin Church

While officials in Zhejiang province are busy demolishing church buildings they deem to have been illegally built and removing crosses from the tops of churches, in Guangdong province a congregation has built itself a new church building in the shape of a violin! 

Making It Safer for Seniors to Stay Active

I was riding on the subway in Wuhan one afternoon, standing in the middle of a very crowded car. A frail senior gentleman was sitting in a seat near me. When we came to the next stop, a senior woman, who was standing by the door, started shouting at him to hurry and get off the train. He stood up and those of us around him helped him get to the doorway as quickly as possible, but by the time he got there, the door started to close. The woman was already on the platform, but he was still standing in the car. When the doors closed, the glass platform door closed on his arm, and the car door closed on his head.