Bishop K. H. Ting (1915-2012)
Bishop K. H. Ting, the most influential leader of the State-controlled Protestant church in China over the last 50 years, died peacefully in Nanjing on November 22, aged 97.
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Testimonies from a Women’s Retreat
These two testimonies are taken from the website of the Quan Nan Church, in Quanzhou, Fujian Province. Quan Nan Church is a registered church, affiliated with the Chinese Christian Council/Three-self Patriotic Movement (CCC/TSPM).
Jesus: The Best Christmas Gift Ever
Even though it is not an official holiday in China, Christmas has become extremely popular as a commercial/consumer event. Stores put up trees and clerks don Santa hats. However, most people in China do not know the real story behind Christmas -- the story of Jesus. The popularity of Christmas presents Christians with a unique opportunity to share the gospel. This article, from the Christian Times, is about a pastor in Beijing encouraging his congregation to tell their friends and family about Jesus this Christmas season.
Key Issues for the Church in China: A Local Perspective
If you asked most Christians in the west to identify the major issues facing the Chinese Church, the answer would probably be persecution and lack of Bibles. But what about Chinese Christians? What challenges do they see?
Change Brought about by the Cross
In the online Christian magazine Kuanye, a contributor who had experienced a horrific car accident testifies how church members rallied to show support. The writer's own response to the incident is contrasted with how the writer probably would have responded had it happened before knowing Christ.
Keys to Effective Leadership Training in China
Decades of overseas involvement in equipping Chinese church leaders have shown that training involves much more than unloading knowledge on a classroom of eager students. In discussions with dozens of experienced trainers over the course of several years, the following have emerged as essential factors for effective training.
Chinas Leadership Shuffle and the Church
"Shiba Da," the 18th Party Congress, concluded last week with the seven (not nine!) members of the reconstituted Politburo Standing Committee appearing together for the first time on the red carpet in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Many have asked what implications the Congress has for Christians in China. While it is known that religious policy was on the agenda this year, only time will tell how the closed-door discussions on this topic will play out in terms of actual policy.
Healthy Partnering
A recent and still ongoing ChinaSource survey of Chinese Christians, who have experience in working together with foreign partners, provides insight for those seeking to partner with and serve the church in China.
Chinese Creating Pastoral Training Tools for China’s Churches: A Case Study
In their desire to create authentic, pastoral training materials, early on this team of foreigners resolved to work toward putting their national staff in posts of increasing influence and authority while they stepped into self-restricted roles of coaching, and eventually, cheering from the stands. The author describes this work which is still in process.
Engaging a New Generation
The emerging generation of younger leaders in China will require friends, partners and collaborators who will come alongside them with a servant mentality and without agendas.
Vision or Vanity? What Are We Passing On?
Both foreigners serving in China and Chinese are experiencing a profound shift in roles. Chinese believers are stepping to the forefront, as it should be, but what should foreigners be passing on to them? How does vision play into this and do we want to pass it on?
A Chinese Voice from 120 Years Ago
The following is a suggestion made by a Chinese pastor to the rest of the attendees at the 1890 Shanghai conference of all the Protestant missionaries in China. It must have taken a lot of courage and strong convictions for him to address the room full of foreigners in this manner (there were only a handful of Chinese delegates at the 1890 Conference). Yan's purpose in speaking was to remind the missionaries that in addition to attracting new converts, there was still much work to be done to care for the believers already in the churches.