The maintenance and advancement of Christianity is highly correlated to three main factors: government control, social receptivity, and culture. Comparatively, China is not the most difficult place for Christianity to develop.
Lee explains the three main reasons why the Communist Party is wary of Protestants: their faith is seen as an ideological threat to the Party, churches can bring foreign influence, and they are a collective action threat. She then explains the various ways pastors are dealing with the actions the Party is using to hold them in line.
Legislation may technically render a host of Christian activities illegal, but these activities do not suddenly cease. While we may hear that “China” is clamping down on unregistered meetings or websites or online gatherings, the reality on the ground may tell a different story.
When pressure comes, Christians generally respond in one of three ways: fight, flight, or somewhere in the middle…. When praying for the Chinese church, we must not fail to pray...for the unity of Christians under pressure.
Wang Yi wrote, “The goal of disobedience is not to change the world but to testify about another world.”
How will we react to attempts to divide us along socio-economic, racial, ideological, or nationalistic lines? Will we quietly acquiesce and accept a church that is not really whole?
The statement declares, “Christian churches in China are eager and determined to walk the path of the cross of Christ and are more than willing to imitate the older generation of saints who suffered and were martyred for their faith.”
With everything going on in the world, Christians in China are facing increasingly complicated circumstances, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for outsiders to connect with the Chinese church. But Fraser’s life reminds us that engaging in prayer is one of the most powerful things we can do. . . . wherever we might live in the world.
[T]he story of Christianity in China cannot be told without acknowledging the female evangelists and pastors who built the Chinese church.
Anyone looking for a brief overview of Chinese Christian history should check out Richard Cook’s Darkest Before the Dawn. In addition to orienting readers to the major events of Christian missions in China, there is an extensive bibliography for further reading.
“More small groups, more household-oriented, and more online.”
“More small groups, more household-oriented, and more online.”