Christianity faces adversities in China. But God has used some of those unfavorable conditions to accelerate church growth. Thistles and thorns are not the only plants on the path of evangelism. We have simply ignored the little daisies growing along the way.
Many Chinese believers enter the church at times of personal crisis. Financial troubles, broken relationships, health emergencies—real world trials often reveal to Chinese people the fractured nature of their safety nets, as friends, family, and the state fail to provide them with what they need. These moments of brokenness can be used by God to open people’s hearts to their own weakness and God’s strength.
History has convinced me that God cares about China in his missional plan. This anniversary carries spiritual meaning when we see that the Chinese church has witnessed God’s protection and guidance over the past 100 years.
Above all, church development is not about how we feel, or how difficult it is. It is about fulfilling the Great Commission.
In my view, from the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 to the present, the development of the Chinese church (primarily the house church) has gone through roughly three phases.
How the Covid-19 shutdown and a 21st-century piece of technology were used to help change traditional forms of the Chinese church—at least for a while.
For decades, the church in China has relied on lay people. Some would say this is an ideal situation in the church. Others would say that the phenomenon points to deeper problems within the Chinese church. To be sure, the pros and cons of the rise of laypeople are debated within the Chinese church.
A reader responds to the spring issue of CSQ with insightful observations and questions.
Wayne Ten Harmsel pulls back the shroud of mystery surrounding Chinese registered churches for Western readers. Through interviews with Chinese pastors, evangelists, and lay Christians, he provides a rare view of what it means to live in the shadow of both the government and the well-known house churches.
How did churches across China celebrate Easter? This article from China Christian Daily gives a flavor of some Easter celebrations in Three-Self registered churches in three different provinces.
The author provides an overview of women’s roles in the church over the past 40 to 50 years of its relatively open development in China. She notes the meaningful contributions women have made, challenges they face, and suggestions for dealing with them, as well as the role of outsiders.
"A colorfully descriptive and meticulously documented" biography of John Song.