about
China
More than 20 per cent of the world’s population lives in China (1.3 billion people), and the Chinese Church is one of the largest Christian communities in the world. Despite years of suffering, it is growing at the rate of an estimated 10,000-25,000 new converts per day! Since the death in 1976 of the Communist leader Mao Zedong, China has witnessed an amazing and ongoing Christian revival, with an estimated 60-80 million believers now in China.
China’s 1982 constitution (the most recent one) guarantees citizens freedom of religion and protects ‘legitimate’ religious activities and yet…Churches are required to register with the government, believers are threatened, Bibles confiscated, churches destroyed, and church are leaders beaten, imprisoned, tortured and killed. The Communist government sees unregistered churches as a threat to national and ethnic unity and to Communist ideals and goals.
A country of contradictions
Conditions vary enormously around the country, however. Many temples, churches and mosques in China have reopened since 1982, and officially recognised ‘Three Self’ Churches in the cities have become more active.
Freedom of worship and preaching varies a great deal from area to area, but the government places restrictions on the Three Self churches that many believers find unacceptable.
A vibrant house church movement has emerged, mostly in the countryside, consisting of both officially registered and underground groups.
However, the ‘unregistered’ groups are seen as illegal and have been persecuted by the government. In some provinces, unregistered church pastors are arrested, Bibles are confiscated and churches are demolished.
And although the church is growing rapidly, pastors are spread thinly and Bibles are scarce – leaving flocks vulnerable to doctrinal error and predatory cults.
Sunday school workers face particular danger because teaching religion to under-18 year olds is illegal as the Communist party reserves the sole right to educate the young in China today.
In addition, children are taught at school/college that God does not exist and that believing in Jesus is unpatriotic.
‘Unregistered’ Christians and Sunday school teachers can face beatings, torture, interrogation and imprisonment.
Both children and adults regularly face ridicule and discrimination, particularly in rural areas and in the southern Henan province.
The PRC Government prints a limited number of Bibles but these are a drop in the ocean compared with the need, and does not tolerate the import of more.
This small supply of Bibles is only sold in urban areas, so the majority of the fast-growing Chinese church is desperately lacking Bibles, teaching materials and even leaders in most rural areas.
The relatively few Christian leaders are overworked, and many are exhausted.
One of the greatest threats to the church is not the PRC Government but the increasing influence of cults such as ‘Eastern Lightning’.