Tag: House Church
How “Runology” Is Changing Ministry to Diaspora Chinese
More Chinese people, both believers and non-believers, are looking for ways to leave China. Some people are leaving because of persecution, while others want to escape the imposition of “Xi thought.” As Chinese immigrants arrive in our communities, we need to look for ways to welcome the newcomers and show them the love of Christ.
Reflections on the Pew Report
In recent years, the Chinese government has tightly controlled the dissemination of key societal information while treating grassroots Christianity like a political opponent. This situation has left independent Christian researchers in a predicament as they struggle to access the necessary research materials while fearing unintentionally harming Chinese Christians, particularly well-known independent scholars.
Official Protestant Groups Plan Next Five Years of Sinicization
What Does the TSPM/CCC 5-Year Plan Tell Us about the Direction of Official Protestantism?
What the latest plan for Protestant leadership in the TSPM and CCC tells us is that Xi Jinping continues to attract or compel Christians to align themselves with traditional Chinese culture and, as important, with the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda.
Where Is the Church in China?
Today it is difficult to talk about the church in China without referencing China’s church outside China. Many leaders operate with one foot on Chinese soil and the other abroad, either by virtue of their frequent international travel or via offshore organizations through which their voices are amplified, making them spokespersons for a movement that transcends China’s borders.
Christianity in Post-Pandemic China
Navigating the Shifting Landscape
Understanding both the registered and unregistered aspects of the church in China provides a more comprehensive picture of the dynamic interplay within the Christian sphere, shedding light on the various challenges and opportunities that each sector encounters.
Praying for China’s Cities
We want to follow the lead of Chinese Christians. If they are praying for one another in a specific way, we want to lift them up in the same manner. If they feel a need to better know and understand one another, then we also share that same need.
Securitization of Everything
Churches and individual Chinese Christians have felt the impact of this shift to greater emphasis and concern about security. Unregistered churches and groups are seen as threats affecting societal and cultural security. Any foreign connections are seen through a security lens as a potential threat to China’s stability and healthy development.
Whispers from Within
Understanding China's Changes
When I first visited China, someone gave me a very wise piece of advice. They told me everything I ever heard about China was probably true—of someone, somewhere! There are definitely overarching trends and tendencies throughout the country as a whole. But a whole swathe of people in one town may have experiences that are completely contradictory to the experience of others somewhere else.
From Despair to Hope
Enter into the world of rural China and open your heart to the story of a young woman who suffered with depression until she heard the gospel in college. Now she is full of hope and joy because of truth and beauty of her Christian faith. She has led her family to Christ and was able to minister to the house church in her village.
Supporting Article
Spirit-Empowered Chinese House Churches (1)
Rural Revival
The religious passion of Christian peasants encouraged them to rethink traditional understandings of Christian life and ministry. Before 2000, house churches focused their mission primarily on domestic China, but after 2000, this focus shifted from China to other countries resulting in two international mission movements.