China: Embracing the Cross (Part 1)

"God doesn’t want to keep changing your circumstances; he wants to change you." -J. Sidlow Baxter

In our modern world today, we can often feel disconnected from Biblical times. Sometimes it’s hard to really picture what it was like back then when Christianity was first getting started. But if we can look anywhere in this world for a modern day picture of the first century church, we would have to look to the Chinese House Churches. The Spirit of God is upon these believers and they have a heart for Him that is rarely seen in our world today. They are driven to spread His word, and they make the most of the opportunities they are given. It is estimated that there are 3,000 more believers in China every day. When you hear of testimonies from these believers in China, you will hear about extreme persecution: spending decades in prison and ‘reeducation through labor’ camps, beatings and torture beyond all imagination, severe social and psychological pressure to deny their faith or join the TSPM churches, and many times even death. But you will also hear about miracles and blessings and God’s sustaining grace. Testimonies of believers who walked pass police men unnoticed, miraculous cases of healings (mental and physical), people raised from the dead, fish provided from empty ponds, money to survive somehow provided every month for years, visions and dreams, indescribable joy in the midst of suffering, and a sustaining peace despite their circumstances. These believers are honored to share in Christ’s sufferings and they embrace the Cross and everything it stands for in a Christian’s life.

After studying China, the idea of embracing the Cross should take on new meaning for us. The cross was an instrument of torture and death. We sing about the ‘Old Rugged Cross,’ but I wonder if most people in the free world today really picture what a ‘rugged’ cross would look like. It would be rough and heavy with a jagged surface that would put splinters in your skin if you ran your hand over it. It would be painful to touch and your blood would stain the wood, and yet we sing about ‘clinging to that old rugged cross.’ To put it simply, clinging to a rugged cross would hurt. But we find the greatest comfort and grace at the cross. The Chinese believers understand that at the Cross we find hope and grace and mercy, but that we also find suffering in this life. They don’t expect the one without the other, and they count themselves blessed to be worthy of sharing in Christ’s sufferings. May we look to their example and be inspired to live a life worthy of the calling we have received (Eph 4:1, Col 1:10), knowing that God doesn’t always change our circumstances because he wants to change us.

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China

Population: 1,330,044,605 Government: Communist State

Basic Info: The People’s Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949, and it is the world’s most populous nation. When thinking about China, it is best to picture it divided into North and South. The North is unified by the modification of one language (Mandarin) and is more traditional, while the South is a cluster of entities, each with its own distinct dialect, and is heavily influenced by Hong Kong and foreign ports. It is also best to remember that Communist party policies are not applied across the board in China due to its population, geographical vastness, and social diversity. The government depends heavily upon support from local authorities to implement its policies. Party control is tightest in government offices and in urban economic, industrial, and cultural settings; it is considerably looser in the rural areas, where the majority of the people live.

Human Rights: China’s human rights record and freedom of religion is listed as one of the worst in the world. There are more Christians in prison in China than any other country in the world. The Chinese government detains hundreds of thousands of people each year in work camps without even a court hearing, subjecting the prisoners to a system called "re-education through labor.” Re-education through labor sentences are given by police, rather than through the judicial system. The law allows police to sentence both minor offenders and "counter-revolutionaries" or "anti-socialist elements" (which include Christians) to incarceration in labor camps without the right to a judicial hearing or trial and judicial reviews do not take place until after the punishment is being enforced. In the beginning there were no limits to the length for which detainees could be sentenced, and it was not until 1979 that a maximum sentence of four years (three years sentence plus one-year extension) was set. China made promise of improved human rights as the centerpiece of its bid for the August 2008 Olympics. Many thought this would remove the remaining obstacles of expressing one’s faith and put an end to serious violations of religious freedom, especially since the Beijing Olympics drew intense international media attention to the country. However, crackdowns on Christians and churches continued prior to the Games and in fact intensified in the months leading up to and following the event. Pastor “Bike” Zhang Mingxuan, the president of Chinese House Church Alliance, was expelled from Beijing shortly before the Olympic Games and has been arrested and beaten by authorities several times in recent years. His wife and sons have also been beaten by officials.

Religion: At first glance, a foreigner to China might believe that there is freedom of worship in China and that religious persecution does not exist. It is possible to find a Protestant church and worship openly with other believers. One can find Bible schools and training centers in most provinces and many cities. To see the persecution, one has to look beyond the outward appearance. While the Chinese constitution affirms religious toleration, the Chinese government places restrictions on religious practice outside officially recognized organizations. The government recognizes five official religions--Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Catholicism, and Protestantism--and seeks to regulate religious groups and worship. The government attempts to directly control Christianity in two forms and they are the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (Protestant) and the Catholic Patriotic Association. The CPA is not officially tied to the Vatican because China demands the highest loyalty be to the state, and not the Pope. The TSPM and the CPA are a part of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), which in turn reports to the Public Security Bureau (PSB). It is the PSB who then carries out raids and arrests those who participate in ‘illegal activities.’ Christian literature is strictly controlled by the government, and one can normally only buy a Bible in China from a TSPM church book store. At the time of purchase, information is usually taken about the buyer and their activities are often monitored to ensure that their Christian activities are legal.

Christianity: Since 1900, the Chinese Church alone has experienced more martyrs than all other countries combined. Hostility towards Christianity is often due to the fact that it is seen as a tool of Western Imperialism, as is seen in the quote, “One more Christian, one less Chinese.” Over the past 50 years though, China’s house churches have seen tremendous growth. Their growth has been attributed to the bold, Spirit inspired witness of the Chinese believers themselves, and their transformed lives. The Wenzhou Church is a rapidly growing house church and the China for Christ is the largest house church group in China to date. Despite all of the obstacles, it is estimated that in 2020 there will be more evangelical Christians in China than in any other country in the world. Many Chinese believers see themselves as a people called to preach the gospel “Back to Jerusalem.” Their vision is to preach the gospel to the countries between China and Jerusalem (Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, etc). This area is known as the 10/40 window and they are strongholds for Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Persecution against Christians in these areas is severe and often deadly. Chinese Christians however remain undaunted. They believe that the persecution of the last 50 years has been preparing them to take the gospel to the most unreached places in the world, and that this is the ultimate call and destiny for the Chinese House Churches. This is not a crazy fanatical dream of a few churches; it is already a reality. Right now there are already hundreds of Chinese missionaries working outside China in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Thousands more are in training, learning languages such as Arabic and English that will be put to use on the mission field. More about this mission can be read at www.backtojerusalem.com

Information compiled from “Bold as a Lamb,” “Coming Influence of China,” VOM China at www.persecution.net , www.state.gov , “Stories from China: Fried Rice for the Soul”


The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM)

Soon after Chairman Mao Zedong declared the People’s Republic of China, the communist government focused on controlling organizations that could potentially oppose or compete with their new ideology by placing them under direct government control. The state formed Protestant Church is known as the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. The TSPM has many regulations in place that control church life. They decide which buildings can be used to hold services, which pastors can preach, and which areas of the country can be evangelized. Church activities are only allowed on Sundays, so mid-week meetings and Bible studies are not allowed. TSPM members are not allowed to meet in homes. No one under the age of 18 can be evangelized or baptized, so Sunday schools are not permitted. Also, members are not allowed any contact with foreign church groups. They are forbidden to read foreign Christian literature or listen to foreign Christian tapes or radio stations. Pastors are told how to preach. Religious messages must be “compatible with socialism.” Pastors are discouraged from teaching about Jesus’ divinity, miracles, or resurrection. They are also told not to preach on Genesis, Revelation, and the prophet Daniel. Creationism is not tolerated, and there is a strong liberal bias amongst the leadership. But there are true believers who worship in the TSPM. Many have stayed to try and work from within the system and to try and reach the hearts of those who come. Some pastors, especially in rural areas, take advantage of their distance from Beijing and ignore the regulations established by the TSPM and speak the Word of God boldly.

House Churches

Whenever the TSPM is not evangelical, believers have left them for house churches. Also, those who do not wish to follow government policies on religious practice and beliefs meet in homes and risk being labeled as "evil cults." Such a designation can result in closing down the church, confiscation of property, and charges against the leadership, often resulting in torture, imprisonment and death. Despite all of that, on any given day, at any time, day or night, there are house churches in China that are meeting. Some house churches are completely independent and isolated, while others are part of vast networks. The government estimate of believers is 98 million (about 6% of the population), which is twice the size of the membership of the communist party.

There are 3 levels of leadership in house churches. The top level is made up of the Lao Da (First Brothers) who are older (in their late 40’s at least) and have a thorough understanding of Scripture. Most have experienced prison and some are fugitives. They train workers, start revivals, and resolve church issues. They are cautious in their dealings with outsiders. The second level is the Lao Er (Second Brothers). They are in their late 20’s to 30’s and they are also well versed in the Word. They are often in charge of one main congregation and a number of meeting points (house churches). Some are registered, some are not. Most have some experience of being in prison. They send out teams to evangelize and plant churches. They are more eager to work with outsiders than the Lao Da level. The third level is the Lao San (Third Brothers). They are in their 20’s and are eager to learn everything. They especially want to study and be instructed in God’s Word. Their ministries are done at the grass roots level. The Church realizes that most of those with the theological training are very old. They also know that without Bible training, heresy becomes a major problem. The TSPM seminaries cannot keep up with the amount of people who need training.

The house churches of China are characterized by many things. First, they have a deep desire to learn God’s Word. Whenever an itinerate preacher comes to a village, Christians gather from miles around and urge the pastor to speak past the point of exhaustion. They are willing to stand and listen from early morning until late at night. They will suffer cold and exhaustion to hear God’s Word. Believers have saved for a whole year and traveled for days in order to purchase a Bible. They are also marked by prayer. Every believer has a disciplined prayer life. Miracles are common in house churches, but varied in form. All, however, are for the glory of God. They do not seek after miracles or healings, and they do not happen in a public forum. They occur when individual believers pray together and when their need is great, and they see it as a natural moving of the Holy Spirit. House churches are also often highly respected by the communities they are in. Communist leaders are finding believers to be very morale and hard working people who never cause problems. They are willing to take on the most difficult tasks and they don’t fight amongst themselves. Leaders advance in the Communist party ranks, or even just keep their jobs, by meeting production goals. When one leader is successful, it is a reflection on his superiors. That is something they don’t want to interfere with so they will allow the believers to meet or pray or sing while they work. House churches are also very mission focused and literally make the most of every opportunity they have to evangelize. Believers win their friends and associates to Christ, and then bring them to church for instruction and inspiration. Often times, new believers have no knowledge of Scripture at the time of their conversion.

The well known “Songs of Canaan” (Canaanite Hymns) have recently been updated to the “Sounds of the Heart.” It is a compilation of over 900 songs, and is the closest thing to an official song book for the house churches. They are widely known by believers in China, and as one woman claims, “All the house churches sing them!” They were all written by Lu Xiao Min, a young woman with no musical training, who cannot even read music. She is still writing hymns today, and often travels to house churches to teach and share new songs with them.

Material taken from “The Coming Influence of China,” “Stories from China: Fried Rice for the Soul”

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Here are some videos from China. There will be more next month.

World Watch China--a video by Open Doors--Serving the Persecuted Church


The Overcomers (China - February 2009)




The People's Church - China Produced by ABC Australia: Here is the link to follow, since there is not an option to post it on the blog page. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NobN0HfmouU



[CNN] China's Underground Church