The Challenges and Strategies of Returnee Ministry in the New Era

China has changed dramatically over the past decade or so. A rise in nationalist sentiment has led to rejection of, prevention of, and disengagement from connection with the West, whether it is with national leaders, intellectual elites, or simply the general populace. The overall economic situation is in a state of decline, with wages being cut and often going unpaid, even for government employees—an inflationary crisis is on the horizon. Chinese people are relatively passive on social issues, lacking purpose, hope, and security. Overall, the pressure on Christian churches (and other religions) is increasing, and there is an upsurge in people reporting church activities to the police. House churches are forced to adopt a small-group, community-based approach, and the requirements of church ministers are increasingly demanding. The church in China in this new era faces new challenges and opportunities, and so it is with returnee ministry.

I. Changes in the Returnee Population

According to the latest Annual Report on the Development of Chinese Students Studying Abroad, released by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), the return of Chinese students has accelerated significantly over the past decade. From 2000 to 2019, the number of returnees increased from 9,000 to 580,300, with the return rate in 2019 reaching 82.5 percent. The pandemic and changes in international relations further boosted the number of returnees. In 2021, the number of international students returning to China exceeded one million for the first time,¹ making returning the preferred choice for most overseas Chinese students.

In recent years, there has been an increase in younger returnees, between the ages of 20 and 30. Many returned home after their overseas studies and are facing significant challenges, including finding jobs, being pressured by their families to get married, and the effects of reverse culture shock. They need to transition from being students overseas to becoming young professionals who take on more social responsibility. In the church, they need to shift from being served to serving others and adapt to the current small-scale, multi-site gatherings of churches, which are markedly different from the large-scale gatherings in formal church buildings overseas. Although some consider returning to their hometowns, most returnees choose first- and second-tier cities where they can develop their careers, and so they need to face the challenge of adapting to life in an unfamiliar metropolis.

Many who were first exposed to the gospel and came to faith in Christ overseas are still quite young in their faith. A study shows that more than 65 percent of returnees were baptized or heard the gospel for the first time overseas, and roughly 30 percent of them each year are relatively new believers who have not yet been baptized.² The first one to two years after returning is the most critical period for them to adapt and keep their faith. During this time, finding ways to help them settle into a church and continue to grow is crucial. In recent years, some returnees, because of the additional pressures of having government jobs, do not dare to publicize their faith and choose to stay away from local churches. The pandemic opened the door to the widespread use of virtual communication, saving time and transportation costs, but also fostering a reliance on online tools. Many returnees are now unwilling to venture out and participate in in-person meetings and are therefore unable to grow spiritually and be built up through interaction with other believers.

The church in China is often viewed from the outside as one facing significant persecution. But no matter where you are, any Christian serious about following Christ is bound to experience some degree of pressure and hardship. Before returning, many feel uncertain and worry about the pressures and persecution they may face. However, when they witness the steadfast faith of believers facing adversity in China, they rejoice in the power of the gospel for those who are rooted in Christ. This realization inspires them to be willing to live out their calling in the Lord. After adapting to life back home, many returnees begin to participate in the broader ministries of the church and Christian organizations, and some even have gone into the mission field. This exceeds their expectations when they first return and reveals God’s grace and guidance.

The goal of the returnee ministry is not only to help returnees integrate into local churches and continue to grow in their faith, but also to connect brothers and sisters who have similar experiences so they can encourage one another and journey together. In such a community, returnees can use their gifts and experience and celebrate how their passion for God has evolved from mere ideas to practical reality, inspiring each other to keep growing. In the face of challenges, Christian returnees can practice loving one another and working together. We hope that in the future, we will be able to continue to journey with more and more returnees, sharing experiences and strengthening each other’s faith, encouraging more young people to be salt and light in all levels of society.

II. Challenges and Strategies

Returnee ministry exists to facilitate community among returnees, acting as a bridge to connect and serve them. Those involved both serve and are served by churches and Christian organizations at home and abroad.

Helping returnees acclimate to the church environment in China is crucial. Ensuring they find and integrate into local fellowships is the main mission of the ministry. This effort has led to a growing appreciation among local pastors for both returnee ministry and returnees, especially after the pandemic. It is the goal of returnee ministry to help returnees who go back to different cities to find suitable churches and build a broad network. It is a challenge for local churches to minister to returnees who are relatively weak in their faith. And to do so with a kingdom heart, supporting the development of local returnee ministries, is not easy.

International cooperation is necessary to reach the goals and resource returnee ministry. Facilitating returnee referrals requires extensive cooperation between ministry workers in China and those overseas. Timely and targeted pre-return preparation can greatly enhance returnees’ ability to adapt to changes both before and after they return. There is much to do to help returnee ministries in China to effectively collaborate with overseas churches and Christian organizations. Returnee ministries in China should participate in overseas pre-return training with a willingness to go the extra mile. Overseas churches and Christian organizations should seek to proclaim the whole gospel, to lead people to Christ, to grow them as disciples, to prepare those who are returning, to establish a ministry strategy tailored to different locations, to respect local churches and ministries (helping them to succeed), and to fulfill God’s mission for returnees.

Raising up returnees to serve other returnees is one of the important strategies of the ministry. Returnees do not have a special social status, but they do have special experiences at home and abroad. And because they share similar backgrounds, it is easier for them to build relationships with other returnees, and to understand and help them. Relationship building requires face-to-face contact, which entails the participation of many returnee co-workers. To ensure the stability of the returnee ministry in China, there is an urgent need for more full-time co-workers.

Building future leaders is an important goal of the ministry. Many returnees who have been ministered to as they returned have grown into leaders in the ministry. We are happy to see post-90s Christians (millennials) becoming a majority of our team members in returnee ministry. It is a goal of the ministry to identify, journey with, connect, and lead young returnees into the ministry God has prepared for them.

III. Future Development and Outlook

Returnee ministry can be broken down into three stages:

1. Return to China. We encourage returnees to return with a mission. We seek to prepare them while overseas, establish reliable referral channels, connect them with a network of church ministries that have a burden to serve returnees, and encourage and help returnees to integrate into the local church.

2. Grow in Christ. We recognize returnees are at different spiritual stages and aim to connect them with suitable Bible studies and offer spiritual training in keeping with their needs, journeying with them in various ways, including both individual mentorship and small group ministry, helping them to be rooted in the gospel, grow in Christ, and influence this generation.

3. Go for the kingdom. With the Great Commission as our guide, we mobilize, journey with, and support returnees to live for the sake of the gospel and to participate in global missions, wherever they are. We see returnee ministry as a timely part of the Great Commission call, an extension of overseas campus ministries, and one of the crucial strategies for mission to China.

In the 1920s, Chinese students accounted for one quarter of the total number of international students in the US; this was due to the Chinese Educational Mission initiative.³ In 1949, the door for Chinese students to study in the US closed. However, in the 1980s the fever and opportunity to study abroad surged. In 2016, Chinese students studying in the US accounted for one third of the total number of international students in the world.⁴ In 2019, the number of Chinese students studying abroad exceeded 700,000, and China became the country with the largest number of students studying abroad in the world.⁵ As noted earlier, the number of returnees to China exceeded one million in 2021. We don’t know if or when the door to study abroad will be closed again for Chinese students, but returnee ministry is clearly for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) and stands as a God-given opportunity in this generation. We thank the Lord that we can have a part in witnessing his marvelous work.

Editor’s note: This article was originally written in Chinese and was translated by the editorial team.

中国过去十多年来发生了巨大的变化。首先是民族主义情绪的高涨，由此带来的从国家领袖到知识分子精英到普通大众对西方的排斥、防范、脱离的态度。经济环境整体处于下滑的状态，即使政府公务员也常发生欠薪的问题，通货膨胀的危机在即。社会层面相对消极，人们缺少目标、没有盼望、也没有安全感。而整体上，对于教会（以及各种宗教）的压力日渐加重，举报风起。这要求教会采用小组化、社区化的方式，对于教会服侍者的要求不再一样。中国教会在这个世代的角色面对新的挑战和机遇，海归事工亦如此。

一、海归人群的变化与挑战

据全球化智库（CCG）最新发布的《中国留学发展报告蓝皮书》数据显示，过去十年，中国留学人员回流明显加快，海归人数从2000年的0.9万人增至2019年的58.03万人， 2019年回流率达 82.5%。疫情和国际关系变化进一步推动回流，2021年回国留学生人数首次突破百万。¹回国发展已成为大部分留学生的选择。

近年海归群体呈年轻化趋势，主要集中在20-30岁之间，许多人从海外学成归国，面临毕业找工作、家庭催婚、反向文化冲击等挑战。同时，他们也需要从在海外教会中作为学生的身份，转变为国内职场青年的角色，开始参与更多的社会责任。在教会中，他们从被服事到开始服事他人的角色转换，也需要适应国内教会小规模、多点式聚集的方式，与海外大规模、教堂式的不同。尽管一些海归考虑回到家乡，但大多数选择一二线城市发展，还需要面对新城市的适应问题。

许多海归在海外首次接触福音并信主，回国后信仰生命仍显幼小。据不完全统计，超过65%的海归在海外受洗或首次接触福音，而疫情后回国的海归中约30%是刚决志信主但尚未受洗的新生命。²回国后的1-2年是他们信仰最关键的适应过度期，这段时间内，如何帮助他们扎根在教会并继续成长，成为海归事工的一个重要课题。

近年海归中不乏一批人因为在体制内工作学习，倍感压力，不敢、不愿公开信仰并融入本地教会。疫情打开了人们网络交流之窗，节省了时间和交通成本，但也滋生了网络倚赖，许多这一时期回来的海归不愿意走出去参加线下聚会，无法在肢体互动中得到生命建造。

国内教会的环境，常被外界视为面临逼迫。但无论身处何地，任何认真活出信仰的基督徒都一定会经历某种程度的“压力和逼迫”。海归回国前，容易对国内的信仰压力感到困惑和担忧，然而，值得感恩的是，国内教会众信徒在困境中的坚定持守，也让海归们看到福音扎根基督的韧性，激励海归愿意为主活出自己被神呼召的命定。许多海归在适应后开始参与更广泛和深度的教会、机构服事，甚至走向宣教领域，这一转变超出了他们回国之初的预期，完全是神的恩典和带领。

海归事工的影响不仅是帮助海归回到本地教会继续委身，在信仰上扎根，更是连结一群有相似经历的肢体互相鼓励、陪伴与同行。在这个群体中，海归们可以分享各自的专业和经验，甚至是对神的热情如何从创意到一一实现的尝试，激发彼此成长。在面对挑战时，大家一起操练彼此相爱与同工，盼望未来将能够通过这些经历和磨练出来的对神的信心，继续陪伴更多海归，推动更多的年轻一代在社会各个层面成为光与盐的见证。

二、海归事工的策略与挑战

海归事工促成海归的主内生态圈，作为桥梁连结并服事海归，同时服事海内外教会与机构，并被其服事。

教会导向是神在中国处境下给海归服事的策略之一。如何帮助海归找到并融入本地教会是海归事工初期的主要使命，这也使得本地的牧者对海归事工和海归的接纳度越来越高，尤其在疫情后得到极大提升。如何帮助回到不同级别城市的海归找到适合的教会，建立更广泛深入联系网络是海归事工的任务。如何以国度胸怀服事软弱中的海归、扶持本土海归事工发展是国内教会的挑战。

国际合作的策略是海归事工服事对象和内容的需求。海归的预备和转介需要广泛的国际合作。及时、有针对性的回国前预备可以有效提高海归在回国前后的适应。国内的海归事工如何更有效与海外配搭是长久的课题。国内的海归事工应该以多走一里路的态度参与海外的海归培训。海外教会和机构应该学习的功课，包括如何传递整全的福音，如何带领初信造就、门徒成长、更好预备海归，如何以目的地为导向（destinations-orientation）建立服事策略，尊重和成全本土教会和事工，成就神在海归们身上的使命。

海归服事海归是海归事工的重要执行策略之一。海归不是特殊身份，却是有特别的海内外经历，相同背景更容易与服事对象建立关系，相互理解和帮助。关系的建立需要面对面，为此需要大量城市海归同工参与其中。而要保证海归服事的稳定，迫切需要专职同工的投入。

在服事中建造未来领袖是海归事工的国度策略。一批又一批海归因着被服事，一步步成长为领袖。我们欣喜地看到90后已经成为服事的主力军。如何识别、陪伴、连结、 带领年轻的海归投入命定的服事是海归事工的使命。

三、海归事工的发展与展望

海归服事从对象成长和事工发展可以围绕三个阶段：

1、海归回国（Return to China）。我们鼓励海归带着使命回国，在海外积极预备， 建立可靠的转介渠道，连结有负担有国度胸怀的教会事工网络接纳海归，鼓励和帮助 海归积极融入本土教会。

2、 主内成长（Grow in Christ）。针对不同属灵阶段的海归，我们连接和建立适合的属灵学习，以个人、小组等多样形势和内容生命陪伴海归扎根基督，主内成长，并影响这个世代。

3、 国度出发（Go for Kingdom）。因着大使命的呼召，动员、陪伴、支持海归为着福音的缘故再次出发，参与普世宣教, 无论他们国内还是海外。我们看见，海归事工是大使命的呼召，是海外校园福音事工的延展，也是宣教中国的策略之一，更有其时效性。

上世纪二十年代，“公派留美计划”(The Chinese Educational Mission)³使得在美国的中国留学生占国际留学生总数的四分之一；1949年中国留学之门戛然关闭；直至八十年代出国热再度兴起；2016年，在美国的中国留学生占国际留学生总数的三分之一；⁴2019年，中国出国留学人数突破70万人，中国也成为全球出国留学人数最多的国家；⁵2021年海归人数突破百万……我们不知道是否及何时海外留学之门会再度关闭，但我们相信海归服事是这个世代神赐给我们的“现今的机会”（以斯帖记4:14），感谢主让我们有份见证祂的奇妙作为。

1. “2023 Survey Report on Returnees Employment (2023 中国海归就业调查报告（2024年3月26日）,” Human Resources and Social Security Information Network, March 27, 2023, accessed November 19, 2024, https://www.hrssit.cn/info/3208.html.
2. Data from a 2023 survey of a few dozen returnee Christians by a returnee ministry organization in China.
3. “The Chinese Educational Mission (1872-1881),” Chinese Students at Andover Project, accessed November 19, 2024, https://chinesestudents.andover.edu/exhibits/show/historical-context/the-chinese-educational-missio.
4. “Studying in the United States: Chinese Students Account for One-Third of All International Students (美国留学：中国留学生占国际留学生总量三分之一),” new.chazidian.com, October 19, 2016, accessed November 19, 2024,  https://mnews.chazidian.com/news320698/.
5. “Number of Students from China Going Abroad for Study from 2010 to 2022,” Statista, March 2024, accessed November 19, 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/227240/number-of-chinese-students-that-study-abroad/#statisticContainer.