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From the Middle East to the Middle Kingdom (8)
Hui in a Globalizing China (Since 1978)
[…] interest our Hui friend, what questions to ask them, and how we might present the gospel in such a way that they agree it really is Good News. So far, our series has covered the broad strokes of Hui history from the Tang Dynasty to the present day. In the next post, we will […]
Practical Tips for Pastoral Enrichment (1)
[…] the way to or from work. However, I find that I still lack reading time. Pastor Shi Ming once reminded me of this. I remember one time when he lived in our house, he read his Kindle while we were having breakfast. I asked, “do you love reading that much?” He replied, “I spend four hours a […]
A Pastor Talks about Sharing the Gospel Effectively
[…] How to Make Good Use of Multimedia to Spread the Gospel: Turning Friend Circles into Fields of Ministry Pastor Cheng said during the CMC Global conference: We live in an incredible age, the age of the internet, and various multimedia tools are available to everyone. We need to make full use of those tools […]
The Tricolor Religious Market and the Growth of Christianity
The Great Awakening in China (3)
[…] from about one million to three million, which is extraordinary and miraculous. Actually, this is an undercount because the party-state is unwilling to admit its failure. An American historian, Daniel Bays of Calvin College, estimated that there were about five to six million Protestants around 1980. Then, after 1989, the growth accelerated. In 1979, […]
Supporting Article
Neglected Kinsmen in the Pacific Islands
The Pacific Ocean is the largest geographical feature in the world. It is 16,000 kilometers wide and covers one third of the earth’s surface area. However, the total land area of the 24,000 islands in the Pacific is only 6.3 percent of the world’s land area, and these islands are scattered over 88 million square kilometers of ocean. The Pacific Islands are divided into three main groups: Micronesia (small islands) lies above the equator while Melanesia (black islands) and Polynesia (many islands) are south of the equator. The most populous indigenous people in Melanesia are the groups living in the west of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Fiji. In the east are the Polynesians living in Tonga, Samoa, and French Polynesia (Tahiti). “File:Oceania UN Geoscheme – Map of Polynesia.svg” by source: Oceania_ISO_3166-1.svg: User:Tintazul derivative work: Cruickshanks is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Traditionally, the Pacific Islands were advertised as a holiday paradise—lands with charm, variety, and romance. The reality however is very different. The indigenous people in these islands are struggling to survive, with harsh living conditions, scarcity of land, poverty, and under-development. Some are in danger of losing their homes due to adverse weather conditions, rising sea levels, and the occasional volcanic eruption (as occurred in January 2022 in the Tongan eruption and tsunami). Over the years, large numbers of Chinese immigrants have come to the islands. Their arrival has greatly impacted the life, culture, and values of the local indigenous people. Earliest Chinese migration to the south Pacific occurred in the 1850s and 60s during the gold rush years in Australia and New Zealand. Chinese also moved to the islands as contract workers in sugarcane and other plantations. Chinese migrating to the islands during the nineteenthand twentieth centuries came mostly as laborers, employed workers, or as illegal immigrants. Others came to escape political turbulence and instability in China. In more recent years, following the economic expansion and growth of China, many Chinese migrants have come to do business or to invest in the islands. Chinese inhabitants in the islands come from very diverse backgrounds, for in addition to those from mainland China, many have also come from other nations in Southeast Asia, and from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Due to the work of early Western missionaries, the indigenous people in the islands were widely evangelized in the nineteenthand twentieth centuries. Christian churches are found everywhere in the islands. However, the situation for most of the Chinese inhabitants is very different. Most recent Chinese immigrants are atheist in outlook and indifferent to religious belief. Many keep at a distance from the Christian faith. Very few Chinese in the islands have become Christians, and their spiritual needs are greatly neglected. In the 1980s, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) implemented its “Reform and Opening 改革開放” policy. Some Chinese church leaders began to feel a burden to reach the increasingly large numbers of Chinese factory workers (over 100,000) going overseas to work in factories of the United States-entrusted islands of the North Pacific such as Guam, the Marshall Islands, Saipan, and also in Fiji. They launched mission programs to preach the gospel among these Chinese communities, mainly targeting factory workers. In 1998, mission pioneer Rev. Thomas Wang, president of Great Commission Centre International (GCCI), initiated the first “Pacific Islands Chinese Mission Conference” (PICMC) in Guam. This created widespread concern for the physical, social, and spiritual needs of these “neglected kinsmen” in the islands. Chinese Christian leaders all over the world—from the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand—gathered to discuss, pray about, and plan evangelism strategies for the Pacific Islands. Five similar PICMCs were subsequently held: respectively in Fiji (2000), New Zealand (2001), and Australia (2004, 2009, and 2013). Since then, most Chinese mission initiatives and outreach activities in the South Pacific Islands have been connected to or coordinated by the Chinese Christian Mission of Australia (CCMA). Status of Chinese Ministry in the Pacific Island Nations Based on data that I compiled in 2005 for each Pacific Island nation, the tables below give an idea of the status of Chinese ministry in each of them. As Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii are culturally and economically very different from the Pacific Islands, they are not included below. (A) Micronesia*1 Island Country Main Language Total Population Chinese Population Status of Chinese Ministry Fed. States of Micronesia English Pohnpei /Yap Total 50K 1000 None Palau English 20K 2,500 None US Trust Territory English Guam, (200K) Saipan/Tinian(70K) 6000*2 5000*2 Three Four Marshall Is. English 60K 300 One *1Because of its geographical proximity to East Asia, mission campaigns in Micronesia have largely involved and been supported by churches in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. There is also support and participation from North American Chinese churches. *2Due to China’s growing economy, the number of factory workers arriving since the start of the Reform and Opening policy has decreased. This is largely because pay scales in China caught up with pay scales in the islands. (B) Melanesia** Island Country National Language Population Chinese Population (City) Brief status of Chinese Ministry Papua New Guinea (PNG) English, indigenous dialects 9M 10,000-20,000 (Morsby, Lae, and Rebaul) A fellowship was formed in the 1990s by a Singaporean; however, due to the lack of stable spiritual leadership, it has struggled. Solomon Islands English, indigenous dialects 700K 5000 (Honaria) Chinese from mainland China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia A group of churches started by the Malaysian Methodist Church. Congregations: 20-30 Vanuatu English, French, indigenous dialects 310K 2000 (City: Port Vila) 500 (City: Santo) Port Vila Chinese Christian Church, formed in 2001, now has a congregation of over 60. In Santo: a small Chinese Christian group. New Caledonian (French Overseas Territory) French, indigenous dialects Noumea 280K 700 (Noumea) Cantonese Chinese from Vietnam Noumea Chinese Christian Church, formed in 2002, has a congregation now maintained at 20-30. Fiji English, indigenous dialects, Indian (38% of population) 900K 6,000 (Suva, Lautoka-Nandi) From Guangdong province with different dialects. A Chinese church in Suva (without a pastor). A Chinese church in Nandi-Lautoka area organized by WEC. There is also a Christian group led by businesspeople from Wenzhou in China. **Melanesia has the greatest proportion of Chinese but little attention has been given to their spiritual needs. After the first PICMC, Chinese Christian Mission Australia (CCMA) began to coordinate and send short-term mission teams to preach the gospel among the Chinese in the islands. Subsequently, two missionary couples were commissioned and sent from NZ (in 2001 and 2002) to Vanuatu and New Caledonia to help disciple believers and to build up the two existing Chinese churches there. (C) Polynesia Island Country National Language Total Population Chinese Population Brief status of Chinese Ministry Tonga English, indigenous dialects 100K Present: 3000 Because of sales of the Tonga passport, the number has once gone up to > 6,000. The local Victory Church has a Chinese congregation with a pastor from Singapore. At one time it had over 100 Chinese attending. Samoa (formerly under NZ administration) English, indigenous dialects 200K >20K*** (Apia) claim Chinese ancestry. Samoa/Chinese intermarriage is common. Cantonese speaking descendants >100. Samoa has a close relationship with NZ. After World War I, up until 1962, Western Samoa was governed by NZ. Currently, most of descendants of Chinese have integrated into local Samoan churches. French Polynesia (Tahiti), French Overseas Territories (French administered territories) French, indigenous dialects 280K >20K*** (Papeete) claim Chinese ancestry. Chinese are mostly Hakka. Small number of Cantonese/Mandarin business traders. There have been two Chinese speaking Hakka/French churches. However, after the old pastor retired, there has been a shrinking of membership due to the lack of spiritual leadership in […]
ZGBriefs | July 28, 2022
[…] him a life sentence in remote Ningxia. He refused to accept release after 20 years in prison because the documents said he had made a confession. He lived out his life fasting five days a week in a simple hut at the prison gate. In many letters and interviews, he always testified to the […]
Protecting Children from Abuse
What Can the Church Do?
[…] this article from Gospel Times discusses what the church should do to help protect children and prevent sexual abuse. What Can the Church Do? Responding to Recent News of Sexual Abuse of Girls While the songs and smiles of the June 1 Children’s Day celebrations were still fresh in our minds, two horrific and […]
The 20th Party Congress: A Roundup
[…] October 24 in Beijing. While every Party Congress is something of a big deal, this one was billed as a really big deal, and in many ways lived up to that billing. Under rules set out by the Party constitution following the death of Chairman Mao, those holding the top post of General Secretary […]
An Interview with a Missions Leader in China (2)
[…] are an option. What about medical professionals? If medical professionals hope to work in an NGO or NPO, that’s not going to be easy. But the good news is that in western China, especially in minority areas, the Chinese government is starting many national NPOs. Children’s health services are on the rise. Experts in […]
WeChatting to the Glory of God
Serving China Through Digital Engagement
[…] internet Christian Resources in Chinese. That list can be found here. Another resource he mentioned was the Internet Mission Forum. Presenters Sean Cheng is Asia Editor of Christianity Today. He has been active in internet evangelism for 28 years using all kinds of media and platforms. He is the host of a YouTube channel, podcasts, and […]