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30 Minutes towards a Better Understanding of China’s Urban Church

A New ChinaSource Conversations Podcast


Many people outside of China see the church in China primarily as a persecuted church and as a church with many needs. The reality of the situation for the Chinese church—especially with the emergence of the urban house church—is much more complex.

To better understand that complexity, ChinaSource president Brent Fulton interviewed Christians in China, including many leaders in the urban house church. Out of that research he wrote China’s Urban Christians: A Light That Cannot Be Hidden.

This month’s ChinaSource Conversations podcast—in just 30 minutes—will give you a head start on better understanding the church in China today as Brent, Joann Pittman, senior vice president of ChinaSource, and Mark Swallow, host of ChinaSource Conversations, discuss the key points in his book.

Among the questions dealt with are:

  1. The premise of the book is that the challenges facing the urban church are more practical than political. What is meant by that?
  2. When did the transition take place moving China’s church from being primarily rural to becoming predominantly urban?
  3. With many of the new urban churches not being registered and not legal, how do they function as a church in China?
  4. Are there any generational issues between the older rural leadership and the younger leaders of the emerging urban church?
  5. What are the key challenges that face urban church leaders?
  6. Do pastors in the registered churches (TSPM) in urban settings face the same challenges as the urban house church leaders?
  7. Are the new urban churches divided or organized along denominational lines such as the overseas church would recognize?
  8. What opportunities are there for the urban church today that weren’t there in the past?
  9. Why does the west continue to see the church in China as a persecuted?
  10. Does the Chinese church have the capacity to address the challenges facing them today?
  11. Is there a role for Christians outside of China in the development in the Chinese urban church?  
  12. How can we pray for the urban church in China?

Take thirty minutes and better understand China’s Urban Christians.

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ChinaSource Team

ChinaSource Team

Written, translated, or edited by members of the ChinaSource staff.          View Full Bio


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