The 2024 spring issue of ChinaSource Quarterly is an exciting publication that should be read by everyone concerned with Christianity in the global Chinese diaspora. The cover story and the four featured articles thoroughly cover regional contexts in Europe, North America, and Australia. What particularly catches my eye is the diversity of the authors’ backgrounds, encompassing both frontline pastors and directors of prominent missionary organizations, as well as theologians and religious scholars. This combination aptly mirrors a significant trend in discussions about the church and faith within the global Chinese diaspora—it is no longer merely a religious issue but a multifaceted topic. It deserves and indeed requires examination from a broader array of social, cultural, political, and economic perspectives.
This issue also highlights that we are at a critical historical juncture. The rapid social and political changes in East Asian Chinese societies, along with the resulting massive wave of migration, have dramatically upended the Chinese Christian community in the West as we know it. One of the most immediate impressions this issue of CSQ might convey to readers is the numerical growth of the Chinese diaspora. For example, in the article about Australia, David Ng uses rigorous statistics to vividly demonstrate the impact of these numbers. However, this population increase has clearly also presented significant challenges for churches.
Although the five articles come from different perspectives, they simultaneously convey an important message: we must avoid the trap of moralizing numbers, and instead clearly recognize the profound impacts and opportunities these new dynamics bring to overseas Chinese Christian communities.
There are three particular points within this issue that should capture our attention.
First, the global landscape of overseas Chinese Christian communities is undergoing dramatic changes. In the UK, the work of Henry Lu and COCM shows how the arrival of Hong Kong immigrants has pushed Chinese ministries in entirely new directions within just two years.1 Additionally, Luke Zheng’s observations of mainland Chinese churches in Europe and Jeanne Wu’s introduction of Chinese laborer communities in Africa and the Middle East remind us that places that were once not considered as mission centers should not be neglected.
It is also evident that the emergence of a new type of “forced migration,” driven largely by the unease about social and political futures, will continue to fuel the present immigration wave. Although similar situations occurred during Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997, the scale and impact were not as significant as they are now. Jeanne Wu’s description of mainland China’s “run philosophy” is a prominent example of such increasing concern about China’s economy and social development. As a matter of fact, I have never seen so many Chinese eager to emigrate since I began studying Chinese migration in 2010. As long as the pessimism about society persists, more people will join this trend.
Second, for scholars, churches, and other Christian organizations to better engage with the Chinese diaspora, it is crucial to refresh their understanding of the rapidly changing contexts in which it operates. Jeanne Wu’s reminder in the cover story about transnationalism within the overseas Chinese community is particularly worth mentioning. For those dedicated to researching and serving the Chinese Christian community, they must develop the capacity to discern the deep spiritual and secular determinants associated with today’s Chinese diaspora and how these factors interact with the Christian faith.
On one hand, among this wave of immigrants, especially those from Hong Kong with BN(O) backgrounds, their migration journey is marked by unique memories of key sociopolitical events in East Asia. Their identification with “Chinese,” whether as a national, ethnic, or cultural symbol, also varies significantly with earlier immigrants. Importantly, we must recognize that the overseas Chinese community is a highly diverse group. Such diversity exists not only among individuals from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan but also between first-generation immigrants and the second generation who are born in the host country. The conflicts between different Chinese groups due to contradictory worldviews and political identities, as highlighted in both articles in this issue and other scholarly resources,2 will become increasing prominent.
On the other hand, as the Chinese diaspora unfolds, Western society and its discourse on Christianity are also evolving. Think about the news we have read in the past few months: the number of Christians in the UK has fallen below 50% for the first time in history; Richard Dawkins has suddenly declared himself a “cultural Christian”; and the conflict in Gaza has greatly fueled religious hatred and value clashes. At the same time, debates in the public sphere, from LGBTQ rights to gender and racial inequality, will continue to influence overseas Chinese churches, most of which tend to lean conservative, may increasingly find themselves needing to react to a more polarized society. Hence, the narrative of Chinese churches about the Chinese diaspora should not be detached from its broader context.
In the light of this evolving context, an essential missiological duty of the church is to act as a mediator among various Chinese sub-groups and between the Chinese diaspora and the wider community, using the language of the gospel to address lost trust and broken relationships, and to seek reconciliation built on the common ground of Christian faith. Of course, achieving this is not easy, especially in Europe and other regions that have not been regarded as popular centers of Chinese ministry. As Luke Zheng has noted, long-standing issues such as the lack of pastoral resources and insufficient meeting spaces do not seem to have been effectively addressed.
However, this issue of CSQ has outlined a new direction for all those concerned with Christianity in the Chinese diaspora, which aligns with the two caveats mentioned above. The essence of this direction echoes what Luke Zheng describes as the “kingdom mindset.” Practically, it manifests as an increasingly multi-dimensional, hybrid model of Chinese ministry that is gradually taking shape in some areas.
This hybrid model is evident in several aspects. Organizationally, partnerships between ethnic Chinese and local indigenous church organizations are increasingly common. Henry Lu and COCM’s experience in Britain demonstrates how support from local institutions can enhance BN(O) immigrants’ sense of belonging in churches.
Culturally, this model encourages the Chinese church to become less “Chinese” and more proactive in engaging with people who are different. Francis Tam has underscored the importance of intercultural ministry and the potential for Chinese Christians, not only in Canada but also in other Western contexts, to assume leadership roles instead of continually being recipients of services. This perspective invites a contemplation of the role of the Chinese church, emphasizing an active, contributory participation that enriches the broader ecclesiastical framework.
Visually, the Chinese diaspora is no longer a concern exclusive to Chinese churches. In addition to Chinese Christian leaders, an increasing number of non-Chinese background Christian organizations, theologians and missiologists, social scientists, and even government agencies are actively getting involved in various ways. They all have the potential to become significant stakeholders in the Chinese diaspora and create considerable synergies among themselves.
Taken together, this evolving model represents a shift towards more inclusive and collaborative forms of ministry that not only cater to the spiritual needs of the diaspora but also actively involve them in broader societal contexts, leveraging their unique cultural perspectives and resources. As an academic, I find the dialogue initiated by ChinaSource truly exciting in that it allows us to break through traditional perceptions and frameworks of understanding this terrain, enabling discussions and actions to move beyond the confines of diaspora, Chinese, or Christianity. Dialogues and partnerships between Chinese and non-Chinese, across different disciplines, and among various worldviews will help us gain a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of the Chinese diaspora in this new historical phase. Given that the small community of the Chinese diaspora and the East Asian societies and Western societies that host it are all facing crises and challenges brought about by various changes, the ministry work done by churches in this context can provide a powerful witness, allowing the grace experienced by this small community to bless the much larger Chinese and Western populations in which it is embedded.
Endnotes
- I have had the privilege of contributing a series of empirical research analyses on the faith of Chinese in the UK for ChinaSource, which may aid in interpreting the discussion in this issue. See the series, “A Social Scientific Study of the Chinese Christian Community in Britain,” https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/series-index/a-social-scientific-study-of-the-chinese-christian-community-in-britain/.
- For example, a 2023 study by City University of Hong Kong finds that “while new immigrants from Hong Kong manifest a strong dedication to their Christian identity, many of them are also resolute in their uncompromising political stance and identity, which puts them at odds with other Chinese Christians in the United Kingdom.” See Yvette To and Yuk Wah Chan, “Same God but Different? Politico-Religious Dynamics and the New Hong Kong Christian Diaspora in the United Kingdom,” American Behavioral Scientist (2023), https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00027642231194189.
Image credit: Belinda Fewings via UnSplash.
Yinxuan Huang
Dr. Yinxuan Huang is a research manager at the British and Foreign Bible Society. He was research fellow and coordinator for the Bible and the Chinese Community in Britain research project at the London School of Theology (2021–23), His main research interests are in sociology of religion, Chinese Christianity, East …View Full Bio
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