On March 4, 2015, the OMF Global China Newsletter posted an article titled Challenges for the Church in China. In it the author highlights four key challenges:
1. The challenge of rich and poor.
The challenge to the church is how to reach the rural and urban poor. Methodism reached the masses and transformed society in 18th century Britain, but by Victorian times it had often become “respectable” and lost its cutting edge. It would be a tragedy if the Chinese church goes along the same road.
2. The challenge of the minorities
Over 100 million minorities inhabit well over half of China’s geographical land area. Many Han Chinese now travel to previously inaccessible and exotic places such as Tibet and Xinjiang. Yet prejudices and an innate sense of cultural and racial superiority still exist among the Han. Many churches have little interest in outreach to the minorities, although this is changing.
3. The challenge of worldwide evangelism
China’s economic and commercial expansion worldwide, with its many trade links and aid programs to Central Asia and particularly Africa, mean that the Chinese church is well-placed to play an increasingly important role in world evangelization.
4. The theological challenge
The greatest danger to the Chinese church may not be European and American liberal theologies with their chatter of the “death of God,” “female Christ” and other inanities, which most Chinese believers would reject outright. The more subtle danger is presented by theologies which operate on the margin or even within the pale of Western evangelicalism but have strayed significantly from biblical truth.
China now needs biblical theologians who are able to wrestle with the many problems with which Chinese society is now faced and come up with thoroughly biblical answers. For this we must pray.
You can read the entire article here.
Image Credit: 拆迁后的废墟和教堂 by Ang Li, on Flickr
Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
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