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The Greying of China and the Church’s Response


As China’s elderly population mushrooms and its working-age population shrinks, Christian families find themselves caught in the middle of this demographic divide. Cultural expectations and legal requirements put the onus on them to care for older family members, but neither the government nor the society at large are adequately prepared to support this effort.

For churches in China, the immediate concern, especially in the rural areas, is caring for elderly pastors in their later years of life. TSPM-affiliated churches have the advantage of owning property that, in some cases, can be used to develop homes for the elderly that are adjoining or adjacent to the church. Younger urban pastors are faced with caring for parents who, in many cases, still live in the countryside or in smaller cities. Many of their congregants find themselves in a similar situation. With living space limited in the city, it may not be practical or desirable to have older relatives move in with the family.

Looking further across the society, two possible large-scale responses emerge. Given the right mix of expertise and investment, along with a favorable regulatory environment, the urban church could potentially play a leading role in both areas.

One response involves training home health workers to visit seniors who are still living on their own or whose families are not able to care for their needs.  So far this appears to be the government’s favored approach to elder care, as it is seen as more cost effective.

The other response is to construct residential care facilities. Investors in this space have thus far targeted the high-end market, where income from wealthy clients and their families will more than cover the cost of providing first-class services. The biggest need is among middle- and low-income clients and their families.[1] Preferential treatment and incentives, including tax exemption and waived or lowered administrative fees, are available for companies wanting to invest in this area.[2] Both approaches require training skilled and non-skilled workers. However, given the overall lack of expertise nationwide in gerontology and other related fields, the means of training these workers is not readily available in country.

China’s church, like most entities in society, is struggling as it grapples with the challenge of China’s ageing population. However, the church is the one entity that does have access to a sizeable pool of potential personnel, both professionals whose expertise could be applied specifically to senior care, as well as unskilled workers who could be trained for support roles. With a biblical ethic of caring for others, these Christians could bring to their service a motivation that would not be found among others who see senior care as simply a business opportunity. If they are able to create a viable model, it will likely catch the attention of government officials who have been tasked with finding ways to care for the elderly. These officials have resources at their disposal but are wary of committing funds without first seeing firsthand that the proposed solution is going to succeed.

Several small-scale projects are currently being undertaken by individual churches and by Christian entrepreneurs and healthcare professionals, some in collaboration with Christians outside China. Thus an urgent concern facing urban Christian families in China – how to care for ageing relatives amidst widespread social change that has left traditional practices unworkable – creates an opportunity for the church to exercise its beliefs and values in practical ways. Doing so can provide a way for the church to gain legitimacy within the society, as Christians are seen caring not only for their own needs but also for the needs of their community.

 


[1] Benjamin Shobert, “Senior Care in China: Challenges and Opportunities,” China Business Review, http://www.chinabusinessreview.com/senior-care-in-china-challenges-and-opportunities/, April 1, 2012.

[2] Rainy Yao, “Gold Years: The Coming Investment Boom in China’s Elderly Care Industry,” China Briefing, www.china-briefing.com, September 10, 2014.

Image Credit: Joann Pittman

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Brent Fulton

Brent Fulton

Brent Fulton is the founder of ChinaSource. Dr. Fulton served as the first president of ChinaSource until 2019. Prior to his service with ChinaSource, he served from 1995 to 2000 as the managing director of the Institute for Chinese Studies at Wheaton College. From 1987 to 1995 he served as founding …View Full Bio


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