Chinese Church Voices from 2012
The Resource Library is where you will find the latest resources from across our publications.
How to Make the Church Chinese? Three Perspectives
The full title of this article is "How to Make the Church Chinese: Perspectives from the Religious, Academic, and Political Spheres" and is posted on the website of the China Christian Council/Three-Self Patriotic Movement (CCC/TSPM). Originally published in the official China Nationalities News, it examines the question of how Chinese the church is in China. While most Chinese Christians would likely agree that today's church is already Chinese both in character and leadership, many in the larger society have yet to acknowledge Christianity as genuinely a Chinese religion. The process of Sinicization, this writer argues, involves not only Christians themselves, but also China's intellectual and political elites.
September – A Month of Prayer for Chinese Churches
Hong Kong-based ministry CCL called for September to be a month of prayer for China. This article, in the Christian Times summarizes the prayer requests included in the ministry's September newsletter. Of course you can use these as prayer points for October.
A Domestic Media Report on Jeremy Lin’s Faith
In the past year, Chinese NBA fans have been gripped by "Linsanity," as Chinese-American star Jeremy Lin has taken his place in the NBA firmament. He has close to 3 million "followers" on his Weibo account (@JeremyLin). Not surprisingly, he has been especially popular among Chinese Christians because he is outspoken about his faith in Christ.
The Church Today is on a Training Ground
Crossing the river by feeling the stones, a popular Chinese idiom, is a fitting way to describe Chinas emerging urban church. Its leaders have no older generation to look up to, and the opportunities and challenges they face are unprecedented in Chinas history. In this article published in the Christian Times, one pastor describes the dangers facing todays urban church leaders. He cautions them to be humble and teachable, as the decisions they make will affect an entire generation.
Single Christians and Love
The Cost and Consequences of Adultery
Changes in Chinese society in recent years have brought changes in the notions of morality and sexual purity. These changes are also being felt within the Church as Christians (as they do elsewhere) struggle to reconcile their beliefs and values with the messages from pop culture. This article in the Christian Times addresses this issue.
An Interview with Pastor Yuan Zhi-ming
Last week the New York Review of Books blog published an interview of American-based Chinese pastor Yuan Zhi-ming conducted by journalist Ian Johnson. In the 1980's Yuan Zhi-ming was a documentary film-maker in China. Because of his involvement in the 1989 protest movement, he was forced to flee China, eventually ending up in the United States. He became a Christian in 1992, and started the China Soul for Christ Foundation, which produced the documentary The Cross: Jesus in China.
Don’t Just be a “Sunday Christian”
The "Sunday Christian" phenomenon is not just a feature of lukewarm churches in the West. The demands of urban life in China have taken their toll on the commitment of Christians there as well. In this online church publication, two Chinese believers point out the dangers both for the spiritual life of the individual Christian as well as for the church.
Christianity in Guangdong – an Interview
This is the third section of an article on the Fuyinmen (Gospel Door) website titled "Christianity Brings Western Medicine to Guangdong Province." The first two sections can be found in the previous two posts. In this third section, the reporter conducts an interview with Protestant church officials from Guangdong Province concerning the historical development of the Church in the province.
Christianity Brings Western Medicine to Guangdong (Part 2)
The first part of the article on the Fuyinmen (Gospel Door) website focused on western missionary work in the medical field in Guangdong. The second part of the article focuses on education and a missionary's encounter with Hong Xiuquan, who would later lead the Taiping Rebellion.
Christianity Brings Western Medicine to Guangdong (Part 1)
In recent years it has become more common for political and religious leaders in China to acknowledge some of the positive aspects of early foreign missionary work in China.