Resources from 2013
The Resource Library is where you will find the latest resources from across our publications.
Where are the Villages?
When I first went to China in the mid-1980s the rural/urban population ratio was 80/20. Today, after three decades of urbanization, that ratio is roughly 50/50.
150th Anniversary of Beijing’s Gangwashi Church
Gangwashi Church, Beijing's oldest Protestant congregation, celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding
ZGBriefs The Weeks Top Picks, November 21 Issue
The two big stories that came out of China this week were China's announced "adjustments" to its infamous one-child policy and the upcoming departure of US Ambassador Gary Locke.
November 21, 2013
The Bible business (November 20, 2013, Global Times)
To meet the spiritual needs of the rapidly growing number of Christians, China printed more than 105 million Bibles from 1987 to 2012, of which 60 percent were distributed to churches inside the country and 40 percent were delivered overseas. In this factory, employees operate machines round the clock for three shifts a day. Its warehouse stores millions of different versions of the Bible which are ready to be delivered worldwide at any time. The special King James Version which was used for Prince William's wedding in 2011 was made here. China, the world's biggest atheist country, has now become the world's largest Bible-printing state.
A Beijing Church Prays for Japan
A house church in Beijing prays for Japan.
ZGBriefs The Weeks Top Picks, November 14 Issue
Most of the news out of China this week was political, as the Third Plenum wrapped up their meeting in Beijing and issued their long-awaited communiqu. Details are still emerging and analysts are still trying to figure it all out. In this week's ZGBriefs, we included a special section with links to nine different articles. They are all helpful preliminary takes on the meeting.
Evangelism and Missions – the Future for the Chinese Church
A Chinese Christian calls on the church to be engaged in evangelism and global missions.
November 14, 2013
The Church Today (November 11, 2013, Chinese Church Voices)
In Section Two of the article, posted here, the author talks about the church-consciousness (ecclesiology) of Chinese Christians today. He argues that Chinese believers have a weak understanding of what the church is, and gives reasons for this. He also describes some of the characteristics of churches in some smaller and medium-sized cities in China. Finally, he talks about the importance of building community within a church and gives some suggestions as to how that might be done.
St. Matteo?
The Atlantic magazine just published an article about a move within the Vatican to canonize Matteo Ricci, the first Jesuit missionary to China, titled "Can Matteo Ricci's beatification mend China's rift with the Catholic Church?"
Chinese Church Voices – Hearing What Chinese Believers Say About the Church in China
A remarkable article appeared in the Global Times (the English-language mouthpiece of the authoritative People's Daily) on October 10 that openly acknowledged the division between China's official Three Self Church and the unofficial church and suggested that the authorities are trying to bridge the gap between official and underground believers that has seemed irreconcilable for a generation.