Church History
5 Books on Hudson Taylor
June 25th marked the 150th anniversary of Hudson Taylor’s call to take the gospel to China and the founding of the China Inland Mission (today’s OMF), an event that not only precipitated a wave of missionary activity to China, but also upended the traditional ways in which missionary work had been conducted.
A Church Celebrates 80 Years
On May 28, the Gospel Times reported on the 80th anniversary celebrations of a church in Yunnan Province. The church’s history is an interesting window into the denominational twists and turns (some might say confusion) that were often a part of church growth and development in China.
Book Reviews
Building up China’s Church
China’s Reforming Churches by Bruce P. Baugus, ed.
Reviewed by Jennifer Guo
This volume is written from the conviction that China’s need for church development is largely the need for the development of a healthy and robust presbyterianism that comes from an understanding of biblical theology of the church as articulated within the Reformed tradition. It frequently corrects common erroneous presuppositions and reveals that within China there is a surprising amount of freedom for Christians—and even for the officially illegal, unregistered churches.
Book Reviews
Roots of China’s Current Christian Revival
Fierce the Conflict by Norman H. Cliff.
A Review by Tony Lambert
Supporting Article
The Roots of Bishop K.H. Ting’s Theology
The 1930s up to the Cultural Revolution
The last year has seen the promotion by Bishop K. H. Ting (Ding Guangxin), former head of both the China Christian Council (CCC) and the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), of a campaign for “theological construction” that is “compatible with socialism.” To understand this current movement we look back at Bishop Ting's early life and work.
Supporting Article
Maintaining the Integrity of the Gospel
Today, the church needs to commission and groom a new generation of middle-management “China experts” with China experience. These individuals must learn the language, they should have a firm foundation placed by seminary training which believes in the inerrancy of Scripture, they must have much experience among the Chinese, and perhaps a doctoral degree in Chinese history or intercultural studies. And they must hold to a strong, unqualified confidence in the Bible, the inerrant Word of God, and a high view of God, Scripture and the cross. More than anything else, what China needs is a clear message of the sound, complete gospel.