China is still a country waiting for the Word of hope and salvation

China is still a country waiting for the Word of hope and salvation
Great need breeds a call to prayer

By Ruth Summers
Special to ASSIST News Service

CHINA (ANS) -- My last Sunday in China was an emotional day. I stood up in the big foreigners' church, Beijing International Christian Fellowship, to say a few words of thanks to the congregation for their support of me during my year in Beijing teaching English. I spoke of my joy at having the privilege to belong to a small intercessory group targeting a spiritual renewal in the Church and in China in general.

Christian Chinese wedding in an 'open' church

Then I stopped. The Lord had just given me a vision that will not be easily erased from my mind. I saw an enormous sea of people, stretching as far as the eye could see. They were all floundering, sinking in what looked like a swamp. They all had one arm raised, desperately reaching for help, but their arms waved around aimlessly - they had no idea where that help could come from.

My last words were in response to that heart rending cry for help. Through tears I told the congregation what I had just seen and asked them to pray for the millions of souls that are 'drowning', unsaved in the mighty sea that is the nation of China. The church in China is still a 'drop in the bucket'.

I had spent two and a half years in China, 18 months in the province of XX in the small coastal city of XX, and one year in Beijing. I had come to China for six months to 'see how it goes' but as many will tell you, China has a way of growing on you and you will never leave the same person you were when you arrived. Mostly you don't leave as soon as you had planned either!

An underground church gathering in China

During that time I had the privilege of teaching and talking to adult English students, kindergarten and primary school students. I also formed friendships with a number of Chinese Christians and learned a lot about how very hard it is for Chinese Christians to come to terms with the things in their culture (which they hold very close to their hearts) that are not compatible with their new faith. I got to stay in a wealthy Chinese family as a 'homestay' for some months, so saw how the Chinese 'do' family life too. What an amazing experience it has all been! Many people ask me what China is like, and Christians especially want to know how it is for Chinese Christians. There are as many answers to those questions as there are provinces in China. But I can describe a few situations I found myself in - my small experience of a vast and multi-layered nation.

My experience of small town China, or my little corner of it, showed me that all is not so well in the Chinese Church these days. God led me into a friendship with an amazing Chinese Christian evangelist, a lady who whose name would not be found on any bill boards, but who was totally committed to preaching the Word at every opportunity - to street cleaners, to students in her classes, to anyone who would listen. She had already received a number of warnings from the hierarchy of the institution in which she worked and I felt sure she was closely watched at all times. In my town students are enlisted in each class to 'report' on the teacher and the guards on the gates note the comings and goings of teachers and especially foreign experts (as we were called). So some vigilance was needed.

A stall holder at the local outdoor market - always a ready smile despite their situation

My friend shared with me much about her church and what was happening there - the big commitment to prayer and evangelism, the difficulties the sisters in the church had in being in agreement with each other, and the unquestioning following of the pastor in whatever he said or did. There was no 'foreign' teaching or oversight in the local churches and congregations were easily led, which meant false teaching and errant theology could easily become established. I saw some of this myself. In the Chinese culture it is not considered polite to ask questions in any circumstance, so leadership is rarely challenged.

I learned how some of the pastors in the province became pastors and it was not at all what I had imagined. In at least one case, some very philanthropic American Christians were supplying the funding for a Bible training school where the condition of entry was that the graduate becomes a pastor. Schools such as this were free to the Chinese students, so attracted many poorer families who could see no future for their son or daughter, so encouraged them to take this opportunity, even if they had no faith themselves.

Despite these difficulties, Chinese young people were turning up, interested in Christianity and wanting to find out more. Some had praying grandmothers - that seemed quite common - and some felt the emptiness of their lives now that Buddhism was no longer promoted as the faith of the nation. All had a cynical view of the ruling authorities and a very great skepticism about their promises and assurances. They would make a 'bee-line' for foreign teachers who they assumed were all Christians, especially if they were American. I was often unsure who was a genuine seeker and who was just testing me. This needs much wisdom.

Pounding grain in a street in Qufu, Shandong

However, I felt the most effective way of reaching and teaching these young people was to steer them back to people such as my friend, who could interact with them in a much more culturally appropriate way, and integrate them in their network of contacts. My role was much more that of mentor to my friend and others like her, and she was very adamant that that role was vital to her and other Chinese. My impression was that the Chinese feel very alone, isolated, in their battle for the Kingdom.

People wonder whether the government attitude to Christian churches has softened in recent years and in some places that would be true. But where I was, I knew of two churches that had recently been closed by the authorities. In one case the illegal presence of a Westerner visiting the church sparked a police raid. The Westerner and the church leaders were taken to the police station and finger printed and the church was closed.

But I also saw some young Chinese people openly evangelizing through Christian songs on the subway in a major city. So the government crackdown is sporadic and it seems, often quite random. This can lull Chinese Christians into a false sense of security, where they will invite Westerners to their unregistered congregations (foreigners may visit registered churches), assuring them there is no risk at all in this. I personally felt it was my duty to avoid posing any risk to my Chinese brothers and sisters, simply for the experience of sharing a meeting with them. There are other, better, ways to build friendships, which is the basis of all interaction in China.

I could talk about the abortion issue and the life of women in China, both topics that I feel deeply about, and into which God gave me a fascinating peep, but they must wait for another time. China is too large and its problems and issues too large to contain in one story. I left with one mission on my mind, to stir up those who would listen to once again pray for that great nation and its teeming millions of people.

Will you join me that prayer?

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