Mission Strategies for Foreign Missionaries in China
There are several different strategies foreign missionaries consider when doing missions work in China. I have seen, heard, and met people doing all of the ways mentioned in the excerpt below. Our desire and strategy best fits with the fourth way presented below. Continue to Pray as we endeavor to learn more of this language so that we can effectively evangelize, disciple, plant, and train!
“Mission strategies for foreign missionaries in China:
There are many. I will mention a few that I know of. One: work with and through the existing public and legal TSPM (Three Self Patriotic Movement) churches. Don’t choose this one unless you have no problem with women pastors, infant baptism, sprinkling instead of immersion and the knowledge that these practices will not change through your influence in the state-run public churches.
Two: evangelize and try to introduce your contacts to existing house groups. This sounds good, but as in choice number one you will have some inherent problems. It is not easy to find an organized house church that practices all of the things that you may consider essential to sound doctrine and practice. You will also need to know the language and culture before you can reasonably understand what the potential house group is all about.
Three: find some way to train existing house church leaders in sound doctrine. This has several aspects. Those who have money and the contacts to do so prefer occasional itinerant preaching. This method is very popular for overseas Chinese or others foreign missionaries who can speak Chinese. Another aspect of the third method is to set up short-term training centers and invite national pastors and evangelists to attend. This method is popular with those who have a wide perspective on “the church” in China. This is quite costly but is seen by some as the best method to do the most good in the shortest amount of time.
The fourth strategy I will mention is to go to an area, spread the Gospel, disciple your own converts, organize a local church under your own leadership and when the training and timing is right, allow the local church to govern itself in every area. Many call this church planting. This is the strategy that we have in China. Please keep in mind that real results cannot be measured in a short period of time.”
Source: Indigenous Principles Applied Today in China (2006)
{Emphasis Mine}
02.24.11
An Interesting List of Questions…
There is a wide range of opinions on the government churches. There are those that completely reject the churches and others that completely accept it. I am not attempting to address all the problems but did think of some questions as I have been observing these churches:
- Can the Gospel be openly preached without restriction?
- Can we support a church that is under the control of a communist government?
- Does the church allow or encourage children in the services? If not, can we support that?
- Can the church openly preach the entire Word of God without restriction? If not, what parts are restricted and can we support that?
- Are the churches giving in on their Christian beliefs so the government will provide them with nice and new buildings, in which they couldn’t afford otherwise?
- If the government has allowed these churches and given them approval, then why? What is their ulterior motive? Control the Christians? Signs of Religious Freedom? Good Luck Charm?
I think these questions and many more need to be answered when dealing with the government churches. Despite how you answer those questions, I have one final thought that we can’t ignore: if the government has a controlling hand over these churches then we can not leave the responsibility to evangelize China in the hands of the government. You can’t expect the world to do the job of the church. The carnal to do the work of the spiritual. Just because these “churches” are Chinese doesn’t mean that we leave the decision in their hands to what, when, where, and how the rest of the 1 billion people in China get to hear the gospel. We in spite of our nationality have a responsibility because we are in the Body of Christ, to reach all peoples, in all places, all the time. The commission wasn’t reach your own, it was reach everyone.
Read the last post in the “An Interesting Series…” by clicking here.
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An Interesting Observation…
I wrote down some observations that I had about the church. I can’t understand everything that is going on, so I can’t answer questions to the end of “do they preach the Gospel or not?” Since my language limits the most important part needed to know about a church, “are they teaching the truths of God’s word,” you will just have to read my observations mainly from sight.
- There were 4 people in leadership and they were all women.
- All of the ushers were women.
- The majority of the people in attendance were women.
- There was about 6 rows of men! Wow! This is the most men that I have seen in a government church (assuming that is what this is).
- Everyone seemed to have Bibles and Hymn books.
- I was able to buy a Bible and Hymn book for RMB28 ($4.15).
- There was only one instrument in the church, a piano.
- Out of all the people there (estimate 300-400), I only noticed a couple kids.
- The service started 10 minutes late.
- The auditorium was only 1/4 full when they started and over 3/4 full by the end.
- Big and very nice building.
- There seemed to be no fear in meeting and the ushers stayed on watch the whole time.
- No noticeable video cameras (odd).
- From these characteristics of the church, it seems to be a government church.
Read the last post in the “An Interesting Series…” by clicking here.
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An Interesting Service…
I showed up just a few minutes before 8:00 AM on Wednesday morning to the church near our home. I went to my new friend’s little house and he invited me in. I visit him there for a minute and then went into the church. I was surprised to see the auditorium was only 1/4 of the way full. The ushers guided me towards the front and I had a seat. About 10 minutes after 8 the service finally started and the old man found me and came and sat with me. Here is how the service went:
- Opening Prayer
- Sing 10 Hymns from the Hymn Book and 2 Choruses not in the book (several of the songs sounded like the same songs that we sing in America).
- Read Numbers Chapter 10 and 11
- Pray, Sing, Pray, Short Message
- Read a portion of Revelation 3 together, Prayer, Main Message
- Prayer Time (everyone prayed individually and it seemed that people turned in prayer request and they read them from the pulpit for people to pray over.)
- Song, Quoted a Saying Together, Prayer
As I am sure you can tell from this order of service, that the service was long! It was about 2.5 Hours! But by the end of the service the auditorium was packed. People just kept coming in filling the place up.
When the service was over, I bought a Bible and Hymn book and then went on my way (actually my new friend wanted to come and see my house but I didn’t understand that until we got close to my house and I already had plans to meet another Chinese family there, so I had to drive him back).
Read the last post in the “An Interesting Series…” by clicking here.
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