wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] On the comeback trail

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Note #7974 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

On the comeback trail
03437
October 14, 2003

On the comeback trail

PC(USA) hosts leaders of flourishing Chinese Christian church

by Jerry L. Van Marter
and Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - Americans often are astounded that Christianity has survived in
China.

The religion, planted by missionaries in the 19th century, flourished until
the Communist takeover after World War II, then went underground. It was
nearly extinguished during the draconian days of Mao's Cultural Revolution of
the 1970s.

It resurfaced cautiously after that anti-Western movement expired in 1979.

Now, nearly 25 years later, Christianity once again is flourishing in China,
according to leaders of the China Christian Council (CCC) who recently
visited the Presbyterian Center in Louisville as part of a
friendship-building tour of North American denominations.

"We used to be associated with the West, and were looked down upon," the
CCC's new president, Cao Shengjie, told the Presbyterian News Service in an
Oct. 8 interview. "But since the Cultural Revolution the government has come
to a more correct understanding that religion is deeply rooted in the human
mind, and can play a positive, constructive role in culture."

The Christian task in China is still daunting: Only about 16 million of
China's 1.3 billion people are Christians. And because the vast majority of
the Chinese people live in rural areas, many Christian communities are deeply
isolated. Fewer than 2,500 ordained pastors are spread among about 15,000
congregations and Christian "meeting points."

Because of the shortage of ministers, the training and development of lay
leaders is crucial if Christianity is to continue growing in China, said Ji
Jianhong, executive vice principal of Nanjing Theological Seminary. "We must
pay attention ... to upgrade the faith quality of those lay workers,
biblically and theologically," he said.

Last year, Nanjing and 17 other seminaries and Bible schools in China
conducted tens of thousands of training events for lay leaders. Such training
is conducted in cooperation with national, regional and local Christian
councils.

At Nanjing, 200 full-time students are on the four-year track to ordination.
Jianhong said the seminary hopes to expand to accommodate 1,000 students
within 10 years.

As in the United States, the number of women attracted to ministry is
increasing. About 20 percent of Chinese pastors are women, and about half of
seminary students are females, according to Shengjie, the CCC chief, a pastor
who also serves as vice president of the National YWCA of China.

Theological education in China faces two main challenges: making Christianity
work in a Chinese context, so that it is understood by the Chinese
population; and emphasizing social services as a reflection of the gospel.

"Because we are such a small percentage of the people, it is necessary for us
to develop contextual Chinese theology," Shengjie said. "We have to be able
to identify with the people, and not be seen as separate from them."

One way to do this is through social-service ministries, she said.

"Our church should be compatible with our society," Shenjie told about 30
Presbyterian Church (USA) staff members who welcomed the nine-member CCC
delegation. "In your country, everybody knows about Christianity, but we are
such a small minority in China we have to let all the people around us
understand Christianity.

"How do we let them know we are Christians? We are good citizens."

For the CCC, that includes registering with the government, a practice some
in the United States consider "Communist collaboration." Shengjie defended
the practice.

"Now, religious freedom is in our constitution," she said. "Registration is
not a problem for us, because in China everything is registered. It's no
problem to do that - it guarantees our freedom."

The CCC-style Christian church in China is based on the principles of the
"Three-Self Movement": self-government, self-support and self-propagation.
The PC(USA) has repeatedly endorsed the concept, most recently in a March
2000 partnership agreement between the CCC and the Worldwide Ministries
Division.

The agreement outlines numerous ways in which the PC(USA) supports, but does
not control, evangelization in China.

"For this we really are grateful, but still we still have to keep our
independence, because we are still facing challenges," Shengjie said. "There
are still some who are critical outside of China. They say, 'We want to come
into China. We want to evangelize China. We want to do this or that according
to our desires.'

"They have a lot of projects. They say, 'Oh, we can help. We can give you
money. But you do this according to my will.' We have to resist these kinds
of things, because we think it would be very harmful for the church."

PC(USA) support includes:

* Bible printing and distribution through the Amity Foundation, which has
circulated more than 23 million Bibles;

* The Amity Teachers Program;

* Health work and disaster relief;

* Assistance with theological education and leadership training;

* Study tours and exchanges to promote mutual understanding;

* Peacemaking and reconciliation projects between American and Chinese
people;

* Cooperation in ecumenical arenas.

The delegation will go on to Toronto, for conversations with the United
Church of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada and the Anglican Church;
to Chicago, to meet with leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America; to New York, to meet with leaders of the National Council of
Churches, the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church and the American
Bible Society; to Valley Forge, PA, to meet with leaders of the American
Baptist Churches, USA; to Charlotte, NC, to attend the General Assembly of
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); to Cleveland, to visit the United
Church of Christ; and to Washington, DC, to visit various religious-advocacy
offices on Capitol Hill and the Chinese Embassy. The tour will conclude on
Oct. 26.

"We hope to renew relationships, friendships and partnerships," Shengjie
said, "so we can  all grow together in understanding and support."

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