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January 2005 |
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2005 has dawned in China as elsewhere with some unusual blessings being reported while at the same time, reports of great sorrow and pain continue to be reported in some other areas. The vast country of China with 1,250,000,000 people has always been a land of mystery and paradoxes. Nothing has changed. On one hand, many officially recognized churches are open all over the country, some as large as 5,000 in attendance. On the other hand, reliable reports of arrests and long prison terms being metered out to unregistered house church pastors continues unabated.
SOME FACTS ABOUT CHINA
LI SU MINORITY 80%
CHRISTIAN
Recently a worker connected with China Soul, the producers of “The Cross in China,” visited the Li Su tribes people living in the southwestern province of Yunan. Traveling by train for half a day, a worker reports that after many more hours by car and then a bus, they reached a river village. The next lap of several days was spent on a boat sailing down the Gold Sand River until finally the journey ended in isolate and mountainous Li Su country. Hiking through the mountains on narrow red dirt roads, they visited twelve villages and discovered that 80% of all Li Su are Christians. The worker reports: “I can only imagine how difficult it must have been when early missionaries came from overseas to bring the gospel to this remote area. (Read the story of John and Isabel Kuhn of the China Inland Mission, now OMF who pioneered the area.) I cannot help but thank God from the bottom of my heart for these missionaries who offered their lives as seeds of the gospel. Although they are with the Lord now, there is great joy over the fruit of their labors. The words of the indigenous Chinese hymn came to my mind:
‘One man cannot complete the Great Commission. To the ends of the earth, we are always a team. One man cannot complete the Great Commission. One hundred years ago a group of missionaries came from a distant land. They brought the gospel to the natives. We are now taking over the gospel torch from them, And continue on with the great mission.’
In these remote villages, I saw how the seed had germinated and matured. Ordinary farmers, using their own music and dance, praised God. Even though they were poor, they financially support their own evangelists and missionaries to reach other villages and other ethnic groups.” Thank God for the seed that was planted and which now has blossomed into a rich harvest.
20,000 MIGRANT MISSIONARIES ALREADY DEPLOYED
From Asian Outreach comes this exciting report of God’s moving in remote areas of China. The report comes from a house church leader of a large network of churches who reported in 2004 that his network of churches hopes to send out 20,000 migrant missionaries to reach China’s minorities. During 2004, 150 families have been sent out into areas untouched by the gospel. The reporter says that he visited these families in southwest China to see how they were faring and to encourage them in their work. Brother Z and his family moved to Yunan to live among the Wa minority group. Another couple joined them and together they started a recycling rubbish business and also a vegetable business to support themselves and to avoid suspicion. Believers were won to the Lord and training them to become witnesses began. In 2003 eight believers were sent out by twos to evangelize in surrounding villages. They were well received and many people turned to Christ. Pray that they will be grounded and grow in God’s Word and avoid deception by the many cults in the area. Indigenous cults thrive in China, some with a smattering of Christian teaching, and sometimes, subversive ideas toward the government. The government frequently lumps all house church groups as “evil cults”. Pray that discernment will be given to officials and police and house churches be allowed to continue.
1800 CONGREGATIONS IN ONE PROVINCE
Alliance Services – China Link reports that the growth of the church in China has been phenomenal. In Hunan Province, the Christian Council overseas a network of churches numbering 1,800 congregations and 300,000 people. Rev. Chen Junde is an 80 year-old pastor. In 1949, while in seminary in Hong Kong, he made a bold decision. If he stayed in Hong Kong, he would enjoy great freedom and personal safety. If he returned to Hunan Province to lead the church, which was under great stress at that time, he would face difficulties and persecution. He decided to return and be with the believers. Over the next 30 years, he endured many hardships, but when conditions improved in the 1980’s, he was able to travel all over the province and mobilize believers to reopen their churches. In 1992, he was instrumental in starting the Hunan Bible Institute to train leaders for the growing number of churches. When asked if he ever regretted his decision to return to China during the turbulent 1950’s, he responded, “No regrets, not even one!”
RED RUNS THE RIVER
A similar true story is recorded in Red Runs The River-The Story of China’s Persecuted Church, Vol. 1. The real man is Joshua, my personal pastor friend, who spent twenty years in a stone quarry breaking up rocks for highways in China. He also was instrumental in starting the Bible Seminary in Wuhan that today has almost 200 students in preparation for ministry. A woman from a church in Ohio wrote that this book is “the most fantastic book” she has ever read, and that she had a box of Kleenex available at all times as she read this amazing story.
Thank the Lord with me that the book is being recognized nationally and I have been invited to the Christian Booksellers Association Conference meeting in Denver in July for book signing and exposure to the 14,000 attendees. God has unexpectedly answered prayer in opening doors that are extremely difficult to get opened in the publishing field. Please pray that this stirring, authentic story will reach many people and churches, and have an impact in turning people to Christ and revival. See information about ordering at the end of this report.
CHINA PROJECTS FOR KIDS!
The Christian and Missionary Alliance has identified many projects for children to be used in Sunday Schools or VBS. A class may choose from many projects such as a Study/reference Bible for pastors or seminary students at $10; an Old and New Testament Survey course for $12 each; a set of 6 basic books for pastors at $35; a set of 12 books at $70; a pump organ for country churches at $100, and a seminary student scholarship for $200. Anyone interested may give through local Alliance churches or send directly to The C&MA at Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935 or in Canada to Box 9700, Station B, Willowdale, On M2K2R6. Gifts should be designated “China/Hong Kong Field – Leadership Training.” What a great way to teach our children to be involved in reaching out to needy people in China!
CHINA LIVING MARTYRS
From Asia Harvest comes the word that in China today, Christians are regularly beaten, tortured and even killed because they are members of unregistered house churches and followers of Jesus Christ. It is a fact that more than 1,000 house church leaders have been crippled as a result of the torture they received at the hands of the authorities. Asia Harvest has a Living Martyr Fund that assists pastors and evangelists who are now unable to serve because of their injuries. Their families face extreme poverty and hardship as a result. A gift of $25 will help relieve their poverty and encourage them. Gifts may be sent to Asia Harvest, Box 901, Palestine, TX 75802. Currently 527 living martyrs are being helped each month.
BOOK ORDERS
Red Runs The River is available for $13.50 plus $2.50 postage or 5 copies to the same address for $65 postage paid or 10 copies for $120 postage paid. Help to place this book in every church library and in the homes of young families. People are being saved by reading the book, and many have made new commitments to serve the Lord.
Please encourage people to pray and give for the great needs of China and the thousands who are coming to Christ every day.
Anthony Bollback, Editor
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