One of the
main reasons why China has become such an exciting area for Christian missionaries in the
past decade is because it has proven to be a climate where thousands of people are
genuinely responding to the new life God has to offer. By Christina Kuo
SUMNER, Washington--One of the most rewarding and enlightening aspects of going out into all the world and sharing the gospel is finding people with teachable hearts; souls that thirst for a faith that will work and who put it into action.
One of the
main reasons why China has become such an exciting area for Christian missionaries in the
past decade is because it has proven to be a climate where thousands of people are
genuinely responding to the new life God has to offer.
They find it inspiring to be in the company of those who have a first love and who deeply appreciate the power of salvation. They're a group who want to listen vs. be entertained.
A Westerner asked a Chinese archbishop, "How long will this last?" He responded, "Anyone who wants to come and evangelize the Chinese better come quickly because in 40 years they will have unteachable hearts."
Today, the Chinese are experiencing change at a greater pace than most cultures have throughout history. Despite its 4,000 years of civilization, China has embraced modernization with amazing speed and is fast becoming a consumer society.
These days, it's not uncommon to see a man pulling a rickshaw next to a Mercedes-Benz or find a Chinese grandma with bound feet standing next to a young Chinese businesswoman talking on a cell phone at a bus stop. You feel as if you've gone through a time warp and have missed something along the way.
In this sea of change, Chinese Christians are trying to keep body, mind and soul together by discerning what traditions to keep and what to let go. Many of them have read the Bible from front to back but want to know how the Scriptures apply to their complicated lives. Overseas ministries are trying to assist the Chinese church in this area.
In May of last year, I felt the call to focus my efforts on helping my brothers and sisters in China and began working as director of training and video production for East Gates Ministries International (EGMI), a ministry dedicated to equipping and serving the church in China.
In the eight months I've been on staff, I've begun to understand why East Gates' motto is Seeing Beyond the Impossible.
The ratio of pastors to members in China is about 1 to 10,000. As one lay leader said, "Sometimes the weight of our responsibilities is unbearable."
Despite the lack of laborers in the field, the church in China has been able to do a lot with a little, and the Chinese church has been experiencing massive growth. To feed their flocks, pastors become quite creative, but they still need help.
This past November, a few East Gates staff members and I visited a house church on a smelly pig farm.
After the service, the pastor invited us upstairs to his humble living quarters. We asked him how he was able take care of his family, raise his pigs and feed his flock of more than 1,000 members.
He said he traded two of his prized pigs for 45 Christian training videotapes. We were touched by his story and told him that East Gates would help him produce his own Christian video training tapes so he and his church could extend their ministry and keep his pigs.
To assist and help build the church in China in the midst of rapid social, economic and political change requires much prayer, patience and the belief that what is seemingly impossible is possible.
For more information on East Gates and how you can help our brothers and sisters in China, please call 1-800-959-EGMI (3464).
*Equips Chinese Christians in China with Bibles and Christian literature.
*Assists Chinese pastors and lay leaders in the development and production of Chinese Christian training materials.
*Helps to construct or reconstruct churches and associated educational, medical or social facilities.
*Builds bridges to China's leaders at all levels, therefore developing understanding and trust between China's believers and the secular authorities who govern their nation.
*Networks with other China ministries whose philosophy of ministry is in agreement with working legally and in cooperation with the churches in China.
Tina Kuo is a former staff member in Church Administration International.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1998