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Vol. 8, No. 3 December 2009 Vol. 8, No. 3 December 2009 CHINACHINA 70-t/0 SETTING THE STAGE From my Corner ... Editorials 3 Bertil Ekstrom From my Corner an enormous richness in natural resources, CHINA 3 K. Rajendran these nations can determine the future eco- From India with Insight nomic balance (or imbalance) on a worldwide 5 William Taylor scale. Of these four, only Brazil is considered INCREASINGLY You have more options The Editor’s Heart and Mind a “Christian” nation, although there are old than you think Christian traditions in Russia, China and India. when it comes to China: Church and Mission 6 Patrick Fung The percentage of Christians is growing in all graphic communications. OPTS TO Concept to mailing. China and beyond, issues, trends, opportunities these countries and an “emerging-emerged” From newsletters and magazines 10 Patrick Tzang missionary force is easily verified in all four Three streams of Chinese Protestant church BRIC nations. to books. and government reactions FOLLOW CHRIST The internet and beyond. 13 Tony Lambert Local and global. Church and State in China: A Sixty Year Saga The growth of Christianity in China is per- And anything in between. haps one of the most spectacular surprises in K Rajendran 17 Huo Shui chairman, board MC China, the Greatest Christian Nation in the World? the Church History of the twentieth century. - Captive Publishing 19 Anonymous Yet it is also the cause for deeper reflection on - Printing & Mailing Reflections on the church in China Bertil Ekström the role of cross-cultural mission worldwide. Thank God: A mind-boggling caption - IT, Media & Web 21 Brent Fulton Executive Director Under the leadershipBertil Ekström of locals and nationals in a recent magazine from Hong Kong said The changing face of Christian leadership in China A boy’s dream the Chinese Church grew enormously and one that there are more followers of Christ than For more information: came true some years ago can wonder if the presence of foreign mis- Communist workers in China! A Chinese info@initialmedia 23 Huo Shui www.initialmedia.com What churches in China need today: The Living Water when I visited China for the first time. I’d had sionaries would have favoured or disfavoured Christian leader I met passing through 25 Brent Fulton some contact with the Chinese multi-ethnic that growth. An important lesson, though, is Indonesia said that more than 200,000 peo- Policy, implementation, and shifting official perceptions culture through immigrants in Brazil, many of that wise and Spirit-led contextualisation and ple participate in his ministry’s correspond- Initialmedia serves the WEA Mission Commission, of the church in China them running restaurants or working with all handing over to national leadership are crucial ence Bible study course! Praise God for associated alliances, and their members around the globe. 27 Four Key China Questions for the World kind of businesses. Some of my schoolmates factors in the development of any church move- the exponential increase in the number of 28 Patrick Lee came from Chinese families and I was often ment. Christians in China and the number of peo- Business as Mission in China invited to their homes. The interest grew as an ple seeking to know the biblical Christ. 30 Sam Chiang adult in mission when meeting Chinese leaders This issue of Connections is about China. Strategic options for the “Back to Jerusalem Movement” in conferences and consultations and, espe- There is certainly not a single and uniform way Fragile, Handle with Care! That a strong 33 Harry Hoffman cially with the growing Christian presence in of describing this complex and diverse country. traditional Chinese culture, which once advo- Member Care in China China and its emerging mission movements. The perspectives have to be different and in cated worship of their kings and shunned Resources and Reviews the multi-faceted presentation a panoramic and Christianity, eventually welcomes Christ is an 34 Samuel & Roberta Chiang But nothing can replace the personal expe- general picture can be discerned. And there amazing phenomena. This phenomenon has What will they say? Bibliographical review essay rience of walking on the streets of a particular are undoubtedly other views that should have to be handled with cultural sensitivity. It will of four books country and encounter local people in their been included as well. A recent visit to Taiwan be a pity if this opportunity was lost by the 37 China resources on the Internet daily life. The strongest memory from this reminded me of the reality of inland China as blunders of enthusiastic foreign “crusaders” 38 Reviews on books on China from previous issues first visit is certainly the home-group gather- well and it was refreshing to see how Taiwanese and returning Chinese Diaspora Christian 41 Rose Dowsett ing in one of the cities in the south. People churches are praying for reconciliation, respect- scholars who might import foreign-looking Reflections in Mission Structures came to this small house, usually two by two, ful relationship between the countries and Christian elements, reminding the Chinese of 42 Report on IPA from different directions with intervals of up stronger co-operation with Chinese churches. the suppressing European cultural past. to ten minutes in order not to call the atten- tion. Twenty believers shared their testimonies When something is successful in Brazil the The Christ message being planted must and the three hours meeting felt short. During expression “a Chinese business” (negócio da be Chinese in nature. Theology, Christian the songs the windows were at first closed but China) is often used. The expectations on the practices, festivals, celebrations and mission- then opened so the neighbours could hear the Chinese churches and mission movements are ary endeavours must come afresh from the word of God. very high and we are all praying that it will be local Chinese as their own. Commercialized a successful enterprise in close co-operation Christianity via Santa Claus, Christmas trees, Today, the “BRIC” countries (Brazil, with mission initiatives from other parts of the reindeer, Easter eggs, etc., must be discour- Russia, India and China) are considered com- world. ‹‹ aged. These elements, if imported, will curb ing economic powers but already important the interest that the Chinese have in follow- players on the global scene. With huge popu- Bertil Ekström serves the WEA Mission ing Christ. lations (particularly India and China) and Commission as Executive Director. He is a staff member of Interact as well. 3 SETTING THE STAGE CONNECTIONS 70-t/0 SETTING THE STAGE If the people of China become mass followers of Christ, many nations will consider the same. This can happen if following the biblical Christ From the heart and mind of the editor becomes a truly Chinese experience and not the SPECIAL OFFER imposition of other cultural habits of Christianity. We, the zealots, must therefore discipline our- cally this happens, as Philip Jenkins has UBSCRIBE ODAY William Taylor is Ambassador at large of selves to be true servants, assisting Chinese S T ! recently documented in: The Lost History of the WEA. and staff member of the WEA believers to be authentic disciples of Christ in Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of Mission Commission. heart, not necessarily reflected by the external the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia- forms we know! -and How It Died. Influencers, Shakers and Movers: Huo But the Chinese church did not die; Shui points out that the growth of Christianity rather, God had walked it through a deep Kingdom Without Borders is for includes influential people from society, such as transformation as the Gospel spread across people who care about the eternal, supra- the politicians who make decisions for the nation. that vast nation in a context of unprecedented cultural Gospel of Jesus, about witness, The image of Christianity is being changed from William Taylor unrest, hostility, persecution and martyrdom. discipling, leadership training, sustainable something weak to strong. This is not the case editor Connections Only decades later would the rest of the development, ecology, the arts, world reli- in many of the countries of the world, but some- world discern the magnitude of the marvelous gions, ethnotheology, multiethnic churches, thing to work towards. work of the living God. persecution, human trafficking, conflict resolution, AIDS, trauma healing--in other A New Social Class: Patrick Fung similarly Connections provides a set of diverse words, people who want to live as responsi- directs our focus on a new social class, compris- “China” perspectives on the stories of Christians in ble global Christians. ing of the rising rich middle class, private entre- China today. You will find writers speaking preneurs and the scholars who return from over- Just that word, that name evokes and from their experience, some well known, and Weaving together cultural data, per- seas. Many NGOs are run by Christians who will provokes a vast set of diverse responses. On others whose names are withheld for obvious sonal experiences, and theological insights, influence Chinese society. October 1, 2009, the People’s Republic of reasons. Some articles are more panoramic— the book helps make sense of global com- China celebrated its 60th Anniversary with China and beyond, the sixty year saga, the plexities. Leadership: Fulton’s article highlights the a powerful spectacle, testifying to China’s three church streams. Other articles are more need for leadership development in the Chinese growing global role (economic, political, mili- specific—leadership issues, business as mis- Regional foci are China, Latin America, Church—this is not only a cry of the Chinese tary, cultural). Both leadership and masses sion, the role of Christians in the rest of the Muslim world, Buddhist world, India, and world but the whole Christian world.
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