Christ of Many Faces: The Prophetic Editorial

[John Hairston]

 

A Revelation in the Christ Culture of China

The present State visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao has dominated the headlines in, both, the American and Chinese news media. And, given the current state of foreign relations between both nations, it doesn’t come as a surprise that issues, such as Human Rights, Currency, extended Trade agreements, and non proliferation have received the majority of coverage this week. Yet in the fervid cloud of broadcasts and reports, there was one that entered the forum with the least attention, but with the most significant and profound implications.

Fox News correspondent, Lauren Green, published an informative article today, simply entitled, Christianity in China, which provided a look into the impact the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is having on the most populated nation on the planet.

“Many experts”, reported Green, “say that an explosive growth in Christianity may be transforming the officially atheist regime.”

Amid a plethora of reported persecutions of the Communist government against the Body of Christ in the country, the Gospel has been able to, not only persevere, but thrive and grow into a strong and viable force in the fabric of their society.

Christianity is a resilient and unbreakable faith, as history has provided countless instances where the blood of persecuted believers and the lives of our martyrs have watered the seeds of growth explosions, that has placed Christianity as one of the largest communities on earth. Yet, this isn’t the most significant and most powerful revelation of her article.

Citing one of the community leaders, Dr.Luis Palau-who has been preaching in China for some time-Lauren Green informs us that despite being estimated in number at 80 to 130 million members, “Christians are among the country's most cohesive groups”, says Palau, "They all preach the same gospel. There are no liberals or conservative branches  ... they all believe the same."

 

It was this same spirit of oneness that allowed the Christian community to survive the persecutions of Rome and go on to change the contour of Roman Empire, with the patronage of Constantine, and its subsequent spread into a global fixture in the annals of Human history and civilization.

 

In China lies a paragon for the American Christian community, a model that can trace its self to the first congregations of believers that we read about in the Acts of the Apostles.

 

According to the report, estimated numbers of Christians in China is minimized, because of the many unregistered congregations whom have assembled in house churches across the country.

 

“Despite China’s recent easing of hostilities toward Christians,” Green states, “Beijing’s often brutal crackdown -- including roundups, blacklisting and jailing -- drove thousands of followers underground, spurring on the house church network.

While some of those followers have since registered with the government, Beijing continues to crack down on unregistered house churches.”

 

These House churches have fostered a host of advantages and preservations for the sustainable growth of Christianity in China as a community and its oneness. Among those to name:

 

• It is a biblical model.
• It is family oriented; parents and children participate together as appropriate.
• People more easily get to know one another in a small group.
• Smaller groups can lead to increased accountability to each other.
• Everyone participates and ministers so people grow in using their spiritual gifts.
• Highly trained pastors are not required in order to lead large numbers of people.
• There is no need for expensive, time-consuming programs.
• House churches direct their finances toward evangelism, community service, or caring for one member’s needs instead of purchasing expensive buildings.
• They are low profile and thus, better able to withstand persecution and oppression.

These two important factors that have been mentioned in the article, oneness of teaching and the growing house church congregations, testify to the reason why China’s community of Christians have flourished in the midst of an atheistic country and government.

“Christianity could become one of the macro forces shaping Chinese culture, say experts like Dr. David Aikman, author of "Jesus in Beijing.", cited Lauren Green.

As the Body of Christ in America, we should begin to broaden our world view and take note of the powerful move of God in the earth, and allow the examples of our global family in Christ instruct us in correcting the state of the Church here in America; whom, with the present mentality of doctrinal schisms, mega-church building, wasteful budgeting, decline in social outreach, loss of relevance to our youth and community, growing acceptance of homosexuality and sexual perversion among our leaders, may very well find herself on the receiving end of a governmental persecution in the coming years. Let us hope that our complacency hasn’t lured us into continuing this false representation of Christ, and we awaken into a renewed consciousness of our being and position in this society, taking our dominion in its true and realistic context.

 

References:

Lauren Green, Christianity in China, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/20/christianity-china/