Text Box: Text Box: Home More Countries Contact Us Site Map Text Box: China at a Cross Road In China, the “land of the dragon,” approximately 70 million Christians continue to live in peril. In 1999, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIREF) designated China as a “country of particular concern” because of its blatant violations of religious freedom. Today, nine years later, conditions for Christians in China have not improved. In their most recent report, USCIREF explains the hostile conditions in China: “The Chinese government continues to engage in systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom… Chinese government officials control, monitor, and restrain the activities of all religious communities… maintaining final authority over leadership decisions and doctrinal positions. Prominent religious leaders and laypersons alike continue to be confined, tortured, imprisoned and subjected to other forms of ill treatment on account of their religion or belief.” Even now, as China prepares to host the XXIX summer Olympic games this year in Beijing, the persecution of Christians is increasing. “The Chinese government seems very determined to crack down on the so-called ‘unstable elements’ of the society,” stated Bob Fu, president of China Aid Association (CAA), during an interview with One NewsNow.com (Martin). “Prominent religious leaders and laypersons alike continue to be confined, tortured, imprisoned and subjected to other forms of ill treatment on account of their religion or belief.” It is hard to imagine how a group of God-fearing loving people can be seen as “unstable elements” or a threat to any society. But considering the atheistic communist foundations of the Chinese government, wouldn’t any Bible-believing Christian be a threat to a government founded on absolute power and the adamant belief that there is no God? By nature, light is a threat to darkness, love is an enemy of hatred, and allegiance to Christ is a violation of the allegiance to man. After all, the world’s hatred for Christians is nothing new. Our Lord warned us that as the world hated him, so it would also hate us. But the truly amazing thing is that despite China’s hatred for Christ and His followers, the word of God is spreading like wildfire across China. Having been suppressed by an atheistic government for nearly a century, many Chinese are desperate to hear about a God who loves them so much that He sent His own Son to die for them. Many are choosing to believe in Christ because of the powerful witness of thousands of devoted followers of Christ. In a newsletter titled “Why China, Why Now?” James Loftin, president of FollowOne International explains why he believes China is “the most strategic country in the world,” particularly when it comes to evangelism. Among his reasons were China’s large unreached population, its strategic location in Asia, its influence as a global leader, and the vision and passion of the Chinese Christian church for evangelism. These all indicate China’s key role in our world, and why it is vital that we reach the Chinese for Christ. “Today China stands at a crossroad. She is leaving her isolationist past in communist socialism, but her future is still undecided,” says Loftin. “Although the political environment for Christians in China remains hostile, the church is beginning to send effective missionaries to places like Pakistan and Arabia. These are places where Western missionaries can have limited impact due to historic (The Crusades) and contemporary (Iraq an Afghanistan) issues. In the near future more missionaries may be sent out from China than from any other country in the world,” Loftin continued. In other words, if we reach China with the gospel today, there is no telling what kind of influence she will have on our world tomorrow. While in China, Court Wood, Director of In Jesus’ Name Ministries asked Pastor M (name protected), a principal house church leader in China, what the greatest need in China is at present. Pastor M quickly answered, “help for the young evangelists.” A great move of God is sweeping across China, and hundreds of young evangelists, men, women, single adults and entire families are traveling by faith across the expanse of China preaching the Word of God. They have no income, but are going in faith, trusting that God will meet their needs as they spend their lives for Him. Sometimes they are arrested and put in prison, and sometimes they are beaten and killed. But their impact is much greater than their hardship, and their reward far outweighs their “loss.” Top

    Written by Brooke Frick—Former editor for In Jesus’ Name Ministries

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