Fresh from teaching an intensive course at an underground seminary in China, Editor-in-Chief Michael Horton brought back the following conversation with a Chinese Christian leader. Neither the seminary nor the pastor can be identified, but we can say that he is the leader of a more than one-million-member "denomination" spread across China that is embracing Reformed Christianity.
In your twenty-one years of ministry, have you seen any freedom for Christians to practice their faith in China?
There are many ups and downs. In some places, there is more freedom and our churches have been left alone for many years. Just today, however, some of the pastors of our association in another part of China were arrested and the government has shut down most of the church gatherings. So China is really dynamic and different. In every locale the government treats the local house churches differently.
What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of being a church under decades of persecution?
In terms of strengths, it has made us clear about what we preach and believe. If we are to be persecuted for these truths, then we need to know why they are so important. It binds us closer together and makes us consider every day what it means to belong to Jesus Christ. In terms of weaknesses, we are often closed off to the rest of the world and we yearn for the theological tradition of the West. We realize we have much to learn from your traditions.
That's an interesting point. At a time when China seems to be opening up to the rest of the world as an economic superpower, you speak of churches being closed off to the rest of the world.
Yes, economic and political changes do not mean changes with respect to the churches. Whoever is in power, and whatever policies are pursued, there is still a consistent wariness of allowing churches in China to be connected with churches in other parts of the world. Because China is not "rule-of-law" but "rule-of-man," whoever is in power decides how he will rule and how he will treat any particular group. Therefore, every time there's a leadership change, the best we can do is take a wait-and-see attitude. You never know who he is and how he will rule until he's in the position to exercise that authority.
Many missionaries came to China from Reformed, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches in the West. Why does there seem to be so little influence today?
When the Communists came to power, they drove out all foreign interests and attempted to eradicate these churches. Many leaders of these churches planted by foreign missionaries were never heard from again, and the missionaries' teachings were wiped out when these early church leaders were persecuted and killed.
Who then were the main influences on churches since the Maoist regime?
Four come easily to mind. Zhao Zhi-Cheng studied liberal theology in the United States and brought it back to China, and his teachings became the foundation of the state-run church known as the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). Wang Mingdao was a great leader in the hearts of Christians in Chinese house churches because he remained firm under persecution and suffering. He called for the Chinese house churches to do the same and to never compromise the gospel for the sake of safety. Watchman Nee also had a great influence through his mysticism-oriented teachings of the "spiritual connection with God." Song Shang-Jie caused great revivals in the coastal cities in China and emphasized the role of the Holy Spirit, which is why today's house churches
in the coastal area are open to the West's charismatic movement.
With its global and domestic obligations to occupy its concerns, why is the government so worried about Christian churches?
There is a fear of Christianity more than any other force in our society. The state-run (Three-Self Patriotic Movement) "church" replaces the gospel with Communist dogma. We in the house churches strongly affirm the separation of church and state. Nevertheless, we are considered the most dangerous force in China to the political powers. It is not because we are actively attacking the government, but because we refuse to believe that there is nothing higher or greater than the state and nation. When we worship Christ as Lord, we deny everything they have tried to indoctrinate in us about atheism. The Chinese government is threatened by true Christianity and, in fact, is trying to create a neo-Confucianism to compete with Christianity.
So, ironically, where Marx thought religion was the "opiate of the people," Christianity at least is a force of resistance to totalitarianism, while the government's Three-Self substitute for Christianity is actually the drug to retain the obedience of the people?
Yes, I think that's true. But in China there's a distinction in how Chinese politicians think. To them, all "schools" are thought to be "political in nature." In China, therefore, the government sees the church as a potentially dangerous political group; it does not consider us in purely religious terms.
What neo-Confucian ideas does the government think Christianity threatens?
Confucianism is oriented toward totalitarian thinking. It's the whole people, not individuals, that matter. The people are therefore organized in a hierarchical way, with obedience to superiors as a principal value. There is no theology in it, and certainly no gospel. It is a way of ethics, to keep people pliable and obedient to their leaders. Find your place in society and be glad in it.
Are there any prospects for religious freedom in the near future?
It is in the Lord's hands, but there is some concern that the next leader will be even more aggressive in persecuting the church. It is always hard to tell, because in China's political atmosphere "obeying your superior" is a virtue, even if you disagree with him’until you get promoted and become the authority, and then you can act according to your will. This is why it's always a wait-and-see attitude when there's a leadership change, and any predictions before that are nothing more than blind guesses. People in politics usually "hide themselves," because showing off your individual insights or independent thinking is not considered a true value in the Chinese political atmosphere.
You spoke about a growing interest in Reformation theology among Christians, especially younger ones. It's been wonderful to hear how many leaders, such as yourself, came to these truths simply by reading Scripture when there was no access to Christians abroad. Do you see this interest growing in the years to come?
There is a growing interest in theology and in the history of the church. Many younger pastors and believers want to know the traditions, where things originated; we sometimes feel so isolated from this wider and older church history. There is especially much interest in Reformed theology; although there are some who move too quickly and unwisely, dividing house churches without first giving careful instruction. You must understand that a lot of this is new, and we keep learning and growing. As the house churches became bigger, we realized we needed church governance, church order, a better understanding of shepherding, ecclesiology, and theology. We hope the West can help us as we wrestle with these issues, and we pray that God continues to bless his work.
