Yes, but We Must Learn to Work with the Chinese Churches

by Jonathan Chao

This article is in response to the EMQ article "Why I Don't Pray for China to Open," by Ralph Covell, January 1995.

This article is in response to the EMQ article "Why I Don't Pray for China to Open," by Ralph Covell, January 1995.

Ralph Covell’s article will probably attract a lot of attention. However, to be consistent with his viewpoint, Covell should have named his article, “Why I don’t pray for China to open to foreign missionaries.” If the article is going to draw any fire, it will come from the American missionary community, whose hoped re-entry “when China opens” is that which Covell is against.

Covell’s warning against what might happen to China, as has happened to the church in the former Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe when American missions rushed in, is a valid one. Many of us Chinese Christians overseas, as well as Chinese believers on the mainland, share the fear that American and other foreign missions would re-introduce denominational or organizational division, the corrupting influence of foreign funds, and the enslavement of Chinese indigenous churches by Western missionaries who exercise control through funding. These would destroy the spirit of independence and evangelistic zeal which the Chinese churches built during the past 45 years with their blood and sweat. We also know that when China truly becomes open to free proclamation of the gospel, to house church itinerant evangelists and to foreign missionaries, these missionary entrepreneurs will surely rush in and bring much trouble, all in the name of evangelism and missions. There seems to be no way to stop these missionary adventurers. In this respect, an advance warning like Covell’s might help the evangelical missionary community to think things over and not repeat the mistakes made in Eastern Europe.

Nonetheless, in spite of the advantages of the present somewhat “closed door” to evangelism and the development of a growing church in China under pressure, a greater challenge than “not to pray for China to open” is how to engage or participate in the evangelization of China alongside the Chinese church when China does eventually open. How long will China remain closed to “outside Christians”? I think no more than 20 years. Most likely the door to free evangelism will gradually be opened in the next 10 to 20 years, and perhaps even earlier. This is a trend of history. Just as the anthropologists cannot keep a primitive tribe from contacts with the outside world and its “corrupting influences,” so today it is impossible to keep China closed from outside Christian influence. The challenge, therefore, is how to protect the church in China from the bad influence of foreign missions. Or, how to keep foreign mission groups from corrupting the church in China.

Missiologists and mission leaders need to begin to do some thinking along these lines. We must assume that China is going to open to the free proclamation of the gospel, including Christians from outside, rather than remain in perpetual socialist oppression. If we shift gears to “a gradual and eventual open China,” then we will focus on (1) how to prepare the churches in the West to face the greatest missionary challenge of the 21st century as China becomes the largest harvest field in the history of mankind; (2) how to understand the field and how to train workers, Chinese and non-Chinese, for harvesting and pastoral ministry on a massive scale; and (3) how to develop structures of authentic partnership between the churches in the West and churches in China through the intermediary efforts of overseas Chinese churches and mission groups.

If we develop our thinking along these lines, then the missiological aspirations of the churches in the West will be fulfilled, and their energies be creatively directed to the building of the body of Christ in China. Our main concern should be the growth of the church there and its positive impact on Chinese society, rather than majoring on the negatives. This positive perspective on the onward movement of God’s redemption in Chinese history will unite Christians in the world (not just the West) and the church in China toward the evangelization of China and the Christianization of Chinese culture.

When China opens, we will need all the Christians in the world to dothe harvesting. The question is not whether Western Christians should evangelize in China, but how they can best participate in this great task. I submit that Christians from outside, both overseas Chinese and all other foreign missionaries (whatever kind they may be), should adopt a servant attitude and humbly learn from the Christians in China now, and work alongside them as their helpers. Let the Chinese Christians set the agenda and terms for our engagement. Let us count it a privilege to be able to take part in their ministry, which is the ministry of Jesus. With this attitude of servanthood, our efforts will be more than welcome. The opportunities for ministry are endless, and unspeakable joy is our reward.

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