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Christianity exploding in China: Even the BBC has noticed!

 
Carl Laferton | 13 Sep 2011

God's Spirit continues to do amazing things in China (and the rest of Asia, and Africa)—though it's only rarely reported by this country's media.

But the Radio 4's going to have a documentary tonight at 8pm: "God in China, Christianity and Catholicism". There's an article about the Chinese churches here.

The thrust of the piece is to suggest tentatively that it's not poverty that is driving Chinese people into church buildings (or houses, since most Chinese Christians meet underground and illegally in a house), but economic growth. Could it be that as China sees more and more of the idol of wealth, more and more Chinese realise that it won't deliver… and are turning to the only God who will?

Some highlights:

  • "There are already more Chinese at church on a Sunday than in the whole of Europe" (60 million is a conservative estimate).
  • "The new converts can be found from peasants in the remote rural village to sophisticated young middle class in the booming cities"
  • "I heard people talking again and again of a spiritual crisis in China … in the stampede to get rich, trust in institutions, between individuals, between the generations, is breaking down"
  • The state fears the influence of zealous American evangelism … but in many respects [the house church movement] seems to be an indigenous Chinese movement - chrarismatic, energetic and young" (spot the subtle implicit criticism of whatever "zealous American evangelism" is)

All this matters for us as Christians in the UK. Firstly because the gospel is still doing its work in the 21st century, despite those who think Christianity is on the way out.

But second, because one of the underlying assumptions of aggressive atheists and secularists is that religion is for backward-looking, unthinking, poverty-stricken people: not for developed, sensible societies. Which is, of course, why the USA has proportionately far more wealth and far more Christians than the UK, and why it turns out that China, the fastest-growing economy in the world, is also the fastest-growing church in the world…

"I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Revelation 7 v 9). Looks like a lot of members of that heavenly church service will be Chinese!

2 Comments

Duncan M

11:01 PM AEDT on January 8th
"But second, because one of the underlying assumptions of aggressive atheists and secularists is that religion is for backward-looking, unthinking, poverty-stricken people: not for developed, sensible societies. Which is, of course, why the USA has proportionately far more wealth and far more Christians than the UK, and why it turns out that China, the fastest-growing economy in the world, is also the fastest-growing church in the world"
...So, becoming a Christian makes us healthy and wealthy does it? I didn't know that the Good Book Company now promotes the 'prosperity gospel' nonsense now! Oh, I guess that accounts for all those so many more Christians in America, come to think of it - you include all the southern fundamentalists and prosperity gospel pedlars as 'Christians'.

Carl Laferton

11:01 PM AEDT on January 8th
Hi Duncan,
Sorry, I've clearly been unclear—that's not what I meant at all. My point was that there's a general idea in the UK that as societies become more wealthy and more educated, they leave Christianity behind. And they look at the last century of western European history as proof. And so what's interesting about China is that it isn't only those who are very poor who are turning to Christ, it's also those who are quite wealthy.
You'll see in the post that I'm not suggesting at all that Christianity brings worldly health and wealth: as I said, "Could it be that as China sees more and more of the idol of wealth, more and more Chinese realise that it won't deliver… and are turning to the only God who will?" I wonder if what's happening is that as Chinese people get some of the wealth they thought would make them satisfied and secure, and find that it doesn't, they are becoming open to the notion that Jesus Christ is the one who does give security and satisfaction—not through providing health and wealth materially, but spiritually, in this life and beyond.
Just for the record, TGBC certainly does not promote the prosperity gospel. But also just for the record, there are (proportionally as well as absolutely) more Bible-believing Christians in the USA than in the UK, and many churches there (as here) are thoroughly gospel-centred (or maybe, since they're in the US, I should say "gospel-centered"!), and growing rapidly. For which we praise God, as we do for what He's doing in China!

Carl Laferton

Carl is Editorial Director at The Good Book Company and is a member of Grace Church Worcester Park, London. He is the best-selling author of The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross and God's Big Promises Bible Storybook, and also serves as series editor of the God's Word for You series. Before joining TGBC, he worked as a journalist and then as a teacher, and pastored a congregation in Hull. Carl is married to Lizzie, and they have two children. He studied history at Oxford University.