One of the largest and most dynamic Christian communities in the world today is the Christian community in China. But it was not always so.
One hundred years ago, Christians in China numbered less than two million, approximately 0.4% of China’s population and less than 0.1% of the global Christian family. China was embroiled in a nation-wide, decades-long civil war. By mid-century that sweeping conflict was nearing its conclusion. In 1948 the Communist party triumphed, and began to consolidate its sway throughout the land.
“The first act of the new regime was to invite foreign missionaries to leave.”?[1] Church-related institutions were taken over. Partnerships with international church and mission agencies were suspended. The “Three-Self Principles” church was organized, under formal government supervision while other communities of believers went “underground.” In the years that followed – during the years of the Cultural Revolution, in particular – both communities were severely persecuted. International observers wondered openly if the faith would somehow survive.
But it did.
The Christian church in China today is estimated at more than 115 million – fifty times their number a century ago and 9% of the entire population.?[2] Over the century, Christianity has grown at a rate four times that of the general population, in spite of every obstacle and apparent detour.
There are many lessons in this wonderful story. One of them is simply this: the God of mission is the Sovereign of history.
2 ibid., p.140