People's
Republic of China
Christianity was first introduced to China in 635 A.D.
by Nestorian missionaries from Persia. The Protestant missionary
movement began in China in 1807. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
mission work began in Ningpo (1843) and continued until 1949,
when all foreign missionaries left China.
A new relationship has been established with the China Christian
Council in a spirit of equality and mutual respect. The new
beginning of interchurch relations between
China and the rest of the Christian world is set in the context
of the determination of the Christian churches in China to
be free from unsolicited outside influences. They have not
invited missionaries to return to China. Christian leaders
in China have emphasized the principles of self-government,
self-support and self-propagation in order to preserve the
integrity of the church and to guarantee that the door of the
gospel might remain open.
The church in China is
experiencing a new unity in Christ and describes their church
life as "post-denominational." They
are determined to nourish this newfound unity in the face of
potential fragmentation. Yet, at the same time, the church
recognizes the rich diversity of the various traditions and
communions out of which they have come.
Since 1979 the number of churches has
increased dramatically. There are over 50,000 churches and "meeting points" open
for public worship, among which more than 70 percent are
newly built. The total number of Protestant believers is
estimated at 20 million.
The China Christian Council has intensified its theological
education work to meet the growing demands for more church
workers. Eighteen seminaries and Bible schools have been opened
since 1981 and by July 2001, more than 4,000 seminarians had
completed their training. By September 2000 there were more
than 50 provincial training centers and the number of lay leaders
who had received training once or more than once has reached
to over 500,000.
Since 1980 over 30 million Bibles have been printed and distributed
throughout the country. The China Christian Council supervises
more than 70 Bible distribution centers. More than 14 million
copies of the new hymnal have been published and distributed
for use throughout the country. The hymnal has more than 400
hymns, one-fourth of which are indigenous Chinese hymns.
The Amity Foundation was started in 1985 at the initiative
of Chinese Christians. By the end of 2000 it had projects in
31 of China's 32 provinces and autonomous regions. Many of
the projects are among the country's minority population.
The PC(USA) works in China through mission
personnel and partner church relationships.
PC(USA) strategic priorities are:
- Strengthening of theological education
and leadership training in China
- Equipping pastors and lay leaders
with Christian literatures
- Support for reconstruction of Chinese
theological thinking
- Building of mutual trust and confidence
The PC(USA) also joins the Christian community in China in
ministries that include:
- Amity English teacher program
- Chinese Bible and hymnal printing
in Nanjing
- Scholarships
- Health projects
- Special education and rehabilitation
programs for handicapped children
- Rural development projects
- Church building projects
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Statement
on Relations Between the Christian Communities in China and
the United States was adopted by the General Assembly in Atlanta,
June 1983. A current issue: The China Christian Council supports the "reunification" of China, believing Taiwan is part of China mainland. The position of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is that it relates to the churches in both China and Taiwan as our partners and promotes peace and reconciliation through dialogue.
|
