Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Concerns about western views of the Chinese church
Recently, I have been receiving some email articles about how the underground church of China are so much "better" and "radical" and "true to New Testament Christianity" than the church in America. These articles, which includes interview with Chinese house church leaders, places the house church believers on a pedestral, and pretty much bashes the American church for producing weak believers. This view of the Chinese church in comparision with the American church is faulty and distorted, and is very far from the actual truth. What the articles are doing is taking the extreme aspects of both side, and not really touching what is truly "mainstream Christianity" in both countries.
As a Chinese American who has visited underground churches in China and met some apostolic leaders there, I have some personal experiences to back up what I'm saying. The Chinese house church believers are no better or worse than your typical American believers. There are lukewarm, cowardly Chinese believers along with the fired-up, radical ones, just as there are in America. There are many immature Chinese believers there who are vulnerable to falling into deception from the cults, while you don't see that as prevalent in America.
While I applaud the radicalness, perseverance, and selflessness of many Chinese believers, I believe that if they switch places with American believers, they would be just as vulnerable to the temptations of western culture as the current western believers are. And American believers would be just as radical for the gospel if they are situated in the political and social environment in China, not to say that American Christians are not radical already.
Some people think that it is also better for the church to be facing intense persecution, and they even yearn for the western church to be persecuted as the Chinese church is. This is faulty thinking. Who do you think is supplying all these Bibles for the Chinese underground believers? The western church. Who was the person most respected for teaching the underground church leaders about the Holy Spirit and imparting His power? Dennis Balcombe, who was send from Shiloh Bible College in California. Who were the martyrs whose death in the Boxer Rebellion planted the seeds for the current revival in China? Western missionaries! If the western church has been persecuted just as the Chinese church were, the Chinese church would have never grown as fast as she has in the past 30 years.
Some westerners are impressed with the ability of Chinese believers to endure suffering. Of course, they don't realize that the Chinese people over the centuries pride themselves on their ability to suffer. It is both a gift and a curse. Because I grew up in this culture, I had a hard time receiving blessings and love from Father God. When suffering become a source of religious pride, it is an idol that needs to be teared down and repent of as well.
God has also gifted the Chinese church with the passion and gift for evangelism/mission. It is obvious why God would plant this fervency for souls, because China has more unsaved souls than any other country in the world. When people start criticizing the American church for not being as passionate about souls as the Chinese church, they don't realize that passion for souls is actually a gift, and not something you can "work up." God has bestow on the American church many gifts that the Chinese church don't have, such as the revelation of the Father's love and the ministry of innerhealing. It is difficult for Chinese believers to be truly intimate with the Father, since their earthly fathers were bounded by tradition in their ability to express love to their children. So now, there are many Chinese believers who are radically serving God from a mindset of a slave, rather than a son. This unhealthy situation needs to be changed, and western missionaries who understands this revelation can help.
I was disturbed when an article quoted Chinese church leaders being critical of all the "laughter" that is in American churches. Where in the Bible is it a sin to laugh? Yes, Jesus wept, but Jesus laughed as well. Why did Jesus turn the water into wine for His very first miracle? Did God create Adam and Eve to not enjoy life? Yes, Jesus experienced more pain and sorrow than any other human being, but he also had more fun than any other person as well. It is impossible to dwell in heaven and not have a good time, and we as believers are called to dwell in heaven and earth at the same time.
It is time that the Chinese church learned to laugh! They know how to weep, but now they need to learn to have fun in the Lord. What is the fruit of all that laughter? Just look at the fruit of the Father's Blessing in Toronto, where God poured out His wine. One fruit was Heidi Baker's ministry in Mozambique, where their revival and church growth rivals the China revival. Another fruit is Jack Frost's ministry, where it has become one of the best in restoring the Father's love to the Body of Christ.
To close, I want to share a story that I experienced while visiting an underground church in China. Our team was led to this particular group of believers by an American missionary who had been living in China for the past 10 years. This American was highly respected by the local leaders, and was viewed as a spiritual father and "wise man." Part of the time he was there to talk to a younger leader to reconcile with the other leaders in the church, to speak words of wisdom and sound counsel. In my conversation with another American who had just came over for short term mission, he admitted that he had thought all Chinese believers were "Super Christians" with mighty faith. But after seeming how our American missionary counseled this young brother with true spiritual authority, he realized that these Chinese believers are just like us. They have all the church problems and relationship problems too. Every believer grows in Christ from a baby stage, and no one is exempt from the process.
Now that the Chinese society has become more open to western secular influences (with all the sex, alcohol, drugs, and entertainment), the Chinese Christians will be tried by the same temptations that we experience in the west on a daily basis. It is my prayer that they remain as radical and even more radical in their faith, and I pray that God will give them the strength to flee from these "new" temptations that are starting to infiltrate their society.
As a Chinese American who has visited underground churches in China and met some apostolic leaders there, I have some personal experiences to back up what I'm saying. The Chinese house church believers are no better or worse than your typical American believers. There are lukewarm, cowardly Chinese believers along with the fired-up, radical ones, just as there are in America. There are many immature Chinese believers there who are vulnerable to falling into deception from the cults, while you don't see that as prevalent in America.
While I applaud the radicalness, perseverance, and selflessness of many Chinese believers, I believe that if they switch places with American believers, they would be just as vulnerable to the temptations of western culture as the current western believers are. And American believers would be just as radical for the gospel if they are situated in the political and social environment in China, not to say that American Christians are not radical already.
Some people think that it is also better for the church to be facing intense persecution, and they even yearn for the western church to be persecuted as the Chinese church is. This is faulty thinking. Who do you think is supplying all these Bibles for the Chinese underground believers? The western church. Who was the person most respected for teaching the underground church leaders about the Holy Spirit and imparting His power? Dennis Balcombe, who was send from Shiloh Bible College in California. Who were the martyrs whose death in the Boxer Rebellion planted the seeds for the current revival in China? Western missionaries! If the western church has been persecuted just as the Chinese church were, the Chinese church would have never grown as fast as she has in the past 30 years.
Some westerners are impressed with the ability of Chinese believers to endure suffering. Of course, they don't realize that the Chinese people over the centuries pride themselves on their ability to suffer. It is both a gift and a curse. Because I grew up in this culture, I had a hard time receiving blessings and love from Father God. When suffering become a source of religious pride, it is an idol that needs to be teared down and repent of as well.
God has also gifted the Chinese church with the passion and gift for evangelism/mission. It is obvious why God would plant this fervency for souls, because China has more unsaved souls than any other country in the world. When people start criticizing the American church for not being as passionate about souls as the Chinese church, they don't realize that passion for souls is actually a gift, and not something you can "work up." God has bestow on the American church many gifts that the Chinese church don't have, such as the revelation of the Father's love and the ministry of innerhealing. It is difficult for Chinese believers to be truly intimate with the Father, since their earthly fathers were bounded by tradition in their ability to express love to their children. So now, there are many Chinese believers who are radically serving God from a mindset of a slave, rather than a son. This unhealthy situation needs to be changed, and western missionaries who understands this revelation can help.
I was disturbed when an article quoted Chinese church leaders being critical of all the "laughter" that is in American churches. Where in the Bible is it a sin to laugh? Yes, Jesus wept, but Jesus laughed as well. Why did Jesus turn the water into wine for His very first miracle? Did God create Adam and Eve to not enjoy life? Yes, Jesus experienced more pain and sorrow than any other human being, but he also had more fun than any other person as well. It is impossible to dwell in heaven and not have a good time, and we as believers are called to dwell in heaven and earth at the same time.
It is time that the Chinese church learned to laugh! They know how to weep, but now they need to learn to have fun in the Lord. What is the fruit of all that laughter? Just look at the fruit of the Father's Blessing in Toronto, where God poured out His wine. One fruit was Heidi Baker's ministry in Mozambique, where their revival and church growth rivals the China revival. Another fruit is Jack Frost's ministry, where it has become one of the best in restoring the Father's love to the Body of Christ.
To close, I want to share a story that I experienced while visiting an underground church in China. Our team was led to this particular group of believers by an American missionary who had been living in China for the past 10 years. This American was highly respected by the local leaders, and was viewed as a spiritual father and "wise man." Part of the time he was there to talk to a younger leader to reconcile with the other leaders in the church, to speak words of wisdom and sound counsel. In my conversation with another American who had just came over for short term mission, he admitted that he had thought all Chinese believers were "Super Christians" with mighty faith. But after seeming how our American missionary counseled this young brother with true spiritual authority, he realized that these Chinese believers are just like us. They have all the church problems and relationship problems too. Every believer grows in Christ from a baby stage, and no one is exempt from the process.
Now that the Chinese society has become more open to western secular influences (with all the sex, alcohol, drugs, and entertainment), the Chinese Christians will be tried by the same temptations that we experience in the west on a daily basis. It is my prayer that they remain as radical and even more radical in their faith, and I pray that God will give them the strength to flee from these "new" temptations that are starting to infiltrate their society.
