China - An Open Door

In the last few years there has been significant change in China, through globalisation, regionalisation, and urbanisation. In April 1989 a massive and peaceful pro -democracy demonstration was started by students who were quickly joined by workers, intellectuals and civil servants, with more than 1 million filling Tiananmen square.

The demonstrations soon spread to over 300 cities. Although the government moved in quickly by sending in the troops and tanks, despite the lives that were lost or imprisoned, it marked the beginning of a change. In post Tiananmen China the Chinese are now enjoying personal freedoms previously denied them, although freedom of speech, and belief still remain strictly controlled.

A recent cover story for Time Magazine stated that today there is an emerging ‘young and urban’ China.

• There are 300 million of them growing to 500 million by 2015

• They are the most powerful of China’s middle classes

• 20% have attended college

• Their income has swelled by 35% in the last 3 years

• Over 30 million travelled abroad last year

• In Bejing alone, 1000 new cars are sold every day

• They are all from single child families

• 106 billionaires up from 15 billionaires in 2006

From this group is also emerging the new urban house church movement, that is becoming known as the Third Church. Unlike the government positioned Three Self Church, which is highly controlled by the state, und the Underground Church of rural China which is perceived to have an anti government stance, they are made up of, medics, academics, business men, educationalists and other kinds of young aspiring professionals.

Not being from the Three self Church, they are not liberal, or political or “yes’ men to the government. They are not from the Underground Church, and therefore not seen to be antagonistic towards the authorities or to be anti government. Although they are not being endorsed by the Chinese authorities, but are seen to be people of significance to modern China, they are not harassed or closed down.

It is this emerging group of leaders that we have been invited to partner with as a church, to provide leadership training and support. David Wang writing to us says, “These church leaders all have one thing in common, their churches are exploding. They are leading congregations of 200 to 300 with the largest currently at 600.

We will be making several visits to main land China in 2008-2009 to provide leadership training