The Seminarian (March 2015)

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The Seminarian A Toronto Baptist Seminary Magazine

No. 4

March 2015

It is more than a voice; It is a lifestyle.

Editor–in-Chief: Rev. Kirk M. Wellum, Principal Executive Editor: Rev. Keith M. Edwards, Registrar Managing Editor: B. Andrew Song Contributors Evan D. Burns, Jonathan Chao, B. Andrew Song, Gang Wang, Fang Joshua Xie

Contact information Email: seminarian.editor@gmail.com

Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College 130 Gerrard St. E., Toronto, ON M5A 3T4

March 2015, No. 4 Copyright Š The Seminarian

Burns,

Twelve Leadership Principles for Cross-Cultural Ministries

4 Song,

Christianity in China

8 Chao,

Chinese Christianity

12 Xie,

Understanding TSPM

15 Wang,

Situation of Today’s Chinese House Church

From the Editor …

China is a foreign, yet familiar country for many people in the West today. For Christians in the West, we have very little knowledge about the history of Chinese churches, not to mention the state of the church in China today. At best, we may name a few celebrated missionaries, such as J. Hudson Taylor (1832–1905) and Jonathan Goforth (1860–1936). Instead of “helping the church remember its past” in making a healthier church, our limited memory about what happened in China is unfortunately used by many to be a means of hagiography.

As China is gaining international respect and reputation in its economic growth, deeply in the hearts of many Chinese people, there is “a hole,” “a deep spiritual void.” This spiritual need is demonstrated in the decline of morality in Chinese society, as well as the Christian revival in recent years.

What does China need? Christ. Then, how could Christ be proclaimed to more Chinese? This is the subject we aim to address in this issue of The Seminarian. We hope this issue may stir up many hearts that we may bear the hope in us, to pray for the unreached, and be prepared to witness for Christ Jesus. TS

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Twelve Leadership Principles for Cross-Cultural Ministriews Evan D. Burns (PhD cand., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) Evan is on the faculty at Asia Biblical Theological Seminary, and he lives with his wife and two sons in Southeast Asia. They are missionary with Training Leaders International.

In recent decades, it seems that there has been an over-emphasis on leadership techniques and strategies in the Western church.

When I read the Bible, there is little explicit teaching on leadership theory and practice but much explicit teaching on the necessary character and strengths of a godly leader. Most of what I learned about leadership techniques and strategies in the West was not applicable when I served in China. I no longer serve in China, but I still serve in Asia and work with Chinese believers. Christian leadership in any culture is much more than pragmatic techniques; it is character-oriented and spiritual in nature. I work in Asia among unreached peoples and with underground church leaders whose culture and struggles are unique and whose ministry context is very different than the typical Western church. The following spiritual leadership principles, I believe, should transcend culture; I have come to emphasize these in my disciple-making and leadership-training in Asia: Fear of G od Proverbs is a book writ4

ten for princes who would some day assume the role of king and ultimate leader. If there is any book in the Bible written with leaders in mind, it is Proverbs. Proverbs makes clear that above all else, wisdom and knowledge are of utmost importance for the leader (Prov 4:5-7).

And, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Prov 1:7). The Christian leader must be so tethered to God’s heart and holiness that there is never a question about where his allegiance lies. Because he has been undone by the holiness of God, the leader is an obedient God-fearer (Isa 6:1-8). He does not fear man, nor does he serve himself.

He conducts himself with fear knowing that God will impartially judge him (1 Pet 1:17). It is the fear of God that makes the leader enjoy the friendship of God (Ps 25:14).

Humility The leader who truly fears God is truly humble. God opposes the proud leader but gives grace to the humble (Jam 4:6).

Because the humble leader is quick to repent and confess sin, his leadership is marked by the presence and favor of God (Isa 57:15). The

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leader must surrender his will and sense of significance under the sovereign hand of God, knowing that he cannot serve God as though He needed anything (Acts 17:24; Job 41:11). A leader that trembles before the holiness of God is willing to follow Him wherever He wills (Isa 6:1-8).

The humble leader will also surround himself with those who are strong in areas where he is weak. He is not afraid to work himself out of a job. The humble leader does not view himself as indispensable and without replacement. He knows God alone promotes and demotes leaders.

Courage Courage requires a steady endurance in the face of great adversity. God’s most repeated command to Joshua was “be of good courage” (Josh 1:7-9, 18). Courage is not an inner strength that trusts in self and fears nothing; rather, courage is a strong confidence in the abiding presence and sovereign purposes of God in all things that is willing to take risks in obedience to God’s commands. People follow leaders because of their courage, not because of their titles.

Bible-Filled God commanded Joshua to meditate on the Law in order to obey it and speak it. His leadership success was to be measured by the degree that he was tethered to the Word of God (Josh 1:8). What gives leaders the strength to pursue the straight and narrow path is the sense that this is the way prescribed in the Bible. There is a temptation to give in and try an easier way or a way that will bring quicker results, but if a leader follows the principles of God’s Word, he can be eternally sure that God will honor him. A tight-fisted grasp on the Bible keeps the leader focused on objective, unchanging truths and not on passing trends or cultural fads. This security grounded in the Word keeps the leader fresh and encouraged.

Prayerfulness The Son of God Himself is the greatest example of prayer in the Bible.

Apparently His prayer life was so influential and inspiring that His followers asked Him to teach

them how to pray (Lk 11:1). This is the only instance where Jesus’ followers asked Him to teach them something. Of all the things they could have asked Him to teach them, they asked about prayer. This speaks volumes to the role of prayer in the life of the leader and in his ability to influence people. Prayer is the most powerful weapon in the leader’s arsenal.

Through it he draws near to God in humility, gains fresh vision, is made courageous, and lays hold of the promises of the Bible by faith.

When a leader is prayerful, he demonstrates to his followers that his vision is bigger than he is, that he is on a holy mission, and that he is seeking to lead in a way that is supernatural. One of the greatest moves a leader can make is to inspire his people to pray.

Ability to Teach There is a big difference between desiring to teach and being able to teach (1 Tim 1:7; 3:2). A leader cannot merely desire to teach about that in which he is competent. He must be proven and able to teach (2 Tim 2:15). The Bible assumes that leaders teach the Word (Heb 13:7). Those unable to teach the Scriptures are not qualified to be church leaders, specifically elders. This is the one skill demanded of the Christian leader that is not character-related (1 Tim 3:1-13). It does not mean gifted to teach, but competent and able to teach. Also, all Christians should develop in some degree the ability to teach the Word (Heb 5:12).

Lifelong Learner The Christian leader must see his work as theologicallyoriented, since his leadership in the Kingdom of God is like that of a prophet, priest, king, and sage. Due to the nature of spiritual leadership, the leader must posture himself as a lifelong learner—one who studies and holds firm to the doctrines of the faith in order to be alert and guard the deposit entrusted to him (1 Tim 4:6-16; Acts 6:4). The Christian leader must have a theological orientation that connects all aspects of life back to God’s glory (1 Cor 10:31). This prevents him from being jarred by 5

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unexpected situations and new doctrinal trends.

In order to make wise decisions, the leader must value learning and be teachable.

Passion There needs to be a spiritual energy and urgency in the heart of a leader.

The Bible says leaders should lead with zeal (Rom 12:8); “Never flag in zeal, boil in the Spirit!” (Rom 12:11). In order to implement change, urgency is required. A leader on fire will inspire.

Strategy/Ob jectiv es The spiritual leader must not be only be a dreamer; he must also be a planner. The leader that fails to plan fails to act. Jesus was called to preach the kingdom of God, and He strategically implemented that mission by targeting certain towns, choosing certain disciples, training them to imitate His leadership, and then giving them assignments to go to certain areas and declare certain truths within a certain time frame (Matt 10:5-16). Strategic planning comes from God, not from the corporate world alone. The leader, in collaboration with his team, must create strategies that implement the vision and then delegate jobs to execute those strategies. Such objectives should be measurable, attainable, and challenging.

Handle Critic ism The Christian leader will not only be opposed by demonic powers, but he will also be often criticized by the people he is seeking to lead. The reality of constant criticism requires the leader to not seek man’s approval (Gal 1:10). In fact, if a leader is never criticized and only praised, it is very likely that he is not following God (Lk 6:26).

Servanthood Jesus came not to be served, but to serve (Matt 20:28). His model of leadership was one of compassion and ministry to the sick (Matt 9:36) and serving His followers (John 13). Instead of seeking out affinity and only those with whom leaders easily get along, biblical principles call leaders to pay the price in identifying and enduring with a group to which he is committed even when it is frustrating to do so. Learning to pay the price of servanthood is a key to developing deep fruit in ministry any6

where in the world. Identifying with people and being patient with them through frustrating situations will help leaders minister more effectively.

Growing and Empowering Young Leaders The leader has a responsibility to grow young disciples by intentionally teaching them. The leader should set aside times to directly speak truth at length with young disciples and not only limit teaching truth to mutual conversations. Nevertheless, part of his responsibility is to reveal God by his life as he trains young leaders-to-be. Leadership does not have to do with status; it has to do with responsibility. There is a long-suffering that leaders must endure during the slow growth of their followers, much like a parent who endures the gradual development of a child. As a disciple grows, so does his level of freedom to explore his ministry passions and gifting. A young disciple who is well-led will step out and take risks not merely because of confidence in acquired skills but because of confidence in the culture of love, nurture, and trust demonstrated by his leader. Christian organizational culture is primarily relational and not project-driven. A wise leader will look for very trainable people to grow up into leaders who eventually take the reins of leadership.

Much more could be said about the anatomy of a godly leader. There are numerous more character qualities that are required of Christian leaders, such as those listed in 1 Timothy 3.

However, the above leadership principles are not only character-related but are also related to the theory and practice of godly leadership.

There is always need to constantly be refocusing our vision for leadership development and reapplying its principles. These leadership principles are especially relevant to my ministry context in Asia, but are necessary for any man of God who wishes to lead God’s people into mission. TS

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Christianity in China: How did the Gospel Came to China?

B. Andrew Song (B.T.S., M.T.S., Toronto Baptist Seminary) Research Assistant to the Director of Andrew Fuller Centre of Baptist Studies

“So you are interested in Chinese church history, have you heard of Lottie Moon (1840– 1912), or Hudson Taylor (1832–1905)?” This is the common question I hear from people who talk with me about Chinese church history. It seems to me that to the Western churches Chinese church history is all about missionaries like Hudson Taylor and Lottie Moon.

Yet, their knowledge about these missionaries is only about how great and faithful they were––hagiography. For sure, God used his faithful servants, like Moon and Taylor, mightily in the gospel labour in China, but is that all Chinese church history is about? In other words, when we study Chinese church history, are the missionaries the only subject matter we learn about? If sure, I am afraid it should be called “the history of Western expansion,” rather than “Chinese church history.” Sending missionaries is not the end of the gospel mission; rather, it is only the 8

beginning. The goal of mission should be church planting, and making disciples: from “Christianity in China” to “Chinese Christianity.” With this short essay, I hope to provide a brief introduction of the genesis of the Chinese church, as well as resources one may read and study lat-

er.1 According to Sinologist Charles O. Hucker (1919–1994), Chinese imperial history can be divided into three epochs (see the chart above).2 Though without literary evidence, some surviving sculptures suggest that the apostle Thomas brought the gospel to China via India during the reign of Emperor Mingdi (c. 57–75 AD) of the Later Han dynasty (around the same period when Buddhism came to China via the Silk Road), this view

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remains controversial.3 Regardless, the possibilities of the “doubting” Thomas’ evangelism in China––as the Han dynasty China and Rome were very closely linked then––it is certain that the gospel was not rooted or spread widely in China during its imperial formative age.

Almost six centuries later, in 638 AD, the Nestorians came to the Tang dynasty China. With the official approval of the Empire Taizong of Tang (626–648), the Nestorians, as a heretical elites, founded “temples” and translated their writings in China’ then capital.4 This was also the time when Islam came to and established in China. Yet, with the syncretism in their practice––as they directly used Buddhist and Taoist terms (as reflected in their symbol: a Christian cross, accompanied with Buddhist lotus and Taoist cloud)––the Nestorians were soon swept out along with Buddhists in 845, during the Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution led by Emperor Wuzong (814–846). Though the Nestorians came back to China during the Mongolian Yuan dynasty, they never had their previous privilege, as the Roman Catholic missionaries also came to China, and became the biggest competitor.

During the Mediaeval in the West, Roman Catholics started to send missionaries to China. In fact, missionaries like John of Piano Carpini (1182–1252), were more acting as the

Pope’s ambassador than an evangelist, since they carried their mission to convert the Mongolian Emperor Kublai Khan (1215–1294), in order to make him an ally with Rome to fight the Muslims.5 Due to Black Death, the “Great Schism,” and wars with Muslims, such political mission failed. Though the gospel was brought to China, most of the Roman Catholic converts were Nestorians.6 As China moved toward its later imperial age in Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1912) dynasties, more Roman Catholic missionaries came to China, and many of them brought new technologies to China, such as Matteo Ricci (1552–1610).7 However, these Roman Catholics were more interested in politics than evangelism, so much of their attention was on converting the emperors and the upper class. Started from 1700s, Roman popes issued bulls to Chinese believers, prohibiting the practice of ancestor worship. Aiming to protect the empire’s Confucian social order, Emperor Kangxi (1654–1722) banned Christianity in China, and thus ended this “Rites Controversy.”8 With little understanding of the difference between Roman Catholicism and Protestant, China closed its door to the gospel.

With the transatlantic Great Awakening in the eighteenth century, and the pioneer missionary example of William Carey (1761–1834) of the Baptist Missionary Society in India, Robert Morrison (1782–1834) of the London Missionary Society (LMS) was sent as a trained and ordained 9

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minister to China, and arrived in Macao (then a Portuguese colony) on September 4, 1807.9 With the help of William Milne (1785–1822), who arrived on July 4, 1813, Morrison and Milne translated the first Chinese Bible.10 At Malacca, Morrison and Milne also established the Ultra-Ganges Mission, along with the Anglo-Chinese College.

Under Milne’s mentorship, Liang Fa (1789– 1855) converted, and later was ordained as the first Chinese evangelist, who directly influenced Hong Xiuquan (1814–1864), the leader of Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864)––China’s first indigenous Christian heresy.11 With Morrison and Milne’s pioneer labours, the gospel was rooted in China, with the ordination of first Chinese minister and the gathering of the first Chinese church in Canton. Moreover, with Morrison and Milne’s Edwardsean Calvinistic theology, churches in China are Calvinistic in its root.12 In 1832, Morrison reported to the LMS, “there is now in Canton a state of society, in respect of Chinese, totally different from what I found in 1807. Chinese scholars, missionary students, English presses and Chinese Scriptures, with public worship of God, have all grown up since that period. I have served my generation, and must the Lord know when I fall asleep.” After Morrison died in 1834 (the same year slavery was abolished in British Empire, and German Liberal theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher died), the gospel did not die; rather, with the continously labours of missionaries and Chinese Christians, the name of Jesus Christ has been praised in the Middle Kingdom ever since. In 1836, the earliest Baptist missionaries Jehu Lewis (1814–1863) and Henrietta Hall Shuck (1817– 1844) arrived China. TS ––––––– 1. By using the term “Chinese Christianity,” I mean “Chinese Christian Christianity,” which distinguishes from today’s Sino-Chinese theology movement. Here I put emphasis on Christian individuals and churches in China, which is a similar term like “English Baptists,” or “Scottish Presbyterian.”

2. Charles O. Tucker, China’s Imperial Past: An Introduction to 10

Chinese History and Culture (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1975), 1, 434–435.

3. See Pierre Perrier and Xavier Walter, Thomas Founde L’Eglise en Chine (65–68 Ap. J–C), (Paris: Editions du Jubilé, 2008). For a brief summary of this view, see Daniel H. Bayes, A New History of Christianity in China (Malden, MA: WileyBlackwell, 2012), 5–6.

4. The Nestorian doctrines and history in China was recorded in the Nestorian Stele, which is exhibited today in the Stele Forest Museum, Xi’an. A rubbing of the stele is exhibited in the Royal Ontario Museum. Studies on Nestorians in China, see P. Y. Saeki, The Nestorian Documents and Relics in China (Tokyo: Academy of Oriental Culture Tokyo Institute, 1951); Lau Hua Teck, “The Cross and the Lotus,” Church & Society 6.2 (2003): 85–99.

5. Jonathan Hill, Zondervan Handbook to the History of Christianity (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 301–302.

6. Brief summary of the conflicts between Roman Catholic and Nestorian missionaries in Yuan dynasty, see William H. Clark, The Church in China: Its Vitality; Its Future? (New York: Council Press of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, 1970), 16–23.

7. On Matteo Ricci see Jonathan D. Spence, The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci (New York: Penguin, 1985).

8. On the “Rites Controversy,” see Bays, A New History of Christianity in China, 28–32; D. E. Mungello, ed., The Chinese Rites Controversy: Its History and Meaning (Nettetal, Germany: Steyler Verlag, 1994).

9. On Robert Morrison’s missionary enterprise, see William Milne, A Retrospect of the First Ten Years of the Protestant Mission to China (Malacca: Anglo-Chinese Press, 1920); Christopher Hancock, Robert Morrison and the Birth of Chinese Protestantism (London: T&T Clark, 2008).

10. On the life and ministry of William Milne, see Robert Philip, The Life and Opinion of the Rev. William Milne … (London: John Snow, 1840); Baiyu Andrew Song, Training Laborers for His Harvest: A Historical Study of William Milne’s Mentorship of Liang Fa (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2015).

11. See George Hunter McNeur, Liang A-Fa: China’s First Preacher, 1789–1855, ed. Jonathan A. Seitz (Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2014). On Taiping Rebellion see Rudolf G. Wagner, Reenacting the Heavenly Vision: The Role of Religion in the Taiping Rebellion (Berkley, CA: University of California, 1982); P. Richard Bohr, “The Heavenly Kingdom in China: Religion and the Taiping Rebellion, 1837–1853,” Fides et Historia 17.2 (1985): 38–52.

12. See chapters 3 and 4 in Song, Training Laborers for His Harvest.

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Chinese Christianity: Ten th Movements in the 20 Century

Rev. Dr. Jonathan T’ien-en Chao Dr. Chao (1938–2004) was the founder of China Ministries International, an institution dedicated to the research, development, and growth of Christianity in modern China. Dr. Chao spent his life in evangelism, training, and apologetics of Christian orthodoxy. He died in 2004 with Lymphoma.

Editor notes: This article is adopted and translated from Dr. Chao’s article published in Collected Papers of Chinese Church History 中國教會史論文集 (Taipei: CosmicCare, 2006).

1. The 1900s Chinese Christian Indepe ndence Move ment With the spirit of indigenization [promoted in the 1910 World Missionary Society, Edinburgh], Chinese Christian leaders including Ch’eng Ching-i (1881–1939) and others established the China Inland Evangelistic Society (CIES) in 1918. The society appointed and sent Chinese indigenous missionaries to areas like Yunna, Inner Mongolia and Northeast China.

In 1921, Jing Dianying (敬奠瀛) organized the Jesus Family, a Chinese Pentecostal communitarian church, with love as its foundation, in Mazhuang, Shandong.

2. Inter -de nominational Movements (1907–1922) In between 1905 and 1922, an ecumenical movement was taking place among the West12

ern missionaries. In 1907, the third Chinese Missionary Conference (also the Centenary China Missionary Conference) was held, and with it the China Christian Federation Council was established.

3. Chin a for Christ Movement (1919– 1922) China for Christ Movement represented a patriotic movement of Chinese Christians. Yet the movement was not able to effect spiritual revival, since most of the denominations at the time had already been influenced by Liberal theology.

4. Chr istian In digenous Movement (1922–1927) The indigenous movement was a reaction to the pressure of pure rational based “Anti-religion Movement” (1919–1921), Student AntiChristianity Movement (1922), and antiChristianity movements during the United Front of the Chinese Nationalists Party and Communist Party of China.

5. Chin ese Indige nous Ren ewal an d Re-

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vival Movements (1925–1937) During this period, preachers and itinerant evangelists like Wang Mingdao (1900–1991), Andrew Gih (1901–1985), John Sung (1901–1944), Watchman Nee (1903–1972) and Timothy S. K. Dzao (1908–1974) were influential instruments in this revival movement. Although prior to these preachers, there were revivalists like Dora Yu (1873–1931), Ding Limei (1876–1927) and Jonathan Goforth (1859–1936), their influence was more local than national.

Wang Mingdao: emphasized Christian virtuous character, and fought against Liberal theology as a Fundamentalist.

Andrew Gih: the founder and main leader of the Bethel Evangelistic Band, emphasized the necessity of itinerant preaching.

John Sung: used to be a member of the Bethel Evangelistic Band. After he left the band, his itinerant ministry was influential in both China and South Asia. In his Spirit-filled sermons, he often preached against sin and called to repentance. Many came to Christ under his ministry.

Watchman Nee: influenced by English Brethren theology. Nee emphasized salvation and new birth, as well as spiritual growth.

The common characteristics of these influential revivalists are: (1) They did not want to have an organic relationship with foreign missionary societies. Rather, they wanted to develop an independent church model, and personal preaching styles.

(2) Though they did not receive formal theological education, and some of them even resisted it, they had a mature spirituality, and special gifts in preaching with authority.

(3) Though their theologies are open to criticism, they all preached in indigenous and popular languages. Their revival meetings brought spiritual renewal to Chinese churches, as they led believers back to Christ, and prepared the church for the hard situation during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1931–1945).

6. Inner -Denominational Five-Year Movement (1930–1934) In 1930, a five-year revival movement took place in the National Christian Council of China, which is called “Five-Year Movement.” The goals of the movement were to double the number of Chinese Christian, and to bring the spiritual renewal of “the great religion.”

7. Chin ese Studen t Chr istian Movement (1940–1949) The Chinese Inter-Varsity Fellowship was an evangelical college student movement led by David Adeney (1911–1992) of London Missionary Society, and Calvin J. Y. Chao (1906–1996), during the SinoJapanese War and Civil War (1945–1949).

The Student Christian Movement was also happened in China during this period brought by the European and American missionaries. Unfortunately, the theology of this movement was largely liberal, and the organization was penetrated by the Communists.

8. The “Three-Self” Patriotic Movement (1950–1959) After the Communist party took over Mainland China, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) committee was organized and replaced the National Christian Council of China, and became the central command centre of Chinese Christianity under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Through the National Christian Manifesto Movement of anti-imperialism (1950– 1953), denouncement meetings (1951), and movement of pastoral training and united alliance (1958–1959), denominational churches, Christian schools, hospitals, and other charities were decommissioned, or came under the government’s control. Up to 1959, except the TSPM churches, all or13

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ganized churches were destroyed.

If there were any contributions of the TSPM to the Chinese church, it was the destruction of Western institutionalized churches, and allowed the Chinese church to reestablish real indigenous churches through its suffering, especially during the Great Cultural Revelation.

9. The Rising of H ouse Churche s (1966– 1979) Through the house church movement, Chinese churches transformed from foreign-supported and Western-institutionalized to independent non-institutionalized spiritual fellowships. Instead of full-time ordained ministers, the lay believers supported and led the house churches. With its mission-centric characteristic, the house churches became the leading energy and source of Chinese church in the twenty-first century.

10. The expansion of Chin ese Mission Movement (1979–2000) With persecution, Chinese churches grew to be more organized, and developed training systems and expansion plans for the purpose of the gospel mission. Virtually, a national mission movement happened in China. TS

Doyle, G. Wright. Reaching Chinese Worldwide, ed. Laura Mason. Durham, NC: Torchflame, 2013. 209 pages. $18.60.

Due to the global cultural shift, all Christians should “reevaluate our methods, and perhaps adjust our plans,” for reaching not only the Chinese, but the world, with the gospel of Jesus. In this book, Dr. G. Wright Doyle, a trained classic linguist, speaks as “a practitioner who has tried to avoid total ignorance of the essential theological and theoretical work of scholars in the [mission] field” in China. Based on biblical teachings, and with his missionary experience, Dr. Doyle provides helpful and practical instructions for those who seek to evangelize to Chinese both in China and overseas.

Over all, this book is full of treasures, not only because of its emphasis of a Christcentered and Bible-founded missiology, but also of the challenges Dr. Doyle provides.

This should be a book for all those who want to serve the Chinese community. TS –– Reviewed by B. Andrew Song

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Understanding the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) in Contemporary China Fang Joshua Xie (M.Div., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) Joshua is the manager of 9Marks Chinese. Joshua is living in Washington, D.C. with his wife and son, and they are members of Captial Hill Baptist Church.

After the “Reforming and Opening up” of Mainland China, many Christians from the West flushed into the land. Without sufficient understanding of the history of Christianity in China, the complicated church-state relationship, and the high-context culture, many of them assume what they’ve seen is true. They are amazed by the crowded TSPM church buildings every Sunday, warmly welcomed by TSPM leaders. They saw the eagerness in TSPM churches and leadership to learn more and change more. In many cities, it’s hard to find a house church, which is due to security reasons, and the only way for people find it is through relationships. By the lack of network, Western Christians ended up with going to TSPM churches and found that the sermons sounded like evangelical. Some Christian leaders thus started to consider doing evangelism through the TSPM system, which for them would be the only legal platform to ministry in Mainland China.

Having seen the rapid growth and development of TSPM congregations, many Christian leaders in the West no longer see TSPM as a tool for Communist Party to control Christianity as it was in 1950s. The acceptance of WCC in 1980 indicates that TSPM/CCC is more like an ecclesiastical body like a denomination in the West.

Some started to praise TSPM as an open testimony of God in the city, while house churches are suffered servants doing the hidden work. Moreover, some even criticize house churches as the hotbed of heresies. A well-known analogy was made by Michael D. Suman that the TSPM churches are like commuter trains, above ground and house churches are like subways, underground.

The point is, they both are trains, and “they both for the most part upheld Christianity in faith and the Bible as their scriptural authority.”1 However, Suman missed some factors concerning the churches in the social 15

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and cultural context of China. Here are some questions we need to ask and answer: First, when we are talking about “collaborating/helping TSPM churches,” who are we talking about? TSPM is a big umbrella covering many units: local congregations, seminaries, local TSPM/CCC committee and its staff, the national/provincial TSPM/CCC and its staff, etc. The degree of connection between them varies from place to place. For example, in places like Wenzhou: house churches are public and prosperous; the

congregations under TSPM are usually highly autonomous, and the TSPM committee would acquiescence such churches in order to “compete” with house churches. Unlike their executive leaders, who are mostly liberal, the Wenzhon pastors in TSPM congregations are more evangelical and conservative, and some even privately criticize TSPM’s theology and its political attachment to the government.2 On the other hand, those who symposize and lean toward liberal theology, while cooperating actively with the TSPM leadership, are those who would be speedly promoted as senior pastor or regional TSPM leadership position.

Therefore, though it is untrue to deny the existance of evangelicals in the TSPM churches, it is too naïve to say that they are all evangelical, without agreement and attachment with the TSPM leadership and their theology!

Second, has TSPM changed in nature 16

to serve and coordinate the churches as stated on their website? According to what they do, in Bible printing, theological trainings and church planting, yet they have never changed in nature as the agent of the Communist Party to control Christian churches in China. Internationally, TSPM wants to be the representative ecclesiastical body of all churches in China while leading the global churches to believe that there is no religious persecution––thus no house churches––and all churches in China are under TSPM/CCC.3 By and large, TSPM ceased reporting and persecuting the house churches which is due to the change of policy toward illegal religious bodies. Yet, due to its political nature, TSPM would never show mercy toward the house churches. For instance, during the Shouwang church incident, when the Beijing government tried to dissolve Shouwang church (an unregistered evangelical church), TSPM pastors went with police to visit members of Shouwang church, and tried to persuade them to join TSPM. More recently, when the Zhejiang government was trying to remove all crosses from TSPM church buildings, local congregations went in protest. In order to support the government, the TSPM committee of Zhejiang Province sent their pastors to comfort and persuade protestors to give up.4 Back to its policy, looking at the mission statement of TSPM posted on its website, all goals are surrounding one purpose: “educating the believers to abide by the law.”5 Third, if the nature of TSPM is the

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surrogate of the Communist Party to control the surrendered churches and persecute the resisting churches (house church), is it just to collaborate with them? On the one hand, any international cooperation and collaboration with TSPM will be leveraged to justify that TSPM is the only orthodox representative of Chinese Christianity.

Some Westerns expected to reach to the state leaders on regard of religious freedom issue. The fact is, TSPM would not allow any discussion of church-state affairs happen, as they insist that there’s no “such concept of house churches in China.” On the other hand, such collaboration will discourage Christian pastors and congregations in the house churches, assuming that they are isolated from the international Christian community. Even from the perspective of financial stewardship, it is not wise to invest money and resources to help governmentsponsored and resourceful TSPM churches/ministries, but neglect the need of persecuted and isolated house churches. TS ––––––– 1. Michael D Suman, The Church in China: One Lord Two Systems (Bangalore, India: SAIACS, 2006), 431.

2. In many cases, the local congregations would cooperative negatively with TSPM leadership. For example, if TSPM leadership requires all pastors to study the party documents in order to collaborate with Party, the local congregation will cope negatively. (Tso, 2003, p. 96) 3. “So in fact in China there is not such a concept as house church.”

Said Elder Fu Xianwei, Chair of TSPM in an interview with Michelle A. Vu, Christian Post. (Vu, 2011) 4. TSPM/CCC of Zhejiang Province 2014 5. The four goals are: 1. Help the local governments to implement the freedom of religious belief; 2. Educate the Christians to abide by the religious regulations; 3. Encourage the Christians to devote themselves to the building of Socialism; 4. Educate the Christians on three-self principles. (TSPM/CCC)

Ott, Craig, and J. D. Payne, eds. Missionary Methods: Research, Reflections, and Realities.

Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2013.

229 pages. $14.99.

The essence of evangelicalism is a firm commitment to the exclusive gospel message – –one can only be saved and justified by God’s grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Such conviction forces Christians to think about effective methods in missions and personal evangelism. Craig Ott states in the conclusion, “the history of the expansion of Christianity is a story of experimentation, reflection, and debate over missionary methods.” (p196) This volume is a collection of essays on Christian mission for the centennial of the publication of Roland Allen’s Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? (1912). By understanding that missionary methods must begin with a biblical and theological foundation, this book is divided into two parts: biblical understandings, and praxis with case studies. This volume will certainly help you to gain a better understanding of mission, particularly about missionary methods. TS –– Reviewed by B. Andrew Song 17

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The Situation of Today’s Chinese House Church Gang Wang (M.Div., Toronto Baptist Seminary) After graduating from Toronto Baptist Seminary, Gang serves as the Resource Development Manager at Carey Outreach Ministries. He and his wife live in Guelph, with their two children.

A well-respected American missionary, who has been working among the Chinese house churches over the last fifteen years, once said, “Whatever you heard about Chinese house church, it could be true.”

Christians here in North America will often think of persecution when they hear of things about the churches in China. It is true; there is severe persecution upon many Chinese Christians. In the past April, the Telegraph has reported the demolition of the Sanjiang Church in Wenzhou by the Chinese government. It has been reported, there are sixty to seventy church buildings in total have been demolished in Wenzhou from April till now. There is apparently a new wave of antiChristian campaign from the Chinese authority. But on the other hand, nobody (if someone visits some Chinese house churches) could deny that there are more freedom the Chinese Christians have today than that of thirty years ago. The independent Chinese house churches are no longer “underground.” The red cross on the top of many church buildings in Wenzhou is ordered to be taken off, some of the church

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buildings were torned down, but the Christian gathering and worship services still continue on.

History itself can be extremely complicated, not as simple and clear as some books describe. However, the Lord of the history has His perfect decree and plan for His church.

Today’s Chinese house churches are experiencing that amazing grace under the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.

The picture of that demolished Sanjiang church building shows in some scale the expansion of the gospel ministry in China. Yet, that can by no means be called a “house” church or “underground.” Such building could easily provide a worship service for two thousand people, and it is not the largest church building in Wenzhou. Driving on a highway in this city, you will see many similar church buildings passing by.

It is only a brief vista of this city which is called “Chinese Jerusalem.” Just like the Jews, Wenzhou people are born to be businessmen.

As they expand their business across China, they plant churches wherever they go. There is an island county in Wenzhou which is called Dongtou. Out of one of the islands of Dongtou County there comes over thirty church leaders scattered in different major cities of China.

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Though Wenzhou is only one centre of the revival, the Lord have used Christians from this place to bring many blessings to China overall. As Wenzhou people plant churches in other provinces and cities, they also help the local people to establish their own house churches. Among the Wenzhou churches, many pastors believe that there are at least one house church in every village of their areas. That might be a reason why some people predicted earlier this year that the number of Chinese Christians would surpass that of America by 2030.

As Chinese churches have been rapidly growing, the enemy is not standing idle. Persecution, heresies, and secularization are still Satan’s three main strategies to attack God’s church. Though persecution and heresies are still very strong in many ways, secularization becomes the biggest challenge among the Chinese house churches. Throughout of the whole church history, secularization has been the most formidable attacking from the enemy. Today, many Chinese churches, pastors, and believers are heavily under attack from this special direction. The churches in Wenzhou are much better in so many ways than the churches in other provinces, but the average salary for a full-time pastor there is about thirty to forty thousand Chinese Yuan (about 5–7 thousands Canadian dollars) per year, which is far from enough for basic living in that city. Under such a life pressure, many pastors there have to change their ministries to part-time. The faithfulness of God’s people is tested in the midst of a materialistic age. In the same line, another real temptation to the house church pastors is professionalism. The Gospel workers were not ordained officially as pastors in the past, now the official pastorate becomes the object of the competition among the younger workers. A theological degree could be a very competitive qualification, but it can also easily become an idol replacing the true knowledge of God and one’s relationship with Christ the Saviour. As the pressure from the authority is removed little by little, more people come to the church, but with different purposes. Also, with less persecution, various of trends come into Chinese churches from the west, they do not always bring in blessings.

Prosperity Theology tempts to the earthly desires of sinners, Joe Osteen’s style would be embraced by many weaker bodies of Christ, as most people suffering under different pressures in contemporary China.

Before Christ comes back, His own church will surely experience more challenges.

Today, Jesus is in China. Though there are all kinds of difficulties and problems among the Chinese churches, and the enemy is “armed with cruel hate,” the church which is built upon Christ Jesus the Rock shall never fail.

Christians may not actively seek persecution, but persecution is definitely the refiner’s fire for today’s Chinese church. May the Lord raise up more faithful servants as those in the past, such as Wang Mingdao (1900–1991), Alan Yuan (1914–2005), Samuel Lamb (1924–2013), and Moses Xie (1918–2011).

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Battling against heresies and cults, Chinese churches need not only seminaries and Bible schools, they need to have their own indigenous theologians, Bible scholars, and historians, so that the foundation of the Chinese church might be deeply rooted in the Word of God, and no more persecutions would radically eradicate Christian churches in China. The churches also need the Holy Spirit and His power for revival. Without the fire truly kindled by the Holy Spirit, the Bride of the Lamb cannot stand alone without secular contamination. May the Lord revive Chinese house church again! May China “be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea!” (Hab 2:14) Pray for the 1.3 billion of souls in China! TS

On February 22nd, 2015, Mrs. Myrtle Muir, the beloved former cook of Toronto Baptist Seminary, went to be with her Saviour. A dear lady to our heart, Myrtle faithfully served the seminary students and people who lived in the seminary residence. Like Brother Lawrence (c. 1614–1691), Myrtle also worshipped God in her kitchen: “The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in all great tranquility as if I were upon my knees” before the blessed Saviour. We honour Mrs. Myrtle’s example as a Christian servant, and give glory to God whom Myrtle is with now.

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TBS & China

Since 1927 when Toronto Baptist Seminary opened its door, many men and women were trained to witness the Lord Jesus Christ and his redemptive work around the world. TBS also equipped student who were sent as missionaries to China.

The earliest of our graduates to work in China was Olive Fynney (studied from 1929 to 1931). Born on October 24, 1907 to a Liverpudlian couple. In 1911, Olive migrated to Canada with her parents John and Annie, along with four other siblings. The Fynney family then lived in Ville Outremont, Montreal. After graduated from TBS, Fynney spent 39 years in China and Malaysia with the China Inland Mission (CIM). In Malaysia, Fynney and Ruth Verhulst engaged themselves in the pioneer mission in Pandamaran. Dr. Tan Kim Sai, former principal of Malaysia Bible Seminary, who was mentored by Fynney, remembered Fynney as “a wonderfully warm spiritual mother who encouraged him to work hard and develop, both spiritually and academically.

With her strong backing, from his unpromising early roots, Tan Kim Sai went on to study and later became a teacher.”1 Today there is a 22

women’s missionary society named after Fynney at Sunny Brae Baptist Church, Moncton, NB. A memorial scholarship is also rewarded annually at Crandall University to ex-offenders, international students or a missionary home on furlough.

Another graduate who served in China was Samuel Jeffery (studied from 1927–1930). In 1926, Samuel Jeffery was brought to Jarvis Street Baptist Church by his elder brother, Bernard Jeffery, who also attended TBS and served on staff for many years. Three weeks later after Samuel attended Jarvis Street, he was converted under the preaching of T. T. Shields. Thanks to his brother and mother, Samuel was made able to study at TBS. Four months after his graduation, Samuel went and served in China with the CIM until 1949. Later he ministered in the Philippines. In China, Samuel learned Chinese and had a Chinese name: 周複禮 (literally means “restored proprieties”). According to Bernard Jeffery’s account, during the Sino-Japanese War, Samuel and his wife Signe were under house arrest, while their children were trapped at a mission school in India.1

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Have you heard about today’s TBS Chinese ministry?

On June 15, 2006, Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin (then principal of TBS) and Dr. William Tsui (then director of Christian Communication Incorporated of Canada [CCIC]) signed the cooperate contract of functioning the “Overseas Mainland Chinese Ministry Training Program.” With this program, TBS would grant degrees upon those who have completed their theological trainings through CCIC in Chinese. On October 18, 2012, Principal Kirk M. Wellum signed with the directors of CCIC on a permanent cooperation of theological education, and then established the CCIC School of Theology, which functions as the faculty of Chinese Studies of TBS. Since its contract, there were 18 graduates from CCIC School of Theology: 9 graduated with M.Div. degree, 6 with M.R.E. degree, and 3 with Certificate of Theological Studies. Sixty-one percentages of the graduates (11 graduates) are in full-time ministry, and 2 other graduates in full-time voluntary service.

This academic year, there are twenty-nine registered students at the CCIC School of Theology. Sixteen of them are in M.Div. program, and thirteen in M.R.E. program. TS

Drs. Michael A. G. Haykin and William Tsui after contract signing on June 15, 2006.

Principal Kirk M. Wellum with 2013 graduates: Xi Chen, Yuling Pan, Xiaolan Hu, Lianggeng Sun and Dale Zhang (left to right).

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