I just wanted to let you know that our China trip has been unaffected by the recent earthquake in central China. Please keep this trip, and the relief effort, in your prayers.
I have trouble containing my excitement when the Lord opens doors for new ministry through Remember. The needs of the persecuted church can be overwhelming, and there are many challenges to effectively meeting that need, but when the doors open we become the channel for the outpouring of God's blessing on His people.
In just a couple of days, a Remember team will be heading to China to search for the best way to do just that. It will be a survey trip - seeking out the widows and orphans of martyrs, identifying their needs, and developing the right contacts to meet those needs. The travel details of the trip are confidential to protect the safety of all involved, but please pray for this trip! The eyes of the world are on China, as the Olympic torch faces massive protests and world leaders scrutinize China’s violations of human rights and oppression of Tibetans.
But underneath the surface is a problem that goes largely unreported. The problem starts with an amazing praise—the church is growing in China! Not the church buildings that exist in major Chinese cities so that the government can show that it “allows” Christianity, but the living, vibrant underground church is spreading through China at an incredible rate.
And though the Chinese government will not admit it, the Communist leaders cannot help but feel their power threatened by the movement of the Spirit of God. That knowledge, combined with the increased international scrutiny, has led to a major crackdown on Christianity. As our Chinese contact puts it, “the Communist government is stepping up its persecution of Christians as the Summer Olympics approach and the Games are held.”
The pastors of the underground church are routinely targeted. In fact, having spent time in prison is one of the highest marks of a dedicated, mature pastor! A “first offense”—preaching Jesus Christ or passing out Bibles, for instance—can mean years in prison. A second offense can double or triple that time, and it only gets worse from there. And prison is not a semi-comfortable cell where the pastor simply bides his time until release; religious prisoners are routinely beaten and tortured or sent off to suffer in a labor camp.
One by one they serve their time, and without hesitation return to the work that they have been called to.
I can only imagine the suffering that their wives and children must endure, and serving them is the core of Remember’s ministry. This survey trip is geared to identify the specific needs, and find the best way to meet them. Please pray for those traveling on behalf of Remember, as well as the local contacts. Pray for safety, for wisdom, and for the guiding of the Holy Spirit to exactly the people we should minister to.
China has been a persecution and civil rights violation hotspot for decades, but with the upcoming Olympics next year in Beijing, increasing attention is being focused on the abuses in that country. And rightly so! There are many things to focus on.
The government in China has worked very hard to build an image of tolerance and freedom, but the truth is far different. Under the propoganda, all Christians live in constant threat, and many go through untold suffering. Just last week, for instance, Chinese authorities raided a Vacation Bible School, using what eyewitnesses described as "brutal force," seriously injuring at least two, arresting 10, and traumatizing 150 children. Ten police vehicles were involved in stifling this children's group!
The China situation has become such that US Congressman Frank Wolf, a man who has been fighting against persecution for decades, said this month that the "China of today is worse than the China of yesterday, or of last year, or of the last decade." Persecution is only one of the many human rights abuses that he detailed in China, but many others effect persecuted Christians–the gulags, the overall lack of legal safeguards, and even the trade in human organs "harvested" from executed prisoners.
We need to pray for the Christians of China, and for the leaders that persecute them. Especially now that the "eye of the world" is following the Olympics to China, it is time to pray. If you would like a jumpstart on your prayers, visit the Open Doors "China Prayer Countdown."
Even though these two countries border each other, I doubt that many people ever use them in the same sentence. They are just about as polar opposite as two countries can be.
China, of course, is the most populous nation in the world. While large portions of the nation are rural, millions of citizens live in massive cities, with access to all of modern technology. For hundreds of years, China was on the cutting edge of development, and though Communism has taken some of that edge off, China continues to be one of the most developed nations in technology and military.
Bhutan, on the other hand, is tiny nation, about half the size of the state of Indiana, nestled in between India and the Tibetan part of China. There is not one single stoplight in the entire country, and estimates are that up to 90% of Bhutanese citizens are engaged in agricultural work. While the Bhutanese economy has been described as "underdeveloped," the natural beauty of the country is praised in glowing terms.
Despite their differences, both nations take a similar approach to Christianity–persecution. Both countries have long histories of anti-Christian sentiment and hatred from the majority religions. China's atheistic communism and Bhutan's ardent Buddhism walk hand in hand in this respect. And both countries are ruled by totalitarian governments with the power to carry out their agendas. Christians in Bhutan, for instance, face the very real prospect of having their citizenships stripped away from them, and their means of livelihood taken by force. Surrounded by poverty, they have no place to turn.
Whether living in a huge nation or a small, whether surrounded by highrises or the Himalayan plateaus, these brothers and sisters need our prayers.
For More Information–
Today I'm working on writing the text to Remember's new Country Focus bulletin insert on China. My research let me to this excellent overview of persecution from China Aid.
What amazes me is the different layers of persecution in China. It really has come from all angles over the past centuries. When the first missionaries arrived in the 1800s, they fought cultural battles, spirit worship, and scorn. With the Boxer Rebellion, that cultural persecution was institutionalized in the government. That all changed again with the advent of communism in China, and Christians were persecuted by a government that was founded on atheism and violent anti-Christianity. Under the rule of Mao Tse-Tung, Christian denominations were forced to disband, and churches were forced "underground."
Today, Chinese Christians still face the persecution of communism, combined with almost unbelievable cultural trends–leading to forced abortions, for instance. Chinese Christians face persecution from every different direction that I can imagine. They face governmental regulations that deny them the chance to practice their beliefs (or force them to violate those beliefs!), the hatred of friends and neighbors, police misconduct or inaction, and the fear of discovery and retribution every time that they worship.
Persecution can, and does, come in so many different forms. Not just in China, but all across the world, Christians face differing levels and sources of persecution when they stand for the truth. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." The powers of evil use every source that they can to bring suffering to God's people.
And yet, despite all of that attack, James 4:7 gives us a powerful promise: "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." The growing, thriving underground church in China is a testament to the love and power of God to fulfill that promise.
China is in a very interesting situation from the international perspective. On one hand, its leaders are actively trying to assert their global economic presence by creating alliances and trade agreements with democratic nations, while at the same time, its leaders have a vested interest in maintaining the oppressive system that they have used for decades. Despite some international pressure, China continues to the present as one of the most oppressive countries in the world from the religious freedom standpoint. (You can get much more information from China Aid.)
Last week I posted information on the forced abortions that made major news, and also mentioned how Chinese citizens are beginning to wake up to the oppression they have lived under. China is a mission field ripe for the harvest!
As all of these considerations swirl around, one event looms in the forefront: the 2008 Olympics, which are to be held in Beijing. The Olympics are focusing international attention–and pressure from the human rights front–on the Chinese government. The next couple months could be critical in determining China's ongoing policies in the realm of persecution.
One way that the pressure is being exerted is coming directly from Christians who want to minister to the Chinese, using the Olympics as their platform for evangelization. (USA Today reported on this story here.) Any Christian witness is, of course, a violation of China's policies, but that is not stopping many courageous volunteers.
It is no surprise that China is reacting poorly to this possibility. During this crucial time, let us pray for China!