Over 100 Million Christians?
Posted on November 15th, 2007 by joebib into the Politics categoryI came across the following article this morning:
"The number of Christians in the communist Republic of China is estimated to have reached the 100 million mark. The increase is mainly the result of the virtually mind-boggling growth of local evangelical house churches. These consist of smaller groups who meet in private apartments or houses. Some estimates state that over 70 million Chinese are members of such house churches.
According to the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, house churches are conspicuously watched by government agents and sometimes persecution is evident. In Beijing alone, there are between two and three thousand house churches.
In contrast, there are only eight officially registered Protestant churches.
Estimates about the number of Catholics in China run between 12 and 18 million, of which about 6 million, according to the report, are faithful to their church policy.
Because the government can no longer control house churches, no serious attempt is made to enforce street control. One representative stated: 'The police knows about our churches, but does not try to oppress us. We are advised not to admit foreigners in our groups and not to encourage the house church to become too large.'
In other provinces, however, strict control of house churches is implemented. Between the months of May 2005 and May 2006, approximately 2,000 Christians have been arrested."
[IdeaSpektrum, Jan. 2, 2007, pg. 12]
Isn't it interesting that in a land of political and religious persecution the Church of Jesus not only exists, but thrives? Interesting how the temptation of becoming too institutionalized large is held in check by the government mandate. 
Seems refreshingly biblical to me.
I've always felt that the Lord would one day cause His Church to return wholesale to the pattern of the house-church evidenced in the Book of Acts.
Makes me wonder about the real benefit of our highly-touted religious freedom here in the USA. Freedom to construct opulent, money-driven, religious megaliths that have a questionable affect on winning the world with the Gospel. John 2:13-17 comes to mind.
Maybe we need a healthy dose of heavy-handed, governmental persecution over here.
-joebib
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November 15th, 2007 at 11:46 am
joe said,
That’s a thought. But I read somewhere (don’t ask me where), that when governmental persecution occurred, then the Christians banded together, but when the persecution ended, the usual petty stuff started and people fractioned again.
If this is true, it tells me that temporary unity and zeal may be by-products of persecution, but true unity and zeal come from a relationship with the Lord and will be present when there is no persecution. Unity is what happens when everybody agrees with God.
In no way am I down-playing the Church in China. And I believe that the Lord uses persecution to refine His people. Maybe the issue is that when there is persecution, a person has to count the cost of being a Christian, and truly in America, there is little cost.
Thanks for bringing this up. It’s thought-provoking.
November 15th, 2007 at 11:59 am
There is no doubt that the persecuted church has persisted and spread in a way that we have never experienced in modern American history. But while the underground church has got us beat in terms of passion and fire, the American church has done a good job of facilitating (financing?) the spread of the Gospel around the world. And that counts for something. Maybe the best question to ask is what are the strengths of both churches, and what role do they play in being Christ’s hands in the earth?
This is not the first time there has been a marked contrast between the institutional and underground church. Both types of churches have risen and declined based on politics and world events. And both types of churches have played a large part in the fabric of Christianity during their time. Most of the Bible translation work and missionary efforts of the past 100 years (which have seeded and supported the underground church) would not have happened if it were not for the deep pockets of our institutional church.