China (MNN) — As a new U.S. administration begins, many are watching China too. President Donald Trump has threatened heavy tariffs on China, though he refrained from taking action on his first day in office.
Days before the January 20 inauguration, Trump connected with China’s president, Xi Jinping, reportedly having a constructive phone call. But the two nations are still poised for further tension.
Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China shares what their partners in the Chinese registered Church are expressing.
“From a concerned standpoint, you’ve got two very strong leaders now in place in both countries that have strong opinions and want to be in control,” he says.
(Photo courtesy of Bibles for China via Facebook)
“If our new [U.S.] president does what he says he would do, that’s going to make life difficult for them politically. That affects what we do, just from a ministry standpoint, because we’re from the West [and] that [U.S.-China] relationship is declining.”
Economic and ministry impacts aren’t the only thing. In response to any perceived U.S. threats, China might enact stricter internal policies.
“The policies that have been put in place over the last few years continue to be held to pretty strongly, and so that creates frustration on their part (the registered Church) towards the work that they want to do, because they don’t have the freedom to be evangelistic, to do a lot of the things they would like to do,” says Rovenstine.
How you can pray
As U.S. and Chinese leaders enter an unpredictable future, pray for God to work.
“Pray for the leadership in China, not just the church leadership, but the politicians who Scripture tells us their authority comes from God. Pray for the church leaders as whatever comes down the pike that they have the grace and the fortitude to handle it,” Rovenstine says.
“Pray for the Chinese people. I think there are just so many that are looking for something significant and eternal, and not just the hope that their country [or] their parents give them, [or the hope of] their education, or whatever the case may be. Pray for an openness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Toward that goal, Bibles for China is making the best use of the time they have. Rovenstine says their partners are planning Bible distribution, leadership training and other outreach as they have opportunity.
“We’re going to assume that we can do exactly what we did last year and maybe a little bit more — and again, hoping that the uncertainty of circumstances causes there to be an interest in things of eternal value,” he says. “We know that this is a crucial time for us to trust in the sovereignty of God and to continue to do the work that He’s given us to do.”
Header image: U.S. President Donald J. Trump joins Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of China, at the start of their bilateral meeting Saturday, June 29, 2019, at the G20 Japan Summit in Osaka, Japan. ( Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80070156)
