China (MNN) – You’ve probably heard mixed things about the Church in China. Does the government strictly control it or are Christians free to worship and practice as they please?
That mixed message might be the result of two sides of the Church: registered and unregistered. Only some congregations are officially recognized by the Chinese government. Erik Burklin, CEO of China Partner, has a close relationship with this registered Church in China.
“They have what they call a relative freedom,” he says. “They don’t have all the freedoms that we enjoy, but many of the pastors in the registered church tell us and remind us, ‘Hey, we’re thankful for what God has given us. It’s not like it used to be under Mao Zedong.’”
Not long ago, it was illegal to hold or practice most religions in China. While the government does maintain oversight over most religious organizations and gatherings, they still allow worship according to each person’s own personal beliefs. This not only allows gathering for congregational worship, but teaching and training in seminaries and Bible schools.
“Of course, there are still examples where pastors get arrested or warned or fined, and usually what I’ve learned when that happens is those are the individuals that maybe are a little bit more outspoken against the regime,” Burklin says. “The consequences of that are very dire. By far the majority of the pastors don’t get into politics.”
One pastor challenged authorities when officials began to remove crosses from church buildings. His efforts earned him a six-month prison sentence from which he has now been released. In other words, “as soon as you speak out against the regime, against the system, that’s when you get into trouble. That’s been my experience.”
The strategy most congregations employ is to focus on the Gospel. “They just share the Lord, share the gospel, and minister to their congregations. Usually, those are the churches that operate quite normally and quite freely in China,” Burklin says. “
If you just stay true to the preaching of the Word and minister to the people, most likely you’ll be fine as a Christian leader and as a church.”
Burklin reports that when it comes to the registered and unregistered Church in China, one thing is true of both; they’re growing.
“It’s really exciting when you meet with these brothers and sisters in China – they just really focus number one on Scripture. They preach the word, they memorize it, they pray it, and then they just love Jesus. Their love for Jesus is so overwhelming that it spills over to their neighbors and to their family members.”
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Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.
