China (MNN) — Believers in China crave to share the Good News, but often there are many barriers to overcome.
Against a backdrop of atheistic indoctrination, even the greatest enthusiasm makes these barriers difficult to overcome. This makes providing Bibles, Christian literature, and training for Christian leaders greatly important in order to help them mature in their faith.
Open Doors USA delivered more than five million pieces of literature, and trained more than
20,000 pastors and Christian leaders in 2006. That's a 40 percent increase in literature and double the training from 2005.
"This training is very good. The church in China is about 80 percent rural. On the whole, China's Christians have no difficulty accepting and believing in Jesus, as well as
professing Him. But when it comes to how much they really know about their faith it is very shallow," said a Christian man in central China.
"We give thanks to our Lord for enabling Open Doors to considerably increase our delivery of Bibles and other literature and also increase the number of pastors and church leaders trained in the Word in 2006," said Dr. Carl Moeller, president/CEO of Open Doors USA.
In 2001, a woman made her commitment to Christ despite the fact that her husband, son, and daughter called her foolish. They would not listen as she attempted to share the Gospel with them.
Thanks to a copy of "Knowing the True God," provided by Open Doors' co-workers in her area, her family later became believers.
The woman gave them a copy of the book. Her son and daughter became believers and recently her husband did as well. Both her children now help in the church; her son is even a preacher. Her husband attends church meetings regularly and his former job with the police department makes their family a very influential part of the community and therefore a great witness.
Open Doors is not only reaching out to China. 2006 saw the delivery of 6.9 million Bibles,
children's Bibles, and other Christian literature worldwide. They also trained 121,646 Christian leaders and pastors as well as provided 53,000 people with vocational training.
"In China and in countries where believer are being persecuted for their faith in Christ,
Open Doors is making an impact for His kingdom. All this would not be possible with out the support and partnership of thousands of individuals and churches who share our passion for the
persecuted," said Moeller.
