China (MNN)–Despite reports of increasing persecution of the unregistered house church, there is good news.
In the same vein as the Apostle Paul and Timothy, many above ground churches are laying a solid foundation for outreach.
The function of a mentoring relationship worked through the early church, and has proven effective in the fast growing Chinese church.
China Partner Ministries’ Erik Burklin noticed on his last visit that much of the church leadership was no longer elderly. “What that means is that the younger generation is coming up. They have been trained to do ministry. Also what that means is that the older generation is realizing that they can no longer keep up with the demands of the ministry of today and they’re allowing the younger generation to take over.”
Burklin says what’s more, the new generation of church leaders has a clear vision for the future. “It’s one thing to build a church, it’s another thing to realize that not only is this church building used for Sunday morning worship services, and other kinds of church ministry activity, but now they’re using that same facility for a Bible Training Center.”
And it is in the Bible Training Center that the next generation of church leaders gets grounded. The phenomenon of the Christian movement in China has not gone unnoticed.
The government fears insurrectionist action, while the church is concerned about heretical teaching. With Bibles at a premium, many congregations are forced to share one Bible, memorizing whole books at a time.
This is where the local church saw a need and responded. As a result, the Chinese people have taken hold of the tools they have to cultivate a vibrant body of Christ.
