On A Recent Visit to China, I was able to assess the religious situation in a rural area where intense missionary activity occurred in the first part of the last century. This work was brought to a complete stop and all the remaining missionaries were expelled in 1949. Today, after most religious persecution has subsided, many government authorized churches have been re-established in this particular area, and conditions may be favorable to the spread of the truth.
Much religious interest
Over several weeks, I developed an extremely good relationship with one church leader and his family. On Sundays, the congregation numbered 150 and the attendance for most weeknight meetings was between 20 and 60. A lot of children also attended, particularly during the weeks that Bro. Ken Morgan from New Zealand joined me. Several times, we directed our initial comments to the children, often on subjects that introduced our main theme.
China is busy teaching its teenage students English which bodes well for future communications, if the Lord remains away. At the moment, many of the older villagers are learning to read Mandarin, which is often not their first language. My talks were translated into Mandarin by our interpreter, and were often summarised later in the local dialects.
People in this area are great singers, and not even the Cultural Revolution could silence their worship. Risking the threat of public ridicule, torture and even death, people held secret meetings in the middle of the night to sing their gospel songs in defiance of their temporal masters.
Indirect approach needed
We must add some cultural etiquette which is vital to this preaching effort. Chinese people do not openly tell each other they are wrong as this would risk “loss of face.” Instead the polite way is to point out that something is “not right” and the more indirectly this is done, the better it is for all concerned. Replacing church doctrine with the truth, therefore, demands some careful thought if we are to follow Paul’s example to be “all things to all men.”
With this indirect approach in mind, I spent three nights dealing with Job. Passing quickly over the first two chapters, attention was initially drawn to the fact that Job’s comprehension of the Truth was vindicated while his three friends did not speak “the thing that is right.” Their personal relationships and attitude to one another were also contrasted, and this prepared the way for the explanation of Job 1 and 2 based on Deuteronomy 19:16-19. At the end of three nights, one of the main pillars of the belief in the personal devil had been addressed, and we were still talking. This did not seem to be a situation where a standard length lecture telling everyone they are wrong about the devil would have achieved much in the long term.
Our aim is to increase people’s understanding gradually, rather than tell people they are wrong and risk alienating a huge section of the Christian population.
During the weeks I was out there, we returned to the town every weekend. Here we worked with more interested friends introduced by our translator. After we left, Bro. Keith and Sis. Muriel Billington of British Columbia were able to follow up this work. Bro. Keith gave classes from 9 in the morning to 5 at night, four days a week to several contacts. We currently maintain a modern western-style flat in order to avoid hotel bills for those brethren and sisters who can assist us in this work.
Money matters
This effort is in its early stages and support is needed to continue. Having exhausted our own resources and that of our small home ecclesia (Chichester, UK), we would greatly appreciate help. In addition to travel expenses, an interpreter must be employed and literature must be produced in the Mandarin language. Some $10,000 US is needed to clear outstanding loans and estimated expenses to June 30 of this year.
There are also some welfare cases that should be addressed such as eye glasses and warm clothing which can be obtained cheaply in China.
Money goes a long way in China. Further, many of the individuals are keen not only to learn but also to share their new understanding with others. Excellent rapport has already been established with some villagers who are influential in their church community. This makes the whole operation extremely cost-effective.
We would greatly appreciate donations which can be sent, in U.S. or Canadian dollars, to the “New Westminster Christadelphian Ecclesia,” PO Box 911, New Westminster, BC, V3L 5C3, and earmarked for the China villages work.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One