Rise of Christianity in China Calls for More Equipped Ministers

Mission Network News reports the changing face of Christianity in China. It was reported that in many places where the government had torn down homes and churches, people are now being given permission to rebuild.

China Partner is an international ministry dedicated to serving the Church in China by training emerging Christian leaders. Since its foundation, China Partner has teamed up with the China Christian Council to assist the seminaries, Bible schools, and churches throughout the country. A new hope will be soon brought by the mission agency China Partner, especially in the Jiangxi Province.

In October, a new church building will be dedicated in the city of Linchuan, in the Jiangxi Province. The new building will seat 1800 people, and China Partner has expressed its excitement about this new opportunity for building projects.

Erik Burklin with China Partner is encouraged by many things happening in China today. He says, "What we're excited about, this development, just proves that within a communist society and run by a communist government, there is relative freedom for Christians and for religion for that matter."

Burklin continues, "One of the most needed aspects of the fast-growing Chinese Church is for additional pastors to be trained and equipped to do the ministry. So many people are accepting Christ all over China. In some provinces it's stronger than others, but overall the church is exploding!"

China Partner has greatly contributed in training Church and mission ministers in the Jiangxi Province. Last year, China Partner completed the project of rebuilding the Jiangxi Bible School which was founded in 1992 and is the home of many local church ministers. This new facility houses classrooms, dormitories, library, cafeteria, and offices and will enable the school to double its enrolment from 80 to 160 students. With more enrolment for training to work for ministry, Christianity is truly blooming in the Jiangxi Province.

A student from the Jiangxi Bible School testifies, "I saw the inadequacies of our church and weaknesses of our brethren. Also I found a radical shortage of evangelists and preachers at the grassroots level. Even those few evangelists and preachers have never been able to be properly trained. Their preaching can hardly meet the inner spiritual needs of Christians at large, nor can it satisfy me in my pursuit of gospel truth. Therefore I wished to come to study at Bible School so that I could be well nourished in God's life and God's Word, and would be better able to serve Him and work for Him." This is becoming the testimony of more and more Chinese Christians.

According to the statistics provided by the Chinese Christian Council (CCC), the Protestant Christian population in China is now over 40-million. In 1997, the total number of Christians was around 13 million.