Protestant Christianity in China, Urban and Rural: Negotiating the State and Propagating the Faith

Abstract

Protestant Christianity is one of the fastest growing religions in mainland China today. We begin with an examination of the history of Protestantism in China and then turn to an analysis of contemporary Chinese Protestantism. First, we describe the unique context within which Protestant groups exist in China: churches that are registered and affiliated with the government enjoy legal sanction, but countless unregistered and unofficial churches exist as well, with varying levels of government tolerance. Most Christians in China today attend unofficial churches. Next, we assess the differences between urban and rural churches. In urban areas, both official and unofficial churches tend to have more resources than is the case in rural areas. Nevertheless, for both churches, a critical challenge has resulted from China’s restrictive political context regarding religious groups: church leadership training. This challenge is particularly daunting in rural areas. Some Chinese Protestant churches train their leaders in “guerilla seminaries.” We discuss another solution that has been used by both official and unofficial churches, a Hong Kong-based radio-broadcast ministry and seminary that is run by a group known as the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC). Drawing on roughly 800 letters written by FEBC listeners in China as well as interviews with FEBC students and leaders, this chapter shows how the FEBC has been able to capitalize on Hong Kong’s unique status as a Special Autonomous Region within China, harnessing global resources and utilizing radio and online methods of communication to help leadership needs in China’s Protestant churches. There remains a leadership shortage in China, especially in rural areas. We conclude that as long as China’s ruling CCP continues to control all religious groups and refuses to sanction unofficial worshippers, this shortage is unlikely to be resolved, particularly if Protestants in China continue to grow.