China's Gov't-Approved Church Will Help House Churches

By Luke Leung 31 Oct, 2008 08:33 EDT

On Oct. 22, 12 member-delegation of TSPM and China Christian Council held a seminar titled "Chinese Church - New Leaders, New Challenges" with some 200 Hong Kong Church leaders on their first visit to Hong Kong and Macau Oct. 19-26 since assuming the national leadership of their church organizations in January.

According to Episcopal Life Online (ELO), National Three-Self Patriotic Movement Chairperson Elder Fu Xianwei said, "For those house churches without registration, we will try our best to be with them, to recognize them and to help them, so long as they have an orthodox faith, don't stray from the truth and don't follow heretics."

As the leader of the delegation, Fu said that CCC/TSPM was willing to help house churches by, for example, providing them with Bibles, and also desired to work with them in building the Chinese Protestant church.

The officially sanctioned Chinese Protestant church estimates there are at least 18 million Protestants in China, but some analysts estimate there are up to 80 million Chinese Christians who worship outside of the state-approved churches.

Fu pointed out that there are lack of pastors and preachers, and theological training is inadequate. As more people in China migrate from the rural villages to the urban areas, pastors in cities face greater challenges in their services.

Addressing the issue of registration, some church leaders say that there is a debate on the "third way", which is whether all Protestant communities seeking registration need to do so within the framework of the CCC/TSPM.

At a conference on religion and social sciences at Beijing University held on October 8, Yu Jian Rong, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that it is time to consider whether to recognize the legitimate status of house churches, and let them register separately from the CCC/TSPM, which describe themselves as post-denominational, according to ELO.

Yu said that some house churches in China are already in the process of seeking government registration outside the CCC/TSPM.

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

In order an effort to promote traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, in collaboration with Macao YMCA, Guangzhou Suigang'ao Teenagers Institute, and the Teacher Chang Foundation of Taiwan, has conducted a survey on teens measuring their cultural awareness. They found that Hong Kong youths generally identify with and support the values of traditional Chinese culture.
Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.
Yesterday, October 31, was Reformation Day, and Lutherans around the world held various events in commemoration. In Singapore, the Lutheran Church advocated for Christian communion, while the German Lutheran Church encouraged believers to face the challenge of “trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time.”
Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.
2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation
In the afternoon of Reformation Sunday, Oct. 27, some 2.1 million Christians gathered for a joint worship service from 2pm to 5pm in Seoul, Korea to “unite for repentance, revival, and restoration of holiness in our society.” According to organizers, an estimated 1.1 million joined onsite despite the bad weather with another 1 million joining online. The unprecedented joint worship service brought together Korean churches across denominations as they affirmed traditional marriage and family and
Willow Creek Community Church invites believers to write prayer cards for the next president
This past Sunday, Willow Creek Community Church based in Illinois invited believers to “pray for the next president” during the service. The church not only expressed its concern for the upcoming election but also emphasized the role believers should play in the process and the importance of offering prayers for the nation's leaders.

China's Gov't-Approved Church Will Help House Churches

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues

2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.