Survey of the Chinese Church - Part II

by Tony Lambert

GUANGXI

Population: 44.9 million

Capital: Nanning (2.9 million)

Christian situation: Guangxi is one of China’s poorer provinces. The Protestant church has grown from about 7,000 in 1949 to over 90,000 today. (TSPM figure)

About ten years ago there were some 250 registered churches and meeting-points. In 1995 there were only 22 pastors. Doubtless the number has grown, but Guangxi is still one of the less evangelized provinces. There are also about 60,000 Catholics.

Minorities: The Zhuang people, who are related to the Thai, constitute over 14.2 million of the total population (1990 statistic). In the towns they seem to be fast becoming assimilated to the Han, but their distinctive and culture still lingers in rural areas. Written Zhuang, which uses a romanized script, is seldom used now. According to some reports, about half of the Protestant community are Zhuang. The Zhuang remain one of the largest people groups in China—and, indeed, the world—who are still largely unevangelized.

GUIZHOU

Population: 35.3 million

Capital: Guiyang (3.3 million)

Christian Situation: Guizhou is one of China’s poorest provinces. The many mountains make the tiny fields unsuited to mechanized agriculture. In 1993 TSPM leaders estimated 300-400,000 Protestants. A more recent TSPM estimate in 1998 estimated 360,000 of whom half were unbaptized. In 1991 there were 197 churches and 370 registered meeting-points. In 1996 these were served by 60 pastors, 100 elders and 100 teachers. Most of the Christians are situated in the northwest of the province where the CIM worked in pre-1951 days. Hezhang has seen growth from 4,000 to over 26,000 believers. Lupanshui has over 30,000 Christians. The Bijie district has over 100,000 believers. In contrast, the huge area of southeast Guizhou has only about 1,000 believers.

HAINAN

Population: 7.9 million

Capital: Haikou (570,000)

Tropical Hainan island is a new province at China’s southern tip. There are more than 21 registered churches and 41 meeting-points, but only 9 registered pastors. A large TSPM church, seating 2,000, has been recently opened in Haikou, the provincial capital. There are many house churches and church growth has been most apparent on the east coast in Wanning. Total number of believers was 37,000 according to a TSPM estimate, but reliable house-church estimates in 2002 also put the number not above 50,000. Reports that there are over 300,000 believers on the island have been denied as not credible by both local house-church evangelists and TSPM pastors. There are also about 6,000 Catholics, mainly in the northern half of the island.

Minorities: There are large Li and Miao communities. Not many are Christians. However, there are several hundred Li Christians in the southern part of the island.

HEBEI

Population: 67.4 million

Capital: Shijiazhuang (8.8 million)

Hebei, in north China, has the reputation of running a very tight religious policy. Officially there are only about 300,000 Protestants (0.4% of the total population). In 2001 there were 167 “open” churches and 2,600 registered meeting-points served by only 59 ordained pastors and 183 elders. Handan has at least 150,000 Protestants. Yongnian and Cheng’an Counties both have over 10,000 believers with 130 and 108 registered meeting-points, respectively. There are many house churches and also a large Catholic community. Hebei has the largest “underground” Catholic community loyal to the Vatican in China, which has suffered much persecution over the last 20 years.

HENAN

Population: 92.6 million

Capital: Zhengzhou (6.3 million)

Henan straddles the Yellow River in China’s ancient heartland. It has seen explosive church growth since the early seventies and is the main center of the unregistered house-church movement. Even TSPM estimates put the number of believers as high as 5 million. Some house-church leaders estimate about 10 million believers, although this is not confirmed. Certainly, some villages are over 50% Christian. In 2001 there were 1,100 registered churches and 5,000 registered meeting-points as well as thousands of unregistered meetings. However, there are only about 100 registered TSPM pastors, aided by 394 elders and some 3,000 registered evangelists. The Born Again Movement, Fangcheng Church, and other large house-church networks all originated in Henan where the revival began in the seventies. Dengzhou City has seen growth from 2,000 believers in 1949 to 30,000 in 1984 and 50,000 by 1999. Some reports put the Christian population of Fangcheng as high as 31% (300,000 out of 970,000). By the early 1980s, house churches were sending out evangelists to other provinces. The revival among the house churches has seen vigorous itinerant evangelism. However, in recent years Henan has also seen the growth of extremism and various cults which have split existing churches. Most of the believers are peasants with lower levels of education.

PRESSURE ON HOUSE CHURCHES IN HENAN

(Reports from the Hong Kong South China Morning Post and Ming Pao Daily both of 21 January 2003)

Henan police have launched a crackdown on the underground “Total Scope Church” over the past two months and reportedly arrested several leaders. The China Police Daily reported that meetings of church followers in Chuandong, Qiliping and Xiaguang towns were raided and 176 followers “dealt with” on 27 December and again on 6 January. Most were aged 15 to 45 years old. This church, founded by Peter Xu Yongze, has been branded an “evil cult” by authorities. It has set up an extensive network of unregistered churches in Henan, which are often subject to raids. Police confiscated 295 “heretical” books including copies of the mainstream evangelical magazine Christian Life Quarterly published by Chinese Christians in the United States. Police accused the group of being a “doomsday cult” which had disturbed social order. Members have long denied the allegations.