China News

edited by Tony Lambert, OMF Chinese Ministries

A CHRISTIAN PHILANTHROPIST IN CHINA

Mr. Jiang from Fuyang in Anhui has given away more than 14 million RMB (US$1.7 million) to charity since 1985. Born in a remote village in 1946, Jiang shared many tough experiences with his contemporaries. But unlike many of his generation he searched for God and derives the inspiration for his philanthropy from his Christian faith.

In 1984 Jiang started to produce child nutrition. Today his annual production is worth 6.5 million RMB. Although wealthy, he has kept a simple lifestyle, wearing modest clothes and living in an ordinary home. He says: “My money comes from God; it was given to me by God for safeguarding. I cannot spend it recklessly but ought to help those in need.”

Jiang confesses that he has long harbored the dream of building a university in Fuyang. “But now I am old and will not reach this goal.” So he announced the establishment of a “Future Foundation” to support poor students. One hundred needy students are to be supported each year.

Jiang recalls one incident which fuelled his desire to set up this foundation. He had been informally supporting a poor student who told him: “I have a wish—when it will be possible for me, I also want to give something back to society in the way you do.” He was deeply moved and reckoned that money invested in this way was well spent. If every beneficiary adopted a similar attitude a huge network of social benefactors can be established.

“With my work I want to genuinely represent the Christian spirit of love to our neighbor.” So Jiang summarizes his motivation. (Amity News Service, 2004)

CHINA ISSUES NEW RELIGIOUS LAW
Beijing has committed itself to religious freedom while reaffirming its control over registered religious groups in the new Religious Affairs Provisions which will come into effect in March 2005. These comprehensive administrative rules specify that the legitimate rights of religious groups, religious sites and religious people are protected by the government. They supercede previous provisions made in 1994. The new provisions are designed to deal with new situations and issues that have emerged in recent years with China’s rapid socio-economic development. The drafting of the new rules has taken six years to take into account the views from people in law, religion and human rights. The new regulations do not affect the religious activities of foreigners in China, who are subject to a different set of regulations issued in 1994 which limited their worship activities to officially-prescribed venues and forbade missionary activities.

Analysts say the wording of the new rules suggests no change in basic policy. “Legitimate” religious rights are protected, but what is “legitimate” is still defined by the government and the Communist Party and transmitted down to religious believers by the various “patriotic” religious associations (including the Three Self Patriotic Movement and the China Christian Council). The provisions state that “religious bodies, activities and believers should abide by the constitution, laws and regulations to safeguard national unity, racial harmony and social stability.” Beijing’s underlying concern that religion could be a potent source of political and social instability are clearly apparent. In recent years, Islamic extremism, Tibetan Buddhist separatism, Roman Catholics loyal to the Vatican, unregistered Protestant house churches and the spread of various cults (such as Falungong and Eastern Lightning) have combined to make religion a serious headache to both central and local government.

Some analysts have welcomed the fact that officials who abuse their powers in dealing with religious groups can now face prosecution under the new laws. Officially, they are “not allowed to discriminate against citizens who are believers or non-believers.” But many critics dismiss this move as window-dressing at best, or worse, as an attempt to actually tighten state control. Local Party officials must still approve all construction and registration of churches and other venues for religious activities, and they must be informed of all religious appointments. The new law is not expected to ease harsh suppression of “illegal” religious movements such as Protestant house churches and the underground Catholic church. Throughout 2004 groups of house-church Christians, as well as individuals, were arrested sporadically in many places.

A researcher at the China Academy of Social Sciences who advised the government said the absence of definition of “religious belief” highlighted the government’s caution when it came to religion. He stressed it was important for the government to manage religious affairs but not religion itself, and to avoid tampering with people’s religious freedom. A Hong Kong Catholic observer said some of the provisions showed a “slight improvement” in Beijing’s handling of religious bodies, citing the rule against abuse of power. But he did not expect any immediate or dramatic changes in China’s handling of religious affairs. (Report based on information published by Xinhua, 18 & 22 Dec, the BBC, 19 Dec, South China Morning Post, 20 Dec 2004)

MINISTRY TO THE DEAF
“We have a special group in our church—deaf believers. A sister has been serving this group, and 30 deaf people have become Christians within two years. They have their own special gathering. They worship God using sign language to communicate, pray, praise, read the Bible and preach. Even though there is a lot of inconvenience, every one in the church is very dedicated in seeking God and worshipping Him.

“These deaf people have very little education and they do not know the standard sign language. The church workers teach them patiently how to use sign language. When a word of Christian vocabulary is not available in the sign language system, the church workers invent their own signs as needed. Many of the deaf people in this region are unemployed and so they lead very difficult lives. We can only provide limited financial assistance for them. Currently we are in great need of Christian materials for the deaf and we need financial assistance to help meet their daily needs and to help deaf orphans.”

This report on an often neglected ministry in China was written recently by a church worker in northern China and sent to Christian Communications Ltd. in Hong Kong.

HOUSE-CHURCH LEADER ARRESTED
Chinese authorities arrested a prominent house-church leader off the street in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, on December 1. (Christianity Today, 3 Jan 05). Zhang Rongliang, aged 53, is one of the leaders of the Fangcheng Fellowship which claims 10 million members. He has already been held in detention five times since 1974 serving between 40 days and seven years. Zhang’s apartment was searched and all his Christian DVDs, materials, and photos revealing relationships with foreigners and foreign agencies confiscated. Zhang has a high profile in China and internationally. Articles about him have appeared in Time, Newsweek and various Christian publications.

CHRISTMAS EVANGELISM
There are intriguing signs that the deeper meaning of Christmas is spreading in China, along with its rampant commercialism. About two-thirds of the world’s Christmas trees and decorations are now made in the factories of southern China. In 2003 China exported US$1.6 billion worth of Christmas products. Half of this went to the United States—including seven artificial trees erected in the White House.

However, the real message of Christmas is attracting record-breaking crowds to Christmas church services in many places. Yiwu, in coastal Zhejiang province, is home to half a million migrant workers from the country’s poorest reaches. Many of them have become curious about Christmas, says an elder at Yiwu’s main registered Protestant church. Last year, 30,000 people attended Christmas Eve services in the church which has pews that can seat only 7,000. So the minister set up loud-speakers in the churchyard. At the close, he asked how many first-timers would consider joining the church. “Hands went up everywhere,” the elder says. (Time, 18 December, and AFP, 21 Dec 2004)

Copyright 2005 OMF International