Global Chinese Ministries December 2010-January 2011
Christian Faith Plus Chinese Productivity
At first glance it looks like any other factory driving the rapid development of the Chinese economy. But this is no ordinary enterprise, because here religious faith is as important as profit.
In fact, the owner of this valve factory in Wenzhou would like to see all his staff members convert to Christianity. And such a factory is not a one-off; it is part of a growing number of businesses run by Christian entrepreneurs in one of China’s key enterprise zones, whose success is being studied by the Chinese government.
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The Need for Bibles
Sometimes one Bible has to be shared between four people in rural China. And that’s still only possible because of a financial gift.
In a village in Henan live two sisters-in-law, Cao and Du. Both are in their late forties; they are subsistence farmers, growing maize that hangs drying from the front of the house. Their fields lead out to the village graveyard – mounds lying among trees.
But money from a relative has meant they have just bought their first copy of the Scriptures. They share it between the two couples – four people, one Bible! “It’s very exciting!”, said Cao. She lights the fire in the outdoor kitchen as the dog looks on warily. They each earn about US$150 per year.
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December-January Prayer Points
1, Praise God for the many Christian-run factories in Wenzhou and other places in China. Pray for Christian managers and workers that they create beacons of honesty and success and combat endemic corruption.
2. Pray for China’s leaders and intellectuals as they study the history of Christianity in the West; many see it as a force for good in society. Pray they will overcome out-dated Marxist thinking which still views the gospel as an opiate.
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Official Survey of Christians in China
The Chinese government has published the results of its first public, official religious survey. This is the Blue Book on China Religions published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The survey was very comprehensive, looking at the responses to more than 60,000 questionnaires sent out to more than 300 counties across China.
Among the Christians interviewed, 69% of them said they had converted to Christianity because they or their family members had fallen ill; 70% of the Christians were female; and 67% of all Christians surveyed said they had been baptized.