The Church in China: Where Business is Booming
by Randall Murphree
April 29, 2005
(AgapePress) - Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) and other ministries work to relieve suffering and persecution of Christians around the globe, including the nation of China. However, in some areas of China, believers are relatively free to practice their faith. Global Outreach International (GO), a U.S.-based group, has several personnel living in China.One GO American couple -- "Stephen" and "Joanne" -- in a Chinese city of several million said they live and practice their faith without fear. They have lived in the city for more than a dozen years. Stephen works with a business consulting firm catering to both Chinese and foreign businesses which need a connection in China. His company recently purchased an office suite in a downtown high rise. Some 20 persons work in the sleek, spacious offices where they provide a professional bridge among companies from various nations.
"What we do would be considered cutting edge anywhere in the world," Stephen said. "Our cross-cultural issues are the biggest thing in our business."
An associate at the firm agreed: "We are pioneering, breaking ground, doing things others are not doing." Ultimately, their work enhances and encourages the growth of free enterprise in the nation as a whole.
A Booming Economy
The company's success reflects China's growing economy. Not only does it provide corporate-level services such as bookkeeping, contract development, and liaison work, it also offers various training programs including teaching English as a Second Language and other business-related topics. Stephen said business English classes are on the agenda for the near future. In addition, the firm gets down to ground level with business and community development programs.
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Christian business firm goes out to conduct a village assessment with plans to offer employment to women in the village (Copyright 2005, Randall Murphree) |
"A recent grant will enable us to offer micro-enterprise loans for rural economic development," Stephen said. He is excited about the program because these loans will enable village families living near or in poverty to achieve financial independence. Another project, Threads of Yunnan, employs women from surrounding villages to produce handicrafts which the firm helps market.Friendship Evangelism
All of these ventures provide avenues which Stephen and Joanne use to build strong friendships with their Chinese counterparts. In addition, Joanne is employed in the entertainment industry, writing and producing Christian music in Chinese. Her career allows her to build relationships that, over time, are based on mutual trust and respect.
"Then when someone asks me why we're in China, that opens the door for me to talk about my faith and what brought us here," she said. Both husband and wife consider themselves normal American believers. The only difference is that they are called to live in another culture on the other side of the world.
They make the most of friendship evangelism, and are committed to helping friends grow in their newfound faith, often on a one-to-one basis. Although they have friends in home fellowships, groups which some would call the underground church, Stephen said churches in their city are like churches in any world metroplex -- conservative and liberal, large and small, thriving and struggling.
They worship at an international fellowship, but have been in other churches -- state-sponsored, registered and unregistered -- and have heard the Gospel in a wide variety of settings. Joanne is working on a major music project with The Three-Self Church, the official state church. The project will include Christian worship music.
Todd Nettleton, VOM's director of news services, affirms that many Christians in the East experience a great deal of freedom. His ministry, however, focuses on those who face suffering or persecution, providing Bibles to captive nations, relief to martyrs' families and life-sustaining items to the needy.
While their work offers a contrasting picture of the church in China, it is evident that both GO and VOM perform valid and much-needed ministry. The two groups are living illustrations of how God calls His people to varied paths and creative methods of ministry.
Read Part 1 in this series
Part 3 in this series will be posted on May 6, 2005
Randall Murphree, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is editor of AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. For more on Voice of the Martyrs / P. O. Box 54, Caney, KS 67333 / 918-337-8015. For more on Global Outreach / P.O. Box 1, Tupelo, MS 38802 / 662-842-4615.
