The Church in China: Where Sailing Is Symbol, Sewing Is Substance
by Randall Murphree
May 6, 2005
(AgapePress) - When the Western church hears about its counterpart in the Eastern Hemisphere, news often focuses on hardships and hazards faced by believers in Third World countries and other nations where affluence is elusive. Oppression. Health crises. Poverty. Persecution. Hunger. Natural disasters.Magazines, television news, books and websites latch onto the pathos and drama inherent in photos of hungry children, cardboard shanty-towns and dying AIDS victims. Understandably, as media outlets compete for attention, their leaning toward the dramatic captures the eyes and the hearts of American Christians.
Ministries such as Voice of the Martyrs highlight such conditions and perform a valuable service for the Body of Christ. They educate and challenge affluent Americans who can help alleviate some of the suffering of others.
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Caption: Boat building and sailing provide American Christian a context to share his faith (Copyright 2005, Randall Murphree) |
Sailing the Seas
At the same time, however, there is the danger of a skewed perception of the Church in the East. Even in China, where persecution is well documented, some American residents say they live comfortably, pursue their careers and practice their faith in a high degree of freedom. They abide by the law, they don't use bull-horns on street corners and they cultivate friendships with new acquaintances.For example, "Joseph" and "Ella" are a couple affiliated with the U.S.-based Global Outreach. They have lived in two metro-areas in China for more than a decade. In one city, they were co-founders of a school where Joseph worked full-time for several years. The school continues to thrive, and they are still involved on an advisory level. More recently, however, Joseph started a business which utilizes his skills, incorporates what was once only a hobby, and opens doors for him to talk about his Christian faith.
Joseph is a boat builder and sailing enthusiast. Subsequently, he has cleverly crafted that interest into a means of building friendships and teaching life-lessons that can be learned from the sea -- actually, lessons from men like Peter, Andrew, James and John in the biblical stories of fishermen and the sea.
Along with his Chinese assistant, a young Christian, Joseph enrolls men who want to learn how to build boats for use on the lakes near their city. The course continues over the next several months as the men build both boats and friendships. Joseph keeps the classes small, so he can cultivate one-on-one friendships with each student.
"Having this boat-building context just naturally leads to conversations that can incorporate lessons from the Gospel," he said. It is a unique example of friendship evangelism, and it illustrates how God can use anyone's skills and interests to further His kingdom work.
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Greeting cards display sewing products created by village women and distributed through Christian firm (Copyright 2005, Randall Murphree) |
Sewing and Sowing
Meanwhile, Ella spends her days with a sewing project that employs women in many villages surrounding their city. The sewing products are marketed through a business firm in the city (see second story in the series). Ella helps supervise production, maintain quality control and seek methods of marketing.Initially, the firm identifies a village with potential employees, then drives out to conduct a village assessment. In some cases, they find the Chinese women already using electric sewing machines in their mud-walled, dirt-floored homes. Next, they introduce their products and finally, train the women.
Colorful items in the product line include small pieces such as bookmarks, Christmas tree ornaments and greeting cards. Larger items include tote bags, pillow covers, table runners and place mats.
But Ella is more than a businesswoman. She becomes friends with the women who do the sewing, then when they become comfortable enough to ask about her American background and her faith, she offers to lead Bible studies for the village women. She says it's a win-win situation -- sewing with thread leads to sowing the Truth.
In the big picture, the Church in China is clearly a complex entity, encompassing such diverse ministries as Voice of the Martyrs and Global Outreach. Each ministry fulfills its call by finding its unique niche to serve Christ by serving others.
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.
