Christianity in China has stopped growing since 2010, according to an academic paper. "In 19 nationally representative surveys conducted since the early 2000s, the authors find no clear evidence that Christianity continues to grow as a share of China's population," said an academic paper titled "The Growth of Christianity in China May Have Come to an End."
On Sep. 5, 2024, China officially announced adjustments to its international adoption policy. Moving forward, except for foreign nationals adopting children who are direct relatives within three generations or stepchildren, the country will no longer send children abroad for adoption. According to statistics, since the Adoption Law legalized international adoptions in 1992, over 160,000 Chinese children have been adopted by foreign families.
Since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy in 1980, which reinstated the foundational principle of religious freedom, Christianity in China has journeyed through phases of restoration, growth, and eventual revival.
On Christmas Eve, melodious Christmas carols echoed through an old church in Shanghai. It has a history of over a hundred years. Hundreds of Christians celebrated Christmas through songs, sacred dramas, and sermons. Meanwhile, churches across China celebrated Christmas in diverse ways, including hymn singing, musical worship, and sacred dramas depicting the birth of Jesus.
In this exclusive interview, Bonar Tanudjaja, Southeast Asia and East Asia Regional Director of Generosity Path, shares the core principles of biblical generosity and how the Journey of Generosity has transformed individuals, churches, and communities across Asia through sharing stories of people who are radically generous. In August, he traveled to Hong Kong to promote this message, calling believers to look beyond themselves as an antidote to prosperity gospel and other false teachings within
Passing on the faith is not only a matter that each Christian family must address but also a challenge facing the church today. The Chinese church has young believers but lacks disciples who are fervent for the Lord. If church leaders want to build a healthy church, they must invest effort in discipleship training.
From August 26 to September 4, a Chinese Christian delegation composed of 18 representatives from the political, religious, and academic sectors visited the United States, led by Rev. Wu Wei, president of the China Christian Council (CCC) and president of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary. This visit marks the first official group visit to the U.S. by the China Christian Council and National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (CCC&TSPM) since 2016.
Following their visit to Beijing and Jiangsu, a delegation of nine from the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) visited CCC&TSPM. Rev. Lin Manhong, vice president and general secretary of the China Christian Council (CCC), welcomed the delegation and reviewed the history of interactions between the WEA and CCC&TSPM on July 24, said CCC&TSPM. She also briefly introduced two significant initiatives currently being promoted by the Chinese church: the sinicization of Christianity and the administration
A nine-member delegation from the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), visited the Beijing Christian Council on July 21. Chairman Rev. Wu Weiqing of Beijing CC&TSPM affirmed the friendly relations between the two parties, emphasizing the importance of enhancing friendly exchanges with WEA while maintaining independence and self-management in church affairs, said Beijing CC&TSPM.
Before Chinese Bible Day 2023, which fell on December 9, a Christian man named Wang Mianli of Liaozhong District Church in Shenyang City completed the transcription of the Old and New Testaments in Chinese calligraphy. On November 19, last year, he was awarded an honorary certificate during a celebration held for him at the church. Rev. Ren Chuanyu, chairman of the Liaozhong District TSPM and head of the Liaozhong District Church, presented him with a bonus of 10,000 yuan out of his pocket.
Last Sunday, I attended a worship service at a church, noticing a one-third reduction in the attendance. Additionally, the number of worship sessions decreased from three to two. Choirs and fellowships are also suspended until the end of February.
