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Overcoming obstacles:
Christianity's status in China isa paradox: the nation is hostile to religion, and yet it recognizes Christian faith, according to Kevin Yao. Yao, a Beijing native now serving with Mennonite Mission Network in Hong Kong, said the key to China is never to generalize. In some places, persecution certainly exists for the unofficial churches. In other places, benevolent political leaders not only support the government-sanctioned Three Self Churches but also tolerate non-registered house churches. Mission workers cannot enter China to evangelize or plant churches, but many enter as professors, English teachers or business owners in positions where they act as examples of Christ-like living. Yao currently holds a post that allows him to return to mainland China several times a year to teach courses at universities there. Still, Chinese people interested in studying religion have few options. Rather than theology, Chinese institutions focus on history and cultural consequences in their religious-studies programs. Yao, who teaches Christian history at Hong Kong’s China Graduate School of Theology, said history is an important discipline for anyone involved in the church, and professors may include theological issues within the framework of the courses.
He called it one of the most important shifts in Christian history. "I can see the hand of God behind this," he continued. Officially, there are 20 million Christians in China. Unofficially, various sources estimate China contains between 40 and 120 million believers. While the sheer numbers are impressive, it is only 3 to 4 percent of China’s 1.3 billion people. Yao does not see Christianity becoming the dominant religion demographically in China, nor China becoming a Christian nation (as many label the United States). The Chinese religious landscape is too pluralistic, he said, and theologically he believes no nation can truly be called Christian. "Jesus never said Christians should take over the government and conquer the world. Christians were supposed to be a minority," he said. Believers, whether in the Three Self churches or in the non-registered house churches, give little weight to denominational identity, which tends to be imported from the West. Yao said that gives the Chinese church the freedom to determine its own processes rather than tying into schisms of the past. Yao said Anabaptists have an important minority voice, but they must stay away from the central power to keep their relevancy. In China, Anabaptists can have integrity because historically most have kept their distance, at some levels, from government, culture, imperialism and colonialism. Yao spent two college terms in the United States before deciding to study theology, a discipline unavailable at that time in China. He enrolled at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind., on a whim. One year later, he was baptized at Hively Avenue Mennonite Church in Elkhart. After earning a doctorate in theology at Boston University, Yao, and his wife, Szewai Ho served two years in Beijing with China Educational Exchange through Mennonite Central Committee. They moved to Hong Kong with Mennonite Mission Network in 2003. Other Mission Network workers in China are James and Michelle Stabler-Havener. Workers supported by Mission Network and Mennonite Canada Witness are Julie and Philip Bender and Jeanette and Todd Hanson. Another Mission Network worker in Hong Kong is Andy Wade. In this issue: Features Highlights Viewpoints |
