Fall 2003Vol. 5 No. 3

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aThe Power ofPartnership . . . 4

The Powerof PrayerPartnership . . . 5

The Formation of aNew City-to-CityPartnership . . . 9

Andrew T. Kaiser

ew words are used more frequently in Chris-tian outreach circles today than “partner-

Inside:

Cross-Cultural Partnershipsin China Ministries

ship.” While what exactly is meant by partnershipcan vary greatly, when uttered, this word often hasthe power to make both national and foreign par-ticipants smile. Everyone likes partnerships, right?

Our organization has been located in the samecity in China for nearly ten years now. Many ofour expatriate and local staff have been therefrom the beginning and, accordingly, we have got-ten to know the local church leaders very well. Inthe last few years, the local church has taken tocalling on us and inviting us to join them for ameal whenever foreign delegations visit theirchurch. The first time this happened we were un-sure as to why the local church involved us at all:perhaps they thought we foreignerswould enjoy meeting with other for-eigners? Perhaps they simply neededus to help translate? We attended themeal and spent much of the time talkingwith the guests about their plans for

F partnering in ministry in China. But after the foreigndelegates were safely on their way back to their hotelthe Chinese pastors began to question us: What didthese foreigners want? What were they offering?Were they trustworthy? Were they evangelical, orwere they theologically liberal? The pastors felt com-fortable with us, and so they used us to perform asimple evaluation of their potential partner. In busi-ness terms, they were doing their due diligencebefore entering into any kind of cooperative rela-tionship. Since then, we have come to expect thesephone calls—and to see the wisdom in this practice.This essay is an attempt to outline the nature and im-portance of this kind of due diligence in the forming ofhealthy cross-cultural partnerships for China ministries.

A Cordof FourStrands . . . 6

The Role of Due Diligence Research

If You’re Goingto Partnerin China . . . 12

We should takechurch just asseriously in China as we do in our home country.

Photos courtesy China Partner

2

Copyright © 2003 by ChinaSource. ChinaSource is published quarterly by ChinaSource, which wasfounded as a cooperative effort of Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies, the InterdenominationalForeign Mission Association, World Evangelical Alliance, and the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton Col-lege, and merged with the Institute of Chinese Studies in 2000. Its purpose is to provide up-to-dateand accurate analysis of the issues and opportunities facing Christians involved in China service andto provide a forum for exchanging viewpoints and discussing strategies. The views expressed hereindo not necessarily reflect those of ChinaSource or its cooperating agencies.

Brent Fulton, Editor ● Julia Grosser, Managing Editor ● Dona Diehl, Layout and Design

ChinaSource may be requested from ChinaSource, P.O. Box 4343, Fullerton, CA 92834 (info@chsource.org or 714-449-0611). Subscriptionrates: USA: $29/yr., $54/2 yrs., $79/3 yrs.; International : $39/yr. , $74/2 yrs. ChinaSource reserves the right to transition the internationalversion to an electronic format to improve service and offset postage rate increases. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced or transmitted without prior written permission of the publisher.

The Need for Due Diligence inForming Church Partnerships

Why are foreign churches so quickto leap when so little looking has beendone? The televangelist debacles of the1980s combined with the dizzying prolif-eration of denominations and sects inAmerica today have taught evangelicalshere to look very carefully before theygive their offerings. While church hop-ping has developed into an extreme artform in America, most Americans stillattempt to evaluate churches beforecommitting to regular worship or mem-bership. Yet, it is surprisingly difficult tofind a foreign Christian group workingin China today that can say much aboutthe teaching, politics, fellowship, life ofthe body, or even theology of the peoplethey are “partnering” with. What knowl-edge we do possess is often based onhearsay and the questionable reportagewe have encountered in the West.

Imagine a Christian family movingto a new city in America: would we ex-pect them to automatically apply formembership at the local CommunityFellowship Church because they have“heard” that Community FellowshipChurches are the real churches? No!We would expect them to listen to afew sermons (probably from more thanone preacher!), attend a Sunday schoolclass or two, and talk to the people inthe pews. What are they reading? Howactive are they? Are they growing?What do they think of the church lead-ership? We would expect any new arriv-als to spend some time looking into thevarious church-going options availablein their particular city. In businessterms, this is similar to the process ofperforming due diligence research on apotential partner before entering into a

contractual relationship with him.We should take church just as seri-

ously in China as we do in our homecountry. The criteria for evaluationmay be somewhat different—and, ofcourse, the results of any such researchmust be locally determined and encul-turated—but proper stewardship of allthe resources with which God has en-trusted His church requires that welook before we leap into any coopera-tive relationship. By doing some basicresearch, we can overcome our precon-ceived perceptions and develop part-nerships that match the real needs andstrengths of the local national churches.

The Chinese ContextOne reason due diligence is rarely

done (or done in a very limited fash-ion) by China ministries is that it is dif-ficult. Language, cultural differencesand the necessity that it be done for aspecific local body of believers placesthis kind of work out of the reach ofmany of our current agencies. Yet, thisis precisely what Christian workers doon other fields around the world. Ingeneral, the kinds of information neces-sary to consider when evaluating newand old projects, local churches andhow best to cooperate with them, fallinto three broad categories. After look-ing more specifically at the questions in-volved in each of these categories, thisessay will conclude with a suggestion asto how best to gather this information.

The historical background. Manyevents over the centuries have contrib-uted to shape the unique aspects ofChristian life and expression in China.These experiences are necessarily dif-ferent in China—and in fact in eachlocality within China—from our experi-

ences in our home countries. Christianprofessionals working in China mustcome to grips with the historical rela-tionship between opium, missionariesand the role of foreign Christians inthe Opium Wars. In addition, the 19thcentury issues surrounding treatyrights, religious cases and the use ofgunboat diplomacy are symbolic ofmodern power issues that still resonatetoday. Given China’s current nationalethos, all foreign Christians working inChina need to examine their work inlight of the historical role of lies, deceitand the use of covers in spreading theGospel in China. A rich understandingof local missions’ history (particularlywith respect to past denominational af-filiations, pre-1949 relations between lo-cal congregations, and relations amonglocal church leaders during the CulturalRevolution) is essential to handling anyrelationship with local believers in a re-sponsible and sensitive way.

The current local regulatory environ-ment. China’s unique regulatory envi-ronment greatly influences everythingforeign Christian workers in China do;it also shapes a given Chinese congrega-tion’s ability and inclination to act insociety. To be ill informed about the is-sues involved is foolish. Awareness be-gins with an understanding of theThree-Self Principles (self-governing,self-supporting, self-propagating) andtheir development from the ApostlePaul’s writings by foreign workers suchas John Nevius and Roland Allen.Their acceptance by evangelical Chris-tian workers around the globe andstated purpose to avoid foreign depen-dence should also be acknowledged. Itis also important to understand the dif-ference between registered and unreg-

3Fall, 2003

istered fellowships in China, as well asthe attitudes towards registration preva-lent in the specific locality where theproposed partnership is to be located.Knowledge of the true nature of the in-teraction between groups of local be-lievers and their particular PublicSecurity Bureau (PSB) and State Ad-ministration for Religious Affairs(SARA) representatives is essential toany successful partnership: we mustknow what is and is not possible in thecurrent context. Remember, all regula-tions in China are first and foremost lo-cally enforced and interpreted—andthis includes the appointment of pastorsand other church workers. Of course,one’s place as a foreign Christian withinthis regulatory environment is oftengreatly influenced by the responsibleand irresponsible activities of the for-eign Christians who have come before.

Thorough evaluation of the local part-ner. Any responsible due diligence re-

port would be incomplete if it did notinclude an objective evaluation of thepartner—in this case any governmentagencies and private organizations withwhich your specific project must coop-erate, as well as any local church bodieswith which you seek to partner. De-grees of corruption and levels of com-mitment are all worth assessing. Inregards to the local church, this work isoften difficult since the opinions ofone believer are unlikely to provide thebroad objective evaluation necessary.Issues to investigate include churchprograms, historical and personal rela-tions between various groups of believ-ers, theological trends, degrees ofunity, leadership potential, local Chris-tian attitudes towards Chinese cultureand social life in general, teachings onvarious issues, and church finances.Depending on your specific areas of

partnership, it is probably worth investi-gating the nature, availability and prov-enance of local Christian literature. Byimagining that one is looking for a newchurch home in one’s own home coun-try, many of the most important ques-tions will naturally leap to mind.

This kind of information is basic todoing long-term, responsible, and ef-fective work for the church in China.Of course, it is unrealistic to think thatall this information could be gatheredbefore entering into a partnership; butshouldn’t we try? At the very least, ad-mission of ignorance on these issuesshould bring humility and reserve tomuch of what is being attempted.

Yes, But How?In any society where hierarchy and

bureaucracy are pervasive, knowledgefunctions as a highly valuable commod-ity not to be traded lightly. Accordingly,the kinds of information sought in any

due diligence valuation of a Chinesenational church partner will requiresignificant and wide-ranging relation-ships of trust in the specific Chinesecommunity being considered. One ofthe most practical means for develop-ing these relationships and acquiringthis information is the placement oflong-term Christian workers livingcross-culturally in their potentialpartner’s locality. Whether it involvesWestern Christians being sent to livelong-term in Chinese communities orChinese believers coming to live for anextended period in our Westernchurch communities, these exchangesmust allow enough time for the visitorsto develop linguistic and cultural flu-ency as well as the relationships neces-sary to maintain whatever partneringinitiatives may evolve. For Westernchurches that are not in a position to

send their own people, organizationsand individuals already working in spe-cific Chinese locations should besought out to provide introductionsand advice. With knowledgeable, lo-cally invested cross-cultural workers act-ing as “marriage brokers” it should bepossible to avoid many of the morecommon misunderstandings that haveplagued partnership efforts in the past.

It is ironic that while foreignchurches move away from emphasizinglong-term service overseas, the role ofthe career foreign servant is still essen-tial to the successful and responsibleoperation of most significant church-to-church partnerships. In addition to sur-veying the local context with respect tothe due diligence questions raisedabove, long-term workers living in thecommunity can build the trust neces-sary to maintain a healthy long-termpartnership. They are in a place to pro-vide accountability for both sides and,to the degree that they have enteredinto fellowship with the local Christiancommunity, these long-term foreignresidents can provide valuable correc-tions to the foreign church’s misconcep-tions about the national church’s trueneeds and wants. At the same time, theycan communicate the struggles andneeds of the foreign church to local na-tional Christians in a way that is sensitiveand sincere, thus granting respect anddignity to both partners.

Is this too much to ask? Many foreignchurches balk at the thought of asking,much less sending, someone to servelong-term overseas. But for our churchpartnerships to be valuable and produc-tive, we need long-term servants to func-tion as mediators between the twopartners. It is the churches that shouldbe sending their own people into suchservice. If we really wish to serve along-side national churches in China as part-ners in ministry—if we truly wish tomake local Chinese pastors smile—whatbetter way to demonstrate our love andhope for them than by surrendering ourlives and entering into theirs.

The kinds of information sought in any duediligence valuation of a Chinese national church part-ner will require significant and wide-ranging relationships oftrust in the specific Chinese community being considered.

Andrew T. Kaiser lives in China with hisfamily. He has been working in China’snonprofit sector since 1997.

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unity of purpose is summed up in God’sglory and the Kingdom factor. The risenLord’s last command is our first con-cern. It was unity of purpose that boundNehemiah and his people together andenabled them to complete the rebuild-ing of the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days.Now, as then, it is “the vision thing.”

MUTUAL TRUST. Building trust betweenindividuals and organizations is critical ifpartnership is to move forward smoothly.It cannot be taken for granted. Just be-cause we are Christians does not meanthat mutual trust will be immediate orinevitable. Nehemiah also knew that thenurturing of mutual trust required pa-tience and tact, and needed to be on-go-

ing. It took a Barnabas in Jerusalem tobreak down the deep mistrust for Paul,build mutual trust, and lay a foundationfor partnership.

DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY. A wise di-vision of responsibility and delegation ofauthority avoids unnecessary duplica-tion, costly competition, and ensureseffective use of limited human and mate-rial resources in order to achieve syn-ergy. Paul put it graphically: the body isone, but the members are many, andtheir differing functions indispensable.Therefore, the eye cannot say to the

hand, “I don’t need you.” Nor can thefoot say, “Because I am not a hand, Idon’t belong to the body” (Matt. 18:19)In the face of formidable forces,Nehemiah’s wise division of labor anddelegation of responsibility assured himand his people of success in their under-taking.

COLLECTIVE DECISION-MAKING. Col-lective decision-making is a fourthimportant ingredient of effective part-nerships. There is no better way tonurture unity and trust and build part-nerships than through mutual consulta-tion and collective decision-making andaction. Consider an illustration in thelife of the early church. In Acts 6, Luke

described how the church in Jerusalemwas really growing—so much so that theleadership could not cope. People’sneeds were overlooked and divisionmarred the unity of the church. Peterand the other leaders immediatelycalled the new Christian community to-gether. Options were outlined, a way for-ward proposed and a collective decisionmade. The problem was resolved, andthe number of new believers continuedto increase rapidly.

GOOD COMMUNICATIONS. Maintaininggood communications is also very criti-

tration of the power of partnership. Noone department in Hong Kong canhandle it alone. Indeed, no one city,area or country can either. The HongKong Health Department has estab-lished strategic links with every relevantgovernment agency as well as withChina, Singapore and other countriesin the region. Moreover, it has joinedforces with the U.S. Center for DiseaseControl based in Atlanta and the WorldHealth Organization based in Genevato draw on their expertise.

In another article in this issue ofChinaSource, we consider the “Power ofPrayer Partnership.” Prayer is the indis-pensable foundation of any effectivepartnership in Christian service. Evenin the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong, itis very moving to see how Christianshave responded in prayer for patients,medical workers, and government lead-ers. Around the world MSI colleagueshave also been standing with doctors,nurses and hospital staff who are on thefront lines of this war against a new virus.

There are five essential ingredientsto all effective partnerships: unity ofpurpose; mutual trust; division of re-sponsibility; collective decision-making;and good communications.

UNITY OF PURPOSE. Unity of purposeis the indispensable starting point of anyeffective partnership. For Christians,

in ChristianProfessional Service

HBuilding trust between individuals and

organizations is critical if partnershipis to move forward smoothly.

ong Kong’s coor-dinated assault tohalt the grim spec-ter of the SARSoutbreak is an illus-

James H. Taylor III

The POWERof Partnership

Photo courtesy China Partner

5Fall, 2003

cal to partnership. It is important thatall bodies that have committed them-selves to partner in an undertaking andhave been involved in mutual decision-making are kept in the picture as thepartnership develops. Otherwise, misun-derstandings are sure to arise. Remem-ber the case of the offending altar inJoshua 22. The Israelites had taken pos-session of the Promised Land. The twotribes had fulfilled their commitmentand were now on their way home backeast of the Jordan River. Just beforecrossing the river, they built an altar as asymbol of their solidarity with the nine

few days ago my dearfriend, Ajith Fernando,director of Youth forChrist in Sri Lanka, sentA

me an e-mail note. In it he wrote, “Youare regularly in my prayers.” Attachedwere some thought provoking reflec-tions he had as he celebrated his 54thbirthday. At that point of passage, Ajithhad been asking himself the question,“What am I going to do when I am tooold to run around; when there is no‘job’ for me to do?” Like so many of us,he naturally thought of intercessoryprayer. However, as his thoughts carriedhim on, he began to see that praying forpeople is not a prescription for retire-ment but an important part of his jobdescription now, like teaching or writinga report or visiting a sick person. Ajithconcluded, “It is the most powerfulthing I do. (James 5:16) When I finish

in heaven” (Matt. 18: 19). This is an in-vitation to and promise of a powerfulprayer partnership. The church fullyrecognizes its importance when send-ing people out in cross-cultural serviceoverseas and urges members to sign upas prayer partners. Unfortunately, alimited understanding of the role ofChristian professional service as it re-lates to the Great Commission drasti-cally limits the scope of this powerfulprayer partnership. Because most donot look upon Christian professionals,or those in the corporate world andbusiness, in civil service or politics,teachers, workers and housewives as be-ing an integral part of the Great Com-mission, churches don’t ask people tosign up and provide prayer support forthem. This is indeed a vast mistake!

Yet these Christians have an incalcu-

tribes. It was a great idea, but done with-out communication. For their part, thenine tribes also failed to ask what wasgoing on and assumed their partnershad fallen into apostasy. War was nar-rowly averted only after communica-tions had been restored.

A final word. In the anecdotal evi-dence for each of the five principles ofpartnership given above, wise and goodleadership is present. The lesson isclear. Those of us in Christian profes-sional service today need to forge strongpartnerships if we are to see God’s gloryand the advance of His Kingdom. The

measure of their effectiveness and suc-cess will be seen in our commitment tothese basic principles—unity of pur-pose, mutual trust, division of responsi-bility, collective decision-making andmaintaining good communications.

James H. Taylor III is president of MSI Profes-sional Services. He was born in China, edu-cated at Chefoo Schools, Greenville College,Asbury Seminary and Yale University. Heserved as founding president of China Evan-gelical Seminary and general director of OMFInternational. This article is reprinted fromthe MSI Bulletin. Used with permission.

Continued on page 11

praying for the day, I have a sense I’veachieved something.”

This got me to thinking. Interces-sory prayer is not just work, it’s hardwork. Paul describes Epaphras as “al-ways wrestling in prayer” for thechurch he helped plant in Colosse. Itwas sustained spiritual struggle. Thissort of perseverance bears fruit. It makesa difference in a marriage and family, atschool and at work, in a church and in anation, as well as in the fulfillment ofGod’s global purpose. Praying for peopleis a powerful job every Christian has.

An insurance company in HongKong likes to focus on “the power ofpartnership” in its attention grabbingTV ads. Jesus taught His disciples about“the power of prayer partnership.”

“Again, I tell you that if two of youon earth agree about anything you askfor, it will be done for you by my Father

James H. Taylor III

in ChristianProfessional Service

Photo courtesy China Partner

The POWERof PrayerPartnership

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This verse describes a wonderful vi-sion for Christian marriage, but it isalso equally applicable to the powerand strength of churches working to-gether in partnership. One such part-nership is now evolving between severalevangelical churches and an organiza-tion in one particular region of theUnited States. If this partnership suc-ceeds, it will catalyze a church plantingmovement and will mobilize thatChurch for an expansive missionarysending movement.

The church partners come fromcommon historical and theological

roots. Each was founded by a handfulof eager believers who longed to see abiblically faithful church grow and in-fluence their city. Central Church*grew out of a home Bible study thatstarted in the fall of 1968. Today morethan 1500 people attend the churcheach weekend. The church has tradi-tionally attracted many high-level pro-fessionals and entrepreneurs.

Community Bible Church began in1985 when seventeen people met in ahome to discuss the possibility of start-ing a new church in the northwest partof their city. In 1986, 75 gathered forthe church’s first worship service. In

CPartnership:a close,

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by Mike Pollard

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1994, it moved into its current facili-ties. In the early 1990s the church’sleaders committed the church to achurch planting vision, planning tostart ten churches in 20 years in theirarea. Thus far, the church has plantedthree daughter churches.

In another city 90 miles away andhome to the more than 50,000 studentsof a large university, First Church be-gan as a fundamental independentchurch in 1961 with a handful of mem-bers. Over the years it evolved into agrace-oriented Bible church. From itsbeginning, the church grasped the im-

plications of reaching the local univer-sity students for Christ. Collegiate min-istry has long been the major staple ofthe church’s ministry. Now located justoff campus, as many as half of its 3,000attendees come from the universityduring the school year.

Many students from Central Churchand Community Bible Church gradu-ated from high school, migrated to theuniversity 90 miles away, and foundtheir way to First Church. For yearsmuch cross-pollination has existed be-tween these three churches. Severaloverseas workers receive financial sup-port from all three churches. Yet, inthe past few years, and independent of

Churches Partner to Strengthenthe Church in China

A Cord of Four Strands

hances are that when you’ve attendeda Christian wedding, you’ve heard anallusion to Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Thoughone may be overpowered, two candefend themselves. A cord of threestrands is not quickly broken.”

—Interdev}“We realized that if we didn’t bring purposeand focus to the ministry, the results wouldcontinue to be scattered.”

*Names of churches and individuals have been changed.

7Fall, 2003

❝

❞

each other, each church began to real-ize that it could not continue to be in-volved in international ministry intraditional ways.

Bill Peterson, Community Bible’sGlobal Outreach and Evangelism Pas-tor, says, “Six years ago we decided thatwe needed a more focused strategy forour cross-cultural ministry. Up until thattime this ministry was very traditionaland scattered. Individuals asked us forsupport and if their ministry soundedgood, we supported them. But we real-ized that if we didn’t bring purpose andfocus to the ministry, the results wouldcontinue to be scattered.”

George Fields, an Associate Pastorat First Church whose parents were in-strumental in the church’s early his-tory, recalls the church’s cross-cultural

ministry history: “At our first confer-ence, we voted to support three indi-viduals each at $10 per month. Thathas mushroomed into a current-dayannual cross-cultural ministry budgetof $300,000 supporting 56 workers. Butit’s difficult to rally increased givingand involvement around workers whomost people don’t know. Our orienta-tion has historically been more of a‘shotgun approach.’ When someonecame out of our church and wanted toserve overseas, we simply supportedhim or her with few questions asked. Afew years ago we decided to continuesupporting these overseas workers, butalso to target three to five areas aroundthe world, to be determined by whereGod was clearly working.”

Franklin Turner from CentralChurch echoes similar sentiments. “Fiveyears ago we supported 30 workers onthe field, but very little rhyme or reasonguided what we were doing. When Icame on as the new chairman, thecross-cultural ministry committee be-gan to consider how we might become

more strategic, in part so that thechurch would better understand whatwe were doing and become more ac-tively involved in it.”

Each church began a journey of de-termining where in the world it mightbecome strategically engaged. Throughactivities such as praying, analyzing cur-rent relationships and workers that theyalready supported, sending leaders onexploratory trips, and consulting withother organizations, each churchemerged with a resolution to serve inthe nation of China.

In the case of Central Church, thecross-cultural ministry committee wasadvised to bring church leaders intothe discovery process as early as pos-sible. The committee asked a group ofthe church’s pastors and elders to jour-

ney to China on a vision trip in Decem-ber 2000. “I thought that we wouldsend our leaders on several vision tripsbefore making any decisions about thefuture,” says Turner. “But God spoke toour leaders in a significant way whilethey were there. They became stronglyconvinced of God’s call on the churchto minister in China.”

In every city Central Church’s lead-ers heard the same story about China.While the gospel had made tremen-dous inroads into rural parts of thecountry, few from the ranks of stu-dents, intellectuals and professionals inlarge cities had responded to the gos-pel. By the time that Central Churchleaders were ready to return, they haddetermined that the church wouldsomehow be involved in serving amongChina’s urban upper classes.

All three churches already sup-ported workers serving cross-culturallyin China. Each discovered a commonthread woven through many of thoseworkers. A student group at the localuniversity had been sending students

❝ Realize it’s a lot of workand headaches. It’s harder to workas a group than alone. You mustbe committed to seeing it throughto the end. If you’re not willingto work together and iron outdifferences, then don’t start apartnership.❞ —Bill Peterson

❝ If you’re starting abrand new partnership,be realistic. You’ll tend to setunreasonably high or fast goals atfirst. If you’re entering an existingpartnership, be wise. It’s like enter-ing a marriage; through this unionyou will allocate your resourcesin ways that you wouldn’t alone.❞—George Fields

❝ Before committing toa partnership, make sure thatall of your church’s critical leadersare informed. Prayerfully considerif the goal of the partnership(region, people group) is wherethe Lord is calling you. If God isin it, it’s the best way to maximizeyour resources. You will benefitfrom the strengths of other part-ners. It exponentially increaseseverybody’s potential to have theimpact that you desire to have.❞—George Fields

❝ Understand that in apartnership, what will occuris bigger than all of the partners.It’s like a new creation. This is nottraditional cross-cultural work. Itwill impact the whole church andgive it a sense of significance.❞—Franklin Turner

❝ Find agency partnersthat will work with you rather thantake control of the partnership.❞—Franklin Turner

adviceon joining apartnership

“God spoke to our leaders in a significant way while they werethere. They became strongly convinced of God’scall on the church to minister in China.”

8

on short-term visits to China for years.Some had become long-term workers,with connections to the three churches.

One such worker took note of eachchurch’s evolving interest in China andencouraged them to meet and con-sider what they might accomplishthrough a partnership. And in January2001, all three churches began meetingregularly and prayerfully consideringwhat God might be orchestrating.

Also invited to these meetings wererepresentatives from the student groupactive at the local university. Not onlyhad this organization had much infor-mal influence on these three churches,but it also brought to the table an al-

ready-existing structure for future in-volvement. This organization wouldcontinue to send the churches’ stu-dents to China. A related organizationwith ties to China would continue toinfluence students for Christ there. Athird entity, headquartered in the samecity as the first two churches, was al-ready structured to send professionalsin short-term capacities.

It seemed to all that God was clearlyorchestrating a partnership, but thenext question to be answered was whatthe precise mission of such a partner-ship would be. Each church broughtdifferent strengths and vision to thetable. Community Bible Church, withits focus on church planting, wanted tosee churches planted in China. FirstChurch, strongly rooted in collegiateministry, yearned to see a partnershipconnect with college students in China.Central Church, a church with manybusiness experts and entrepreneurs,wanted to jumpstart an outreach toprofessionals in China. Says Turner, “Ifwe were going to rally our churcharound this partnership, our leadersbelieved that we needed to find addi-tional business and professional av-

enues for involvement.” Turner andCentral Church elder Kirk Brown wentback to China in April and July 2001for the purpose of discovering partnerswith which the partnership could workin a business context. They discoveredan organization that serves profession-als through business consultation andschools for English language and lead-ership development.

The vision that has evolved for thepartnership is one of serving amongstudents and young professionals inseveral Chinese provinces and workingwith the church as it receives believersfrom this class of people. Those collec-tive churches, in turn, will become

senders of workers into the rest of thecountry and beyond. Thus, the Heart-land Partnership was born.

Members of the Partnership havebeen meeting for a day of planning ev-ery month or two except during sum-mers. In the nearly two years of thePartnership’s existence, much of itstime has been spent laying the founda-tions for future ministry. “We’ve gottenon the same page of a common andspecific vision,” says Fields. “We’ve de-veloped a strategic plan and identifiedwhich partners will carry out whichgoals,” says Turner. Additionally, thethree Partnership churches are prepar-ing to jointly hire a man who will serveas the partnership facilitator. KirkBrown, the former Central Church el-der with a substantial business back-ground, has moved to China and worksamong Chinese professionals.

All Partnership churches have beenpleased with the involvement of thestudent organization they came toknow through the local university.“They’ve had connections with Chinafor decades. They provide us with greattraining and have already establishedthe structures through which we can

serve,” says Peterson. “I can’t imaginedoing what we’re envisioning doingwithout them. They started the workthere. They have brought us into anamazing network of people and organi-zations,” says Fields.

While all three of the HeartlandPartnership’s churches are larger insize, none believes that involvement inpartnership is restricted to larger, more“sophisticated” churches. “Cross-culturalministry sophistication is more of a by-product of partnership than an initialrequirement,” says Turner. “When I firstvisited China, I wasn’t very sophisticated.Since then I’ve read a lot of Chinese his-tory, made Chinese friends and amlearning to speak Chinese. Churcheswill develop sophistication as they wadeout deeper into partnership.”

Fields agrees. “Depending on the na-ture of the partnership, churches’ sizeor sophistication is not the issue. I’d en-courage churches considering a part-nership to go for it. The process ofexploring and getting involved will an-swer a lot of your questions. Don’t pre-maturely exclude yourself on the basisof the notion of your size or your per-ceived resources if a partnership’s goalsand vision are the same as your own.”

To the church that cannot picture it-self involved in a partnership, GeorgeFields advises, “Pick one thing that youcan do well. Focus on doing one simplething well. You’ve got to focus. Keep itsimple. Or ride the coat tails of a biggerchurch that already has a vision and hasdeveloped infrastructure for ministry.”

Could each of the churches have ac-complished this vision without workingin a partnership? “Possibly,” says Fields,“but not nearly as quickly and effectively.What will hopefully take the Partnershipfive to ten years would have taken ourchurch alone at least 15-20 years.” “Asa single church we never could havedreamed up as big of a vision, as specifica focus, or as comprehensive a strategy,”says Peterson. “If your church has thechance to join a partnership, don’t missthe opportunity.”

“As a single church we never could have dreamed up asbig of a vision, as specific a focus, or as comprehensive astrategy. If your church has the chance to join apartnership, don’t miss the opportunity.”

Mike Pollard is the Nashville Area Represen-tative for ACMC and the editor of Mobilizermagazine. Copyright ACMC 2002. Adaptedand used with permission.

9Fall, 2003

CL: The partnership grew out ofthe Perspectives on the World Chris-tian Movement course. My wife andI took the course eight years ago andI have been helping coordinate thecourse ever since. Over those eightyears, we have had over 600 studentsfrom probably 40 different churches inthe area take the course. A natural by-product of the course has been missionpastors, mission committee people,church members and businessmen

The Formation of a NEW

from different churches asking ques-tions like, “Hey, what are you doing inmissions; what is your mission strategy?Are there areas where we could worktogether on a missions project? Howabout a joint, short-term mission trip?”We decided to form the Harvest Net-work as a way to foster greater collabora-tion and cross pollination of missionideas. We can accomplish something inmissions together that we could neverdo as individual churches. We probablyhave 12 core churches from differentdenominations participating right nowwith several others interested once weare further along with our plans.

CS: Why did your network decideto focus on China?

CL: To advance the concept of dif-ferent churches working together, weneeded a good first project—one thatwould creatively capture our churches’interests, while meeting needs overseasand in our community. We began tokick around ideas and discovered ashared interest in China. A number ofour churches were seeking ways to getinvolved in China. We had a prominentChinese house church leader visit thearea. He really challenged and inspiredus. For a Perspectives class, we had rep-resentatives from a ministry organiza-tion who gave a great overview of thesuffering, yet victorious house churchmovement in China. They showed uspractical ways to come alongside thechurch in China and help. We alsohave a number of families in the areawho have adopted Chinese childrenthrough a local Christian adoption

here is a growingtrend for groups ofchurches in a city orregion to partner to-

gether to develop a strategy for effectiveministry. Recently a group of churchesdid just that and choose to focus theirministry efforts on one city in China.Here is an interview with a churchleader who has been part of the process.

ChinaSource (CS): Have youhad a growing personal interest inChina?

Church Leader (CL): Yes, I’vebeen interested in China since the1970s when one of my high school class-mates started talking about China. Ihave lived vicariously through him overthe years as he made it his lifelong inter-est to be a bridge between China andthe West. Through him, I have learnedabout the needs of China and the amaz-ing work that God is doing there. Mywife and I have also hosted Chinese stu-dents in our home over the years, but Ihad never personally visited China untillast year. I’ve now been to China threetimes since May 2002.

CS: Are you in ministry full time?CL: No. I am a businessman. I

worked for U.S. Agency for Interna-tional Development in WashingtonD.C. for several years before moving tohelp with a family business. I’ve beeninvolved with several start-up businessessince then.

CS: How did the partnership forChina first begin to develop?

TAn Interview byChinaSource

We began researching thevarious regions in China todetermine where the needswere the greatest andwhere we could realisticallyhave some positive impact.

The Formation of a NEWCity-to-City PartnershipCity-to-City PartnershipAn Interview byChinaSource

TPhoto courtesy C

hina Partner

Minnette NorthcuttPhoto courtesy China Partner

10

agency. Through these and other con-nections, God was pointing us towardChina.

CS: How did you go about devel-oping a strategic focus for China?

CL: China is a big place! We real-ized that if we were going to be effec-tive, we needed to focus. We decidedthat we wanted to focus on one city inone province. That way, our churchescould have a sense of ownership. Therewould be a specific city and region toknow and pray for. We could sendpeople on repeat trips to the sameplace to grow deeper in our involve-ment and relationships. We are inter-ested in developing relationshipswhere there will actually be two-way in-teraction. A firm conviction of ours isthat God is just as interested in whatthe Chinese church can do to help usas He is in how we might serve them.In order to create an environmentwhere we rub elbows and really get toknow one another, we had to focus.

We began researching the variousregions in China to determine wherethe needs were the greatest and wherewe could realistically have some posi-tive impact. We asked a lot of peoplewho have much more experience inChina about where would be a goodplace. We learned where the housechurch movements have a strong ur-ban presence. We researched educa-tional and business climates knowingthat several of our churches are inter-ested in those areas. We even asked ourChinese house church contacts wherethey wanted us to focus. We sent teamsto China twice to visit several cities andlearn as much as possible. On our mostrecent trip in March 2003, we tookseven people from three differentchurches to visit four cities in western/central China. We had narrowed downour focus to inland cities in the poorerwestern/central regions of China. Ineach city, we made contact with localChinese believers, local Western minis-try representatives and Chinese govern-ment, university and business leaders.

CS: Why did you decide on thecity that you chose?

CL: We all felt a strong leading toour focus city for several reasons. Onewas that it was very needy spiritually,but there were some exciting things be-ginning to happen. Several housechurch movements had recently seen agreat increase in meeting places in thecity and on university campuses. Whilethere are only a few Westerners in thecity, they were beginning to see somereal fruit to their ministry. We want togo to a place where the Spirit of God isat work. We want simply to join in Hiswork, hopefully adding “fuel to thefire” and not getting in the way!

Another reason for selecting our fo-cus city was the openness, and even ea-

gerness, of the city officials in attractingbusiness and investment. This city is oneof the cities featured in China’s “GoWest” campaign, so there are a numberof great incentives in place for foreignbusinesses and investors. There are anumber of national and provincial devel-opment zones created in and around thecity, including a High-tech Industrial De-velopment Zone, which is one of China’shighest priority zones today. We were im-pressed with the enthusiasm and detailedplans of the government and business of-ficials with whom we met.

Another factor was the strong educa-tional environment. The city has alarge number of universities and col-

leges and claims to be among China’stop five cities for technology, researchand educational strength.

All of these reasons, along with thefact that there are nice tourist attrac-tions nearby, led us to our decision. Webelieve the city offers ample opportu-nity for our matrix ministry approach.

CS: What do you mean by matrixministry approach?

CL: Because we have so manychurches as a part of our partnership,we recognize that each church has dif-ferent skills, abilities and interest inministry. Not everyone will be doingthe same thing. Some are interested in

working with university students,whether through student/professor ex-changes, English language training,American business lectures or otheracademic and professional lectures.Others are interested in charity work,perhaps among orphanages, migrantworker children, widows or the elderly.Job training and business entrepre-neurism are needed to help with thelarge unemployment problem. Stillothers are interested in creating busi-nesses in the city, either as foreignowned businesses or helping Chinesestart their own businesses. There areopportunities to source manufacturingin the city that will establish a great

We sent teams to China twice to visit several citiesand learn as much as possible.

Photo courtesy China Partner

11Fall, 2003

presence while possibly creating jobsfor local Chinese believers. Finally, ouroverall goal is to help strengthen theChinese House Church movementsthrough discipleship, training and tar-geted resources. All of our churcheswant to help in this area, but we realizethe sensitive security issues involved.

Imagine a matrix with different min-istry interests across the top and differ-ent churches along the sides. One ortwo of our churches will probably wantto be involved in all areas of ministry,but most will only want to focus in oneor two areas. Some may only want tocommit to prayer for the city and ourwork there. That’s great. We have iden-tified prayer as one of the matrix minis-tries. A group might go on a short-termtrip to simply walk around the city andpray. In many ways, that may be themost important work we can do.

We are also including mechanismsin the matrix ministry for the Chinesebelievers to invest in our lives as well.

CS: How do you see the churchin China helping you in the States?

CL: This is the part of our partner-ship that most excites me. I am con-vinced that God is bringing us togetherwith our brothers and sisters in Chinafor mutual edification. The church inChina has strengths and weaknessesjust like the church in the West hasstrengths and weaknesses. What I havelearned in my limited exposure toChina is that where the Chinese housechurch is strong, the church in theWest is weak, and where the Chinesehouse church is weak, the church inthe West is strong. There is an inverserelationship of our strengths and weak-nesses. By coming together we can mu-tually encourage and help each otherin our areas of weakness. When Paulwrites about the body of Christ in1 Corinthians 12, we tend to think he istalking about the different parts withina local church. While that might apply,the passage also refers to the universalBody of Christ, the global Church. Dif-ferent local churches have differentgifts, services and workings. Only whendifferent local churches begin to worktogether will the entire body be func-

tioning properly.So how can the church in China real-

istically help us? I think a lot will hap-pen simply through relationship. Byspending time together we will learnfrom one another. We plan to pursueeducation and business exchangeswhere some Chinese from the focus citycan come to the States for a visit. Wehope to bring to the States some repre-sentatives of the Chinese churches whocan speak into our lives out of theirperspective and experiences. We wouldlike to facilitate the contextualizedtranslation of writings and training ma-terials from the Chinese house churchmovements to be introduced into ourchurches for spiritual challenge, en-couragement and edification. In theWest, we tend to think that we have allthe best training materials, but I sus-pect we could learn a lot from some ofthe training materials the ChineseHouse churches have developed.

CS: What are your next steps?CL: Another trip to China. We are

planning a fall trip to our focus citywith a larger representation of the Har-vest Network. We still need to learnmore about who from the West is al-ready working in the city so we can iden-tify possible ministry partners. We knowwe can’t possibly be very effective if wedon’t have help from others who are al-ready on the ground and working in thecity and region. We are inviting otherswho are currently in the States withmuch greater knowledge and experi-ence in China to come to our city andhelp us think through our next steps.

We are looking for one or two minis-try areas as initial start-up areas. Abusinessman from our network was inChina in June visiting our focus cityand exploring some business opportu-nities. I have a hunch we will start withsome kind of business presence andcharity effort. This summer we areforming a prayer group to undergirdour vision, plans and next steps withprayer. We don’t want to get ahead ofGod! We want to follow His leading inthis. We realize that we could easilymess this up by too eagerly chargingahead as Americans can do!

lable role to play. They go where fewfull-time Christian workers can enter,and their lives and work touch everystratum of society. Like salt and lightthey can permeate the whole. Thepeople of Antioch were so impressedby the lives of the new believers amongthem, they called them “Christians”—little Christs. Paul told the Colossianconverts he had not stopped prayingfor them, “asking God that they wouldlive a life worthy of the Lord and pleaseHim in every way; bearing fruit in everygood work.” (Colossians 1:9-10) Paulknew the power of prayer partnership.We too can experience it as we formprayer groups for mutual intercession,accountability and encouragement. Inthis partnership we need to includeprayer for Christian professionals, busi-nessmen, civil servants, teachers, work-ers and housewives in our churches;that they will integrate their faith andlife so effectively and winsomely thatothers will be drawn to Christ. Doctors,lawyers, businessmen and people ingovernment and politics are exposedto insidious temptations to compro-mise biblical, ethical and moral stan-dards. But if we support them in prayeras we do full-time Christian workers,the difference for them, their familiesand for the advance of the Kingdomwould be profound.

When we understand this, it will notbe difficult for us to do the same forChristian professionals, people in thecorporate world, businessmen, civil ser-vants, teachers, and others who, at per-sonal sacrifice and risk, have left homeand serve overseas for the Kingdom.

The Lord has invited us to experi-ence the limitless opportunities of Hispower in prayer partnership. How willwe respond?

James H. Taylor III is president of MSI Profes-sional Services. He was born in China, edu-cated at Chefoo Schools, Greenville College,Asbury Seminary and Yale University andserved as founding president of China Evan-gelical Seminary and general director of OMFInternational. This article is reprinted from theMSI Bulletin. Used with permission.

The Power of Prayer Partnershipcontinued from page 5

12

When Westerners come to China, how canthey adapt to the Chinese culture? Manypeople immediately think of the languageissue. Although language is crucial to interpersonal relationships and communica-

tion, it alone is not sufficient in dealing with Chinesepeople. Language is only the starting point for understand-ing the Chinese culture. Even a foreigner who has lived andworked in China may still have diffi-culty figuring it out. Following is anattempt to help one better under-stand the Chinese culture and howto relate to Chinese people.

Taiji: a conversationof hidden strength

Any morning, before the city isawakened by the business and noiseof the day, look at the parksthroughout China. You cannot missthe crowds of people working out—among them the most visible are theTaiji (Taichi) lovers. These peopleslowly, yet constantly and gracefully,change the positions of their armsand legs as they concentrate andbreathe deeply. Some of their slowmovements seem useless and onemight wonder what purpose theyserve. Yet, those who understandChinese martial arts know of the strength hidden in Taijiwhose principles are “apparent softness overtakes toughness”and “gentle but firm.”

To some extent, Taiji reflects the Chinese culture and itsway of solving problems. No matter what changes the rest ofthe society has gone through during hundreds of years ofhistory, Taiji remains exactly the same. Year after year Chi-nese practice Taiji in the morning. Some principles drawnfrom Taiji have been gradually made known to society. Theseprinciples, that go beyond the physical aspect, tell us that“the use of quietness overcomes motion,” “apparent softnessovertakes toughness,” “apparent looseness outside, actualtightness inside,” “avoid tough hands but attack weak spots,”“surprise and win,” and “withheld strength may go unno-ticed.”

Later, when people described these skills or ploys adaptedby politicians, warlords, entrepreneurs or merchants to be thewinners in their respective fields, they used the term Quanshu(clever stratagems for politics and business). Quanshu also hasthe meaning of hidden conflict as drawn from Taiji’s charac-ter of hidden strength. When two individuals are in an unan-nounced struggle, they are said to be “playing Taiji.” Chineseoften rely on this nonverbal message to make themselves un-derstood in the struggle to protect their interests. This way ofdealing with others is not found in the West; nevertheless, it isat the core of Chinese culture. Not knowing about it may be

from the WallView

By Huo Shui

View

If You’re Going toPartner in China…

costly to the Westerner.China continues to be in a technological growth period; it

now boasts millions of Internet subscribers. Fashionableyoung people may care nothing about Taiji but admire bas-ketball players like Jordan and Johnson; however, Taiji cul-ture is still prevalent. When a Chinese responds to you slowly,you need patience. Practicing Taiji requires “inner strength.”“Inner strength” refers to the resilience that can absorb a

punch as well as hit back, but ina pleasant manner. A fast-actingperson often finds himself hav-ing to change his mind; but onewho restrains himself from mak-ing a quick response usually haswell balanced ideas for decision-making. The individual usingthis type of thought process isreferred to by the Chinese as a“master of calculation” and cun-ning. He will never strike up anargument with you nor clearlyannounce his intentions. Henever forgets to smile—but hissmile is a bit mysterious. Hedoes not necessarily have evilpurposes in mind and cannotsimply be labeled as a “good” or“bad person”; however, for self-protection he feels that “beatingaround the bush” is his only op-

tion. You may find that this person is more likely to bemiddle-aged and fits into a Taiji lovers category. This mentalpractice of Taiji is a part of Chinese wisdom; it follows theChinese wherever they go.

Eating and drinking: the passportto Chinese society

“Have you eaten yet?” used to be the most common greet-ing in China. This greeting has now faded from use. Eating,however, still enjoys unshakable status in Chinese culture. Noother people of the world are more serious about eating,more focused on eating or more capable of getting the bestout of eating. Over 2000 years ago Confucius said: “Neversettle on an imperfect meal.” China gave birth to world fa-mous cuisines including Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong, andothers. China also has MacDonalds, KFC and pizza. Wher-ever you go in China you will be impressed by the number ofrestaurant signs—even in poor backwoods areas. Likewise,Chinese restaurants are found in distant places.

Chinese love eating. Why? Eating in China is not just asimple personal activity; rather, it fits together the unrelatedpieces of life. Eating is a cultural and social activity. Manyevents in life require a large get-together meal that is in ac-cord with tradition, fosters the accomplishment of other ac-tivities and allows people to express their emotions. Theseevents include Spring Festival celebrations, family or class re-

13Fall, 2003

Those who understandChinese martial arts

know of thestrength

hidden in Taiji.

unions, weddings, funerals, admissionto the Communist Party, promotions toleadership, asking for help, thankingothers for help, opening a business, set-tling in a new home, farewells, conflictresolutions, celebrating successes—andthe list goes on. Anything can be an ex-cuse to go out for dinner.

Reports say that several hundred bil-lion Chinese yuan are spent on ban-quets in China each year. Restaurantshave become a performing stage forpeople eager to achieve their ends.They display intimate feelings, copewith bosses, negotiate prices and resolveconflicts. Obviously, food is not the realissue for either the host or the guest. Re-fusing to “perform” on this stage meansthat many things one may want to seehappen will not be accomplished. Notunderstanding the significance of eatingin Chinese culture means you will miss avaluable shortcut to getting complicatedthings done in China.

Eating is also a means for friends toexpress friendship and gratitude. If youwould like to expand your network ofrelationships rapidly, invite yourfriends to the neighborhood eateriesfor simple meals. Over time you will ac-quire a long list of people interactingwith you. If you do not take initiativesor accept invitations, you may be mis-understood and though difficult to re-late to as a person. Remember, themost appropriate occasion to exchangeinformation, improve communication,resolve conflicts and affirm friendshipsis always at the dinner table.

Mian Zi (face): the treasurethat never wears out

No one wants to be diu ren (embar-rassed in front of people, a “lost per-son”); every individual has a sense ofself-esteem. This human characteristicis extremely pronounced in Chineseculture; it has been observed to an ex-tent that is beyond a Westerner’s imagi-nation. For example, a Chinese maywrong you and be fully aware of hiswrongdoing, but if you point this out tohim or criticize him with another per-son present, he will desperately defendhimself denying any offense. However,if the conversation takes place between

just the two of you, he will readily ac-cept your criticism. The facts you pointout are the same, but his reaction is dif-ferent due to the changed situation.The reason: mian zi. This comes out inother situations as well. For example, ifyou ask someone for help, few peoplewill give you a negative answer; mostwill say: “Sure, no problem.” Is it really“no problem?” In actuality, there maybe many problems, but the individualwill not admit it. When you follow upon the issue, the individual will say,“Oh, this needs to be delayed a little

bit. Please be patient, because…” Even-tually, you will find that from the verybeginning this person was unable tohelp you. Another common example isseen when friends go out for dinner to-gether. When dinner is over, since theyhave not talked about who will pay forit, everyone will be fighting to pay theentire bill. Each one is afraid of beingthought of as a tightwad.

A story goes that many years ago inShanghai a man lived in the slums. Hewould go out on the street only afterputting on his one decent jacket,combing and slicking his hair back,shining his shoes and spreading porklard on his lips to pretend to be awealthy man who had just enjoyed agreasy meal. That’s what mian zi is. To-

day, similar incidents occur, only inmore subtle ways. For example, unem-ployed people actually “work” for mianzi. They leave home as usual in themorning as if they were going to work,but they do not end up at their previousworkplaces but stay with friends or go toparks or cinemas to kill time.

When you invite friends over or tojoin you for an outing, you need to firstexamine each person’s special needs.How free is this person? Has he or sheeaten yet? If expenses are involved, whowill pay for them? You need to thinkthese through and not ask your friendsfor information. Even if you do, you willonly get polite answers that do not re-flect what is truly on their mind. Chinesedeem it a virtue not to bother otherswith questions. Between friends and ac-quaintances it is harder to ask for a favorprecisely because of the relationship.

Zhong Yong: the moderate wayZhong Yong, or “being moderate,” is

the most essential principle for living inChina and the primary principle thatthe Chinese subscribe to. What does itmean to “be moderate” in the Chinesecontext? Put simply, it means never go-ing to extremes, never confirmingthings absolutely (always leave somemargin or wiggle room), never pushingahead to be first—yet avoiding beingleft behind. People may say they seethings in black and white, but in realitythey favor gray. Gray seems less riskyand allows flexibility.

Five thousand years of Chinese tradi-tion defies anyone who tries to fully un-derstand it. While one need not fullygrasp the meaning of these traditions,these four seemingly simple principlesdiscussed above should be taken seri-ously. It is wise to deal with the Chinesein the Chinese way. If you are not con-vinced, try it your way—and see whathappens!

Huo Shui is a former government politicalanalyst who writes from outside China.Translation is by Ping Dong. Reprintedfrom ChinaSource, Fall 2000, Vol. 2,No. 3 and originally titled “LivingWisely in China.”

Graham Cousens

Those who understandChinese martial arts

know of thestrength

hidden in Taiji.

14

t any gathering of pastors dis-cussing the spiritual situationin China, the same questions

The Resurrection of the Chinese Church by Tony Lambert. Hodder &Stoughton, 1991. Revised edition: Harold Shaw Publishers/OMF, 1994,353 pp. ISBN 0-87788-728-4, paperback. Cost: $9.99 at www.Amazon.com.

Understanding theChinese Church

Resurrection is awell-documentedstory of the rapiddevelopment of theChinese churchbetween the years1974 and 1994. Asa British diplo-mat, Lambertspent four years living in Beijingin the late ‘70s. After 1983, he visitedChina several times each year maintain-ing contact with his friends and associ-ates. Based on personal conversations,interviews with church leaders andstate documents pertaining to religion,Resurrection tells a fascinating yet schol-arly story.

Basically chronological in the telling,Lambert weaves four distinct threadsthroughout his story. One thread is thedevelopment of religious policy by thecentral government that sought to con-trol the remnants of the Chinesechurch following the Cultural Revolu-tion. Using charts and descriptions,even I was able to follow the birth andexpansion of the different structuresdesigned to keep the church in check.From the CCP (Central CommunistParty) to the UFWD (United Front

Work Department), to the RAB (Reli-gious Affairs Bureau), down to theTSPM (Three Self Patriotic Movement)and CCC (China Christian Council),Lambert makes this complex labyrinthseem understandable. Another fasci-nating aspect to his description is hisuse of government documents showing

the intent of each of these organiza-tions. Based on docu-ments from the local upthrough the national level,Lambert relays to thereader the truth of whatthe government’s real in-tent toward the suppressionof religion has always been.He shows how the infamous“Document 19,” which issupposed to protect the free-dom of religious expression,is being used by the govern-ment to actually hinder it.

Another thread is the lit-eral explosion of the housechurches at different pointsacross China. This explosion is

even more astounding considering theattempts by the government to curtailits establishment and growth. With greatinsight Lambert suggests that: “Freedfrom Western forms and traditions, theChristian message took on new life andmeaning, spread by the lives and wordsof ordinary believers.” The growth of

the house church in China along withLambert’s insight made me wonderwhat forms and traditions may be keep-ing the Spirit’s work in check in my lifeor the life of the Western church.

Another thread that is woventhroughout these twenty years is that ofthe persecution of believers—bothProtestant and Catholic. Using pub-lished reports of arrests, letters frombelievers, conversations with localchurch leaders and even party officials,Lambert shows how believers have

Book ReviewBook Review

A Review by Joe Laird

appear with regularity:• What is happening in the house

church in China?• What is the difference between the

house church and the State sponsoredchurch?

• Is anybody currently being perse-cuted in China today?

• Is it dangerous for a North Ameri-can to travel to China?

• Can North Americans engage inevangelistic activity while over there?

• Is there still a need to smuggleBibles into China?

• What does the Chinese church re-ally need from us?

Tony Lambert’s The Resurrection of theChinese Church answers many of thesequestions. Don’t be put off by the earlydate of publication (1994)—this is thetype of resource that can make foolishmission pastors appear wise and willhelp prevent many of the costly errorsthat initial forays into the People’s Re-public often produce. This book, alongwith his follow-up volume, China’sChristian Millions, provides insightfulinformation to those just beginning toeducate themselves about China. Yet,those who have long been engaged inChinese ministry will find it useful inbetter understanding the revival andgrowth that has characterized the Chi-nese church.

A

WITH GREAT INSIGHT LAMBERT SUGGESTS THAT:“Freed from Western forms and traditions, the

Christian message took on new life and meaning,spread by the lives and words of ordinary believers.”

15Fall, 2003

Resource CornerResource CornerResources for CreatingHealthy Partnerships

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Special Features forthe 2004 edition:Eminent Chinese ChristiansProfiles include: Wang Mingdao,John Sung, Sun Yatsen, Zhang Boling,Zhang Xueliang and others.

For more information or to order go to: www.prayforchina.com

BuildingStrategicRelationshipsDaniel RickettPartners International,2000 updated 2003

In this introduc-tory guide to

partnering withnon-Western mis-sions, Rickett offerstools for assessingintercultural part-nerships and suggests ways to build col-laborative relationships that work.Cost: $9.95* plus $4.95 S/H**

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Please note: Prices do not include shipping.Standard shipping is USPS regular delivery.

Joe Laird is a foolish missions pastor atIntown Community Church in Atlanta, Geor-gia. Joe spent almost six years in the People’sRepublic of China during the 1980s.

been arrested, jailed and tortured fortheir faith. What I found most interest-ing is that, despite reports to the con-trary, persecution in the first part of the1990s intensified and, according tosources with which I recently checked,has not abated in any significant fash-ion in the last few years. This leftward(more antagonistic toward Christianity)move originated in conjunction with theevents at Tiananmen in 1989. Many arewatching to see if the new change inleadership that is currently underwaywill continue this leftward leaning or re-sult in a more relaxed view of religiousfreedom. Right now the jury is still out.

A final thread that emerges is theThree Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM),the official organization charged withoverseeing Protestant Christianity inChina. Lambert shows how on one handmany of the churches that had beenclosed down during the Cultural Revo-lution have been opened and are en-joying great success, even attractingyoung people from the cities. Yet, someof the fiercest persecution of the housechurches is coming from some of theleaders of the TSPM-affiliated churches.This is a complex situation and Resur-rection does not seek to simplify it. Lam-bert points to the good and the badwithin the official church, and thereader is left needing to pray for dis-cernment as he or she decides how bestto relate to the church in China.

Scattered as gems throughout thebook are Lambert’s reflections on whythis resurrection has taken place. He istoo much the scholar to devote muchtime to ramblings of speculation, yetyou wish he had speculated more. TheResurrection of the Chinese Church is amust-read for anybody who aspires tounderstand today’s Chinese church. Itis a primer for those beginning to lookto China and a reference book to thosewho have been there for years. Read itwith your coffee but do not forget yourmap of China.

Brent FultonChina perspective

P.O. Box 4343Fullerton, CA 92834

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

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FULLERTON CAPERMIT NO. 98

Based on purely practical consider-ations, the decision of whether or notto partner may come back negative.When relationships get messy it is mucheasier to simply let others do their thingwhile we do ours. Sometimes this is nec-

essary. However, there is adeeper spiritual dynamic thatmust also be considered, andherein lies the key to success ofany partnership.

Jesus’ prayer for all believ-ers, recorded in John 17:21,was that they “may be one” thatthe world may believe that youhave sent me.” He went on todeclare, “I have given them theglory that you gave me, that

they may be one as we are one: I inthem and you in me. May they bebrought to complete unity to let theworld know that you sent me and haveloved them even as you have loved me.”

There is a profound spiritual con-nection between the quality of our rela-tionships as believers and the ability ofan unbelieving world to understandwho Christ is. Christ’s commission to in-vite all peoples into relationship withHimself can only be accomplished aswe demonstrate among ourselves theoneness we have in Him. Our unity isboth a fact of our being in Christ and afuture goal as we “make every effort tokeep the unity of the Spirit through the

bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).1

Ajith Fernando says in hisbook Jesus-Driven Ministry, “Thedistinctive of Christian love is awillingness to go against ournatural inclinations and take thatextra step to bring Christ’s loveinto an otherwise irredeemablesituation. As leaders persevere indoing that, they will be able tosee true Christian community atwork.”2

Particularly in a relationship-based culture such as China’s,how we relate to one another willspeak much louder than any-thing we say. Partnerships pro-vide the context in which ourunity may be lived out. Our part-nerships will be successful to theextent that they are a reflectionof the love we have received fromthe Father through Christ.

Endnotes1. www.biblegateway.com IVP Bible

Commentaries: John 17. InterVarsity Pressand Gospel Communications Interna-tional, 1995-2002.

2. Ajith Fernando, Jesus-Driven Minis-try. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002,p. 176.

That They May Be One

Brent Fulton

The past decade has seen a sig-nificant shift among churchesand organizations involved in

China. Recognizing the enormity ofthe task and the need for interdepen-dence among the various parts of theBody, many have moved(albeit cautiously) fromworking alone to dia-logue with others, shar-ing information andresources, collaboratingon specific projects andfinally, long-term part-nership.

From a practicalstandpoint, partnershipmakes a lot of sense.Carefully conceived, with clear goalsand good ongoing communication, apartnership can allow churches andorganizations to accomplish far moretogether than they could alone.

Partnerships are also hard work.Much time must be invested in build-ing relationships, clarifying objectivesand deciding who is best suited forvarious parts of the overall mission.Partnerships do not usually producequick results. Issues of finance orcontrol, hidden agendas, miscommu-nication and differing opinions onthe outcomes sought by the partner-ship can all hinder or even derail theprocess.

Brent Fulton, Ph.D., is the presidentof ChinaSource and the editor of theChinaSource journal.