Three-Self Churches are the Enemy (Myths About China)

Members of the Highland China Missions Team recently spent two weeks in three cities in China: Beijing, Qingdao and Wuhan. We visited church leaders and Christians in house-churches, Three Self Patriotic Churches (the government approved church) and in other types of Christian churches. In this series I explore how the trip shattered myths I once held about China, its people and its faith.

Three-Self Patriotic Churches are the enemy in China.

That’s what I thought before arriving in China. Beijing officially recognizes five religious groups (Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, Protestant, Catholic) through a monitored patriotic association for each. This includes the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM).  During the Cultural Revolution, even these state-sponsored groups were disallowed, giving rise to the house-church movement (see previous article). In the late 1970’s, however, the bans were lifted and associations like the TSPM rose once again as a means by which the government could influence religious expression. Today the Chinese government counts 21 million Chinese members in 60,000 TSPM congregations (all statistics are from Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation). It’s easy to think, therefore, that the TSPM is just a puppet of the government. A tool for preaching  propoganda. A front for the government. The worst form of Christian hypocrisy. The enemy.

What we found, however, was far more encouraging. In Beijing we were warmly welcomed by Frank, the administrator for a large TSPM congregation–one of at least 20 in the capital city. Frank’s congregation had 5,000 worshipers in 5 services each Sunday. They had a staff of 8 with house-churches meeting throughout the city. Crosses and Christian art hung everywhere in the building. Frank reported that no government agent had ever dictated what the church preached or what the church did. In their literature and pictures on the walls we saw evidence of a very active church.

More significantly, in Wuhan we were welcomed by Joshua, Senior Pastor of the Hubei Christian Thanksgiving Church, a TSPM congregation (pictured above with his wife). The 2,000 members of the congregation paid for their eight-story building in the heart of the city. The church building even has a Christian bookstore (where we bought a lot of souvenirs!). The church is led by a staff of 5, including Joshua’s wife. The ministry budget is entirely funded through member contributions.

Joshua said they had no restrictions placed on them by the government. He preaches whatever he feels God wants him to preach. He’s never submitted a sermon to a government agent.

The church is active in the community. It runs a vocational high school for teenagers. They host numerous retreats (marriage, singles, etc.). They run a music school. And they operate a theological seminary which is about to move onto a new 68 acre campus. Students can earn a 4 year bachelor’s degree in Bible.

Joshua’s church is a friend to house-churches. In fact, one time house-churches in Wuhan came under government persecution and Joshua told the government that those churches were under his protection. The government backed off. The ministry staff and students at the seminary often go to outlying areas to encourage and equip leaders in house-churches.

Each year the church holds a procession in which they march through Wuhan carrying a cross and preaching good news about Jesus. Joshua even invited Eric and I to return the next day and preach for the church (sadly, we could not, due to our travel schedule).

Joshua grew up in a house-church led by his mother. Eventually he moved to Wuhan to strike it rich in the big city. But God grabbed his heart, sent him to seminary (the same one run by this TSPM congregation) and now he preaches for the largest church in Wuhan.

There are certainly differences among the TSPM churches. And, no doubt, some do act as puppets of the government. We found, however, that at least some are Christ-centered, ministry driven, and beacons of light in their communities.