Editor’s note: This July, we are praying for Chengdu, one of Western China’s most important cities. In this third portion of our series, two pastors shared how their communities have been inward-looking in recent years, focusing on discipleship and building up their local church. Society has changed following the Covid pandemic, they say, and people are hesitant to open up or build relationships with one another. People are disillusioned about the government, and financial pressures are stronger than in the past. Many small churches were not able to survive the challenges of Covid, and a lot of those displaced believers are now looking for spiritual homes. This creates challenges for churches which are already short on workers.

Be sure to look up Parts One and Two of our series on Chengdu. This interview has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity and length.

Retreat, Reformation, and Restrictions

Wu Qiang: Since the 2018 crackdown, our church has gone through a time of retreat, gradually transitioning into “preservation mode.” We took some active steps, like seeking new meeting locations. For now, we haven’t faced significant suppression or deliberate targeting. Of course, some churches – especially those associated with Early Rain – are still under close scrutiny. Others have been relatively undisturbed.

A lot of local churches have gone through a significant theological reformation in the last few years. We have strongly emphasized the gospel, both in the pulpit and in our ministries. Our church’s service ministries have begun to take root, and fellowship among church workers is moving in a positive direction. Brothers and sisters support one another, and collaborative ministries are organically emerging. These are all encouraging signs.

We also acknowledge areas where we have fallen short. We don’t have much interaction with other churches in our district, and almost no contact with churches outside our district. This lack of kingdom collaboration is a weakness. Our church planting efforts are also insufficient. We have taken cautious approaches, lacking the boldness that should characterize gospel mission. We need to grow in this.

Since the 2018 crackdown, our church has gone through a time of retreat, gradually transitioning into preservation mode.

Within Chengdu, Covid revealed that authorities have a tight grip on the city. The level of control was evident through strict pandemic measures, which went into effect at the neighborhood level. During Covid, grid workers monitored households and gathered information on each family member. Social control methods in Chengdu are quite extensive.

During the three years of Covid controls, meaningful interactions were limited. Society functioned in an isolated state. Even after restrictions were lifted, isolation continued. People channel their enthusiasm into large gatherings, like concerts or sporting events, but there isn’t much interest in fostering deeper connections with neighbors. A sense of indifference seems to permeate relationships.

Young people in Chengdu are noticeably hesitant to marry. Although they are relatively financially stable, a lot of young adults don’t want to pursue marriage or even romantic relationships. This is probably because they don’t want to take on the responsibilities that come with such commitments.

Awakening Disillusion

Bai Dongyun: I live near Chengdu University, an area that was the main venue for the Summer World University Games. Because of the games, Chengdu got a facelift. As the city was preparing for this international event, Chengdu was rapidly upgraded.

I’ve also noticed a shift in the city’s cultural landscape. Before Covid, Chengdu was known for being very open. But now, I sense a new form of closed-mindedness taking root. For instance, it is increasingly difficult to go onto university campuses. This is a big challenge for campus ministries, because it hinders our ability to engage with students and share the gospel with them. These restrictions probably come from ideology handed down from the top, meant to discourage religious activities in educational institutions. Because of these restrictions, campus ministry efforts have met a big roadblock.

I’ve noticed that more and more young people are moving into Chengdu. This is an opportunity, but it also makes us reflect on how effective our gospel proclamations are. Chengdu has many distractions. There are all kinds of roads people can go down looking for fulfillment. Because of this, a lot of young people believe they don’t need spiritual salvation. We need to reevaluate how we approach youth ministry.

During the pandemic, people experienced a lot of different things. It seems like this awakened their sense of disillusionment. Because of what they went through, people have begun to question the status quo.

Practically, there is more and more financial strain. Chengdu has never been known for high salaries, but recently, living costs are higher and higher, denting people’s wallets. The comfortable lifestyle Chengdu was once known for is increasingly out of reach. This pressure has led to a decline in happiness and a rise in discontentment.

It’s very interesting to see through all this that more and more people are becoming aware of the government’s true nature. During the pandemic, people experienced a lot of different things. It seems like this awakened their sense of disillusionment. Because of what they went through, people have begun to question the status quo.

Surviving and Persevering

In recent years, the church has faced a lot of challenges. Over the past five years or so, our church has been forced to meet in secret. This secrecy has had a big impact on the spiritual well-being of brothers and sisters in our church. People are afraid they might face repercussions for sharing their faith or giving their testimony, so they have been hesitant to do this. This fear still affects us right now, today.

We have primarily focused on how to survive and persevere. Sometimes I wonder if we have allowed fear to cloud our judgment. The authorities probably know about our existence, but maybe they don’t think we are a big enough threat to bother us. moving forward, we need to overcome our fears. We have to find ways to meet more openly and to gather in larger places.

Covid had a big impact on the churches in Chengdu. A lot of small, independent churches without many resources or a lot of pastoral support closed after the pandemic. In contrast, more established churches – churches that have leadership structures and organizations – were able to weather the storm. It’s very sad, because a lot of believers lost their spiritual homes and have nowhere to go.

These past few years our church has focused on inward growth. Because we are an underground church, we can’t openly share the gospel. Instead, we’ve focused on discipleship.

Our church is more established. Because of this, we’ve had a lot of believers coming to us to seek another spiritual home. We encourage them to rebuild their old communities, but many of their home churches have completely dissolved. It’s sad and disheartening: before the pandemic, we estimate that there were several thousand churches in Chengdu. But after Covid, only a fraction of those churches survived.

These past few years our church has focused on inward growth. Because we are an underground church, we can’t openly share the gospel. Instead, we’ve focused on discipleship. The most important thing for us has been equipping future deacons and elders. We want our church members to be people who can live out the gospel’s transformative power in their marriages, families, and workplaces. Focusing on discipleship has been crucial. Because we haven’t been able to expand outwardly, instead we strengthened our foundations. We’ve tried to nurture the next generation and start new educational initiatives.

Right now, we are praying for wisdom. Integrating new believers into our church while still preserving our own church culture and gospel focus is a challenge. It’s hard to assimilate people from diverse backgrounds into the church, and to make sure that they are constantly being renewed by the gospel.

And of course, we always need more full-time pastors and church workers.

Wu Qiang and Bai Dongyun are pseudonyms for house church pastors in Chengdu.

Pray for Christians in Chengdu to have wisdom in boldness in knowing when to share their faith and when to focus on discipling believers who are already present.