Editor’s note: This interview has been translated from the original Chinese. It has also been edited and condensed from the original form for clarity.

Helping One Another

China Partnership: Why is it important that ministries and churches around the globe collaborate together to reach people?

Peter: In China right now, a huge transformation that has never been seen before is taking place. Because of this transformation, a lot of Chinese people are emigrating overseas. This is a new opportunity.

In the past, Chinese churches and organizations just focused on their own ministries. No matter whether the ministry team was in China, in broader Asia, or in another place, all these groups did the same thing: preach the gospel, train disciples, plant and build up churches. Even if these groups are in the same nation or even the same city, we have all been doing the exact same thing.

Our goal is very important: we want to win souls for the Lord in this last age. No matter where you come from or what kind of background you have, we have only one goal…We must help each other and collaborate with each other.

I think that ministry to Chinese people has now reached a new phase. We need to do things regionally. We need to overcome the barriers of all these different, individual ministries, and work together to establish a win-win collaborative system.

Our goal is very important: we want to win souls for the Lord in this last age. No matter where you come from or what kind of background you have, we have only one goal: gospel-centered mission and gospel-centered church planting. We must help each other and collaborate with each other so we do not repeat the same things. This is true in Asia, and also around the world. If we can collaborate together, then we will be able to do things better.

CP: My first question was about why we should collaborate together. Now I want to know: how? What is the next step to collaborate together?

Peter: It is very important that we get the leaders to come together and see the same vision. The connection point is not knowledge or strategy, but leading all the various ministries and organizations to trust together that this vision has come from God. We want all the Chinese to come to the Lord, so that the Chinese people can then rise up and bless all the nations. This is a very important point for this season.

We want to call all the ministries and churches around the world, especially those individuals who are more influential, to come together and help each other. Together, we can be successful. We want everyone to make their own individual contributions. But this starts with calling and gathering all the people together. I know I cannot do this by myself. We need a team.

The Chinese house church will continue to play a major role in world missions. Different generations of Chinese Christians, especially those from the past, have inherited a willingness to suffer.

The Chinese Church’s Role in World Missions

CP: What role do you think the Mainland Chinese church has to play in collaboration with others in southeast Asia?

Peter: House churches in China have had a lot of challenges these past few years. They come from different environments and have faced different problems, especially during the Covid years. A lot of changes have happened in the last few years. We need to encourage the Mainland Chinese churches to persevere in faithfulness and to persevere in their ministry. In the future, we will see a new season and a new era.

The Chinese house church will continue to play a major role in world missions. Different generations of Chinese Christians, especially those from the past, have inherited a willingness to suffer. No matter if we are suffering from poverty, or suffering from any other kind of hardship, I believe none of this suffering will ever change the Chinese church’s reliance on God.

As a church, we have received this willingness to suffer. I really believe that. A new era will come, and the Chinese church will continue to do training, to preach the gospel, and to send out missionaries.

CP: How did your own house church background prepare and help call you to be personally involved in missions?

Peter: We are a team. In the past, our own house church team has done church planting in many cities throughout Mainland China. We have sent families out to several different countries, and we have also done ministry within ethnic minorities in China. We have worked with many different Chinese ethnic minority groups, and have planted churches in those areas and sent missionaries to them.

We do not need to just prepare and train a few families. We have to see an army of missions come out of China.

But speaking from our own ministry perspective, I don’t feel that our group is ready to receive a lot of work in the future. When we talk about all the Chinese people throughout the world who are coming to the Lord – this is a very big vision. We do not need to just prepare and train a few families. We have to see an army of missions come out of China. All these missionaries will have to be trained and then sent out all around the world.

Our own system is still very small. To continue to walk forward in the future, we need a global network so we can collaborate together.

Liu Mingshen is a pseudonym for a Chinese Christian who is involved in missions work outside of China.

Pray Chinese Christians who are working to reach the nations with the gospel will work well with one another.