Editor’s note: This March, we are praying for the southern China city of Guilin. Three Guilin house church pastors told us about their city, and how it has changed (and stayed the same) in recent years. They say that area churches seem to be growing slowly, but overall, there are not many believers in Guilin. Their city is built around tourism, so Covid had a big impact on Guilin’s economy, and now many people are focusing on making as much money as possible, trying to make up for the time they lost during the pandemic.

Not Many Believers

China Partnership: How has your city changed in the last five years? What changes have occurred in your church?

Pang: Twenty years ago there was a big urban renovation project, but Guilin hasn’t changed much since then.

It does like there has been some gospel growth, but there still aren’t very many believers. Guilin doesn’t have any mega-churches. There are some house churches, and some cults. I’ve come across several small churches that are very liberal and casual, not very Reformed.

We’ve seen the lives of some brothers and sisters transform. Some who weren’t very enthusiastic about the gospel or their faith before are more active now, and their lives have changed.

Because my church has only been planted for a little more than two years, not much has changed for us.

Gospel Growth in an Economic Downturn

Deng: My impression is also that Guilin hasn’t changed much in the last five years. Of course, the city’s appearance has changed: some roads are wider, a few bridges have been built, roads have been expanded, there are more parks, and transportation is more convenient. I’ve seen more and more commercial housing, and more people moving in from the north. The pandemic had a big impact: it caused economic decline, falling house prices, unemployment, and lower incomes.

As for changes to gospel work, I’ve seen many small churches pop up, but not very many Reformed churches. But, I’ve also seen God working though the church planting efforts of Pastor Yang’s church and other, sister churches. Reformed churches are gradually appearing.

As for our church, about three years ago we were sent out to plant a new church. In this time, we’ve seen the Holy Spirit continuously working. We’ve grown in the number of members, regular attendees, and seekers. So that’s one change – the expansion of the gospel.

Another change is our meeting place. At first, we met in a small apartment complex. Later we moved to a new and bigger location, but now that space is getting crowded, so we’re looking for a new place to meet.

The tourist industry was hit hard. Since Guilin’s economy relies so much on tourism, Covid had a big impact on the city’s economy and daily life… Now, people want to make up for the three years they lost, so there’s a frenzy around making money.

We’ve seen the lives of some brothers and sisters transform. Some who weren’t very enthusiastic about the gospel or their faith before are more active now, and their lives have changed. Relationships among brothers and sisters have become closer, and some sisters are very active in evangelism. Last year, our church had its first case of church discipline, and we excommunicated an unrepentant member. In the past two years, God has also brought some university students to our church as seekers, so we’ve started a new college ministry.

Rebuilding Post-Pandemic

Pastor Yu: The pandemic really impacted Guilin. The tourist industry was hit hard. Since Guilin’s economy relies so much on tourism, Covid had a big impact on the city’s economy and daily life. About half of Guilin’s population works in tourism-related industries, so they were all greatly affected. Now, people want to make up for the three years they lost, so there’s a frenzy around making money.

Because of Covid and national policies, fewer foreigners have been coming to Guilin these past few years. Because of these policies, the pandemic, and other things, basically all the foreign missionaries have also left.

On the outside, Guilin hasn’t changed much. Guilin itself is a tourist city and can’t build high-rises, because they would block the mountains and the scenery. So, the city looks a bit old and run-down. But Lingui, the new area of town, has seen some changes. The municipal government moved to that area, and so Guilin’s political, economic, and cultural center has shifted there. Lingui is full of high-rise buildings, and looks more like a big city, with economic activity, industry, and a lot of people. The church that was planted there has grown very fast, and more than doubled since it began.

Because we didn’t have as much personal interaction, our relationships became weaker… Since pandemic restrictions eased in the past few years, we’ve been working to restore that culture of fellowship, especially our emphasis on discipleship.

The pandemic had a big impact on our church. We divided into smaller groups, and couldn’t gather. Instead, small groups came together online using Zoom. Those three years really impacted us. Because we didn’t have as much personal interaction, our relationships became weaker. I feel like we’ve drifted apart a bit, and aren’t as close and loving as before. Our church is an elder-led, congregational church, and our theology really emphasizes close relationships. Since pandemic restrictions eased in the past few years, we’ve been working to restore that culture of fellowship, especially our emphasis on discipleship.

We believe a crucial part of the Great Commission is not only preaching the gospel to unbelievers, but also discipling believers to follow Jesus more closely. We’ve slowly restored our discipleship culture, and now many brother and sisters are in one-on-one discipleship relationships. They pray, worship, and study books or the Bible together. They also participate in kingdom work, and host seminars for brothers and sisters on theological topics. Our church has raised up many new workers, and we are training even more through our internship program.

However, there are also some hard things. Because there aren’t very many opportunities for jobs or career development, a lot of young people can’t stay here, in this small city. We’re grateful our church has many university students. But after they graduate, most of them move to bigger cities for work. This makes raising up the next generation of workers and leaders a challenge.

Yang Xi, Du Panhe, and Tan Yexuan are all pseudonyms for Guilin house church pastors.

Pray for strong relationships among Guilin believers, especially as the church continues to rebuild following Covid.