Coronavirus and the Church, Part 2: “The First Reaction is to Try to Control”

Editor’s note: This interview originally appeared in April 2020 as a part of the “Church in Outbreak” series of the Redeemer City to City podcast. In mid-March, many churches around the U.S. were prohibited from gathering for weekend services, and churches scrambled to move online. As churches struggled to figure out next steps, Brandon O’Brien interviewed a friend of City to City who works with Christian leaders across China.

Yang Mingdao is the collective pseudonym for Chinese staff within China Partnership.

This interview has been edited and condensed for both clarity and brevity.

O’Brien: My family has lived in New York City for almost three years, after many years in different places. Most of the places we lived before had a large enough Christian population that, when I met another Christian, I didn’t assume I would have anything in common with them. There was no particular reason we needed to be friends.

It’s not that there are no Christians in New York, but the Christian population is enough in the minority that I have found a sense of kinship with other believers with whom I may disagree about any number of things. Just the fact that we are brothers and sisters in Christ is a compelling similarity for me. I had never experienced that before living here.

I would think the situation is similar in China, where the Christian population is enough of a minority that there could be a sense of kinship between brothers and sisters in Christ. I know there are divisions and theological differences among Three-Self churches, and likely even among the unregistered churches. But this feels like a moment in time that might remind us of how sweet it is to have Christian fellowship, now that we are all deprived of it in physical terms.

This time of increased social pressure about Christians meeting in general, then the isolation created by coronavirus – how have you seen that affecting the sense of Christian unity among different parts of the Church in China? Or, as you say, questioning the nature of Christian fellowship in general? Long-term, what kinds of trends are you seeing in those regards?

Yang: I will push beyond even Christian kinship. It’s larger than that. The virus doesn’t distinguish if you are Christian or not. It’s humanity, that common experience. The shared experience under coronavirus has reshaped people’s attitudes toward each other.

In the early days, leaders we knew proactively reached out to policemen, to local officers who had been pressuring them. The pastors reached out to say, “I have masks.” At that time, it was very hard to get masks. They said, “You are working the frontline and you’re the most endangered group. Do you need masks? I will share.” That common human experience brought people together. I wish I could see the moment when they met and handed over the masks. I think coronavirus will change a lot of dynamics. We are at the beginning; we don’t know what the fruit will be.

Likewise, there are still tensions between churches in the same city, because the churches have different ways to handle persecution. Some churches want to persist, and some very quickly give in. But when coronavirus came, they shared the same experience.

Churches in China are having nationwide prayer meetings, calling churches from different denominations and in different parts of China. Every day they have prayer meetings. It’s beautiful when people start to pray, that’s a common denominator. All the people from different denominations, different psychological backgrounds, you hear how theology shapes prayers and how you pray. But still – we pray to God. We all call out for help, we all repent. In that process, God softens hearts. We learn from others. We see other people genuinely love the Lord and the community. They want to advance the gospel. When we lead the prayer process, people say, “Oh, you talk about the centrality of the gospel.” They see how our pastors handle the situation. That creates space for people to be humble and to say, “Even though we are different, we can pray. We can ask from God.” That process builds the larger body and mutual understanding. I hope that can go deeper and be more fruitful.

O’Brien: Are any other questions that are coming up with the pastors you are speaking to? If a church went from a large gathering (this is prior to coronavirus), with one pastor, and now that larger gathering is distributed into several smaller ones, and now it’s distributed again into homes of just immediate family – what kinds of questions are pastors wrestling with about the church’s identity, purpose, and mission that may have to do either with cultural pressure or the coronavirus or both?

Yang: I have interactions with pastors from all over China. The most striking thing I heard was, “I felt my heart harden in this process – not only the persecution but also the coronavirus – my heart has become numb. I don’t feel much and just do my work.” Being anxious would even be better than that what I heard. Anxiety can push you to the Lord and to prayer, but numbness and hardness of hard make us not useful. The reaction can be to think, “I have to handle the situation. How do we think about strategy?” But inside is a hardened heart. When people shared that in prayer, I was glad. That is a starting point. In this small group of pastors, we can be honest.

The reason we had this kind of sharing is, during a prayer meeting, the pastor shared Psalm 38. The psalmist is honest about the hardness of the reality of illness and death, but he calls upon the Lord. In all this hardship his first reaction is to turn to God to repent. When that was shared among the pastors, the reflection was that the first reaction – not only in persecution but also with the coronavirus – is to try to control, to think of strategies. This numbness is because these things are really out of our control. Our culture is also trying to control. With a pandemic, we don’t have a vaccine or a cure. We are vulnerable. That can be devastating. And people handle that differently: hardening their heart, numbness.

The first challenge for the pastors and for ourselves is: how do we deal with that? Do we deal with that deeply enough and turn to the Lord? Secondarily, there are legitimate church and ministry challenges. Will this online form of gathering affect the long-run church ecology of how we do Sunday business, worship, and pastoral care?

No doubt it will have a long-term effect on the future, good or bad. We will utilize online conveniences much better than before, we were pushed that way, but the concern for church leaders is, if you are not in the same room, you cannot do something like accountability. Some things you have to do face-to face: visiting the ill, some kinds of discipleship. Will that generate the long-term harm to the church? If we are used to online forms, what does it mean to people’s concept of what a church is?

During Sunday worship you can still join your own church for Sunday worship. But nothing prevents you, if you are in Chengdu or in Shanghai, from joining a church in Beijing that has a better preacher. What does it mean for our church? Does it still have to be a local body? What makes a church? Why we are a church?

FOR REFLECTION:

Do you try to strategize or manipulate your way out of difficult situations? What would it look like to soften your heart to God in the midst of difficulty?

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA

With rising pressure and persecution in China, there are two challenges imperative for church leaders. The first challenge is for current leaders to love Christ above all else, and not to stray into legalism or love of the world. The second challenge is to raise up the next generation of leaders, who will humbly model Jesus even if current leaders are arrested.

WILL YOU JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA? PRAY FOR:

  1. Current leaders to grow in their daily walks with Christ
  2. Current leaders to shepherd and raise up new leaders
  3. New leaders who love Christ and will model him to the world
  4. New leaders to love and care for the church

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ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

About Shenyang

Shenyang is a city located in northeastern China and is the capital of Liaoning Province. It is known for its rich history and cultural heritage, including the Shenyang Imperial Palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shenyang is also a hub for China’s heavy industry, with companies such as the China First Automobile Group and the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation having their headquarters in the city.

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Qingdao is a city located in eastern China and is famous for its beaches, beer, and seafood. The city is home to several landmarks, including the Zhanqiao Pier and the Badaguan Scenic Area. Qingdao is also a major port and has a thriving economy, with industries such as electronics, petrochemicals, and machinery.

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About Xiamen

Xiamen is a city located in southeastern China and is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful coastal scenery, including Gulangyu Island, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city is also a hub for China’s high-tech industry, with companies such as Huawei and ZTE having research and development centers in Xiamen.

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Nanjing is a city located in eastern China and is the capital of Jiangsu Province. It is one of China’s ancient capitals and has a rich cultural history, including the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, the Nanjing City Wall, and the Confucius Temple. Nanjing is also a modern city with a thriving economy and is home to several universities, including Nanjing University and Southeast University.

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About Guangzhou

Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is a city located in southern China and is the capital of Guangdong Province. It is one of the country’s largest and most prosperous cities, serving as a major transportation and trading hub for the region. Guangzhou is renowned for its modern architecture, including the Canton Tower and the Guangzhou Opera House, as well as its Cantonese cuisine, which is famous for its variety and bold flavors. The city also has a rich history, with landmarks such as the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. Additionally, Guangzhou hosts the annual Canton Fair, the largest trade fair in China.

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About Kunming

Kunming is a city located in southwest China and is the capital of Yunnan Province. Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its mild climate, Kunming is a popular tourist destination due to its natural beauty and cultural diversity. The city is home to several scenic spots, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Stone Forest, Dian Lake, and the Western Hills. Kunming is also famous for its unique cuisine, which features a mix of Han, Yi, and Bai ethnic flavors. The city has a rich cultural history, with ancient temples and shrines like the Yuantong Temple and the Golden Temple, and it’s also a hub for Yunnan’s ethnic minority cultures, such as the Yi and Bai peoples.

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About Chengdu

Chengdu is a city located in the southwestern region of China, and the capital of Sichuan province. It has a population of over 18 million people, and it is famous for its spicy Sichuan cuisine, laid-back lifestyle, and its cute and cuddly residents – the giant pandas. Chengdu is home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where visitors can observe these adorable creatures in their natural habitat. The city also boasts a rich cultural heritage, with numerous temples, museums, and historical sites scattered throughout its boundaries. Chengdu is a city of contrasts, with ancient traditions coexisting alongside modern developments, making it an intriguing and fascinating destination for visitors to China. 

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About Beijing

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About Shanghai

Shanghai is a vibrant and dynamic city located on the eastern coast of China. It is the largest city in China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of over 24 million people. Shanghai is a global financial hub and a major center for international trade, with a rich history and culture that spans over 1,000 years. The city is famous for its iconic skyline, which features towering skyscrapers such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Tower. Shanghai is also home to a diverse culinary scene, world-class museums and art galleries, and numerous shopping districts. It is a city that is constantly evolving and reinventing itself, making it a fascinating destination for visitors from around the world.

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