Editor’s note: We are continuing our month of prayer for the city of Xi’an by learning about the challenges and issues Xi’an Christians face. Believers tell us that it is difficult to train and raise up laborers, and that the workers the church does have are stretched thin and overburdened. Xi’an churches are struggling to help families know how to raise the next generation to know and follow Christ, and continue to deal with the impact of academic and societal pressure on children and families. Many churches feel isolated and cut off from the larger community of believers. But despite these struggles, Xi’an Christians also see hope, as societal struggles expose how empty the world can be without Jesus at the center. In difficulty, people are often willing to turn to Christ for hope and refuge.

Struggles for the Xi’an Church

China Partnership: ⁠As you minister to people in your city, what are the common challenges, fears, and struggles you encounter?

Wang Hu: Our biggest challenge is training workers. They are already working hard in many locations, often traveling long distances. How can we encourage everyone to serve and pursue spiritual growth? It’s harder to put ideas into practice now.

Another challenge is maintaining a shared vision and mission across many different meeting points. God’s Word is clear, but individual Christians have their own burdens and sense of God’s leading. If we are to remain one church in many different small groups, we need a shared vision and mission for our city. We are trying to communicate this vision by rotating key workers among different locations.

Education becomes a pressure point: it either draws families to the world, or creates conflicts with the world.

Zhang Nan: Job opportunities are scarce. One sister has been interviewing for months, but companies are far from ideal. The pressure is immense. People have given up on finding a job with two days off, and now just hope for a job that allows them to attend Sunday services.

Those who try to start businesses also face challenges. The economic situation recently – not just in Xi’an, but nationwide – is tough.

Children and Education

Cai Gao: Sunday School struggles to keep up with current challenges for children and youth. Education becomes a pressure point: it either draws families to the world, or creates conflicts with the world. Many extracurriculars are scheduled on weekends.

Some try homeschooling, some try Christian schools – but the pressure is immense. What happens to the children if you get in trouble? There is talk of sending children abroad. But this won’t work for most. If the broader environment doesn’t allow for Christian schools, what can we do? We are praying.

Zhang Nan: Children face immense academic pressure and often do homework late into the night. Parents feel helpless about secular ideologies being instilled in their children through the education system, and wish they could provide alternatives. But some women have unbelieving husbands. Even those with believing husbands often lack the faith to pursue homeschooling. We encourage homeschooling, but the challenges here are greater than in eastern cities with established communities.

Starting a school is also challenging. We were involved in Christian education in our previous city, but Xi’an’s economy and overall situation makes it difficult.

In the last months, I have been contacted more than once by authorities. Although it ultimately wasn’t serious, they even came to my house. They suspected we were sharing the gospel with children outside of church, because they saw someone share a photo of children in our group chat. Finally, they realized the children in the picture were from church families. It seems authorities are particularly concerned about youth.

There is a significant pastor shortage… My family and I travel to another area every week to serve. We stay overnight and lead a Bible study and worship service. This back-and-forth is demanding.

When they visited me, authorities told me to attend a Three-Self church service. I decided to visit, but the church wouldn’t let me in, because my children were with me. The guards said all churches have cameras, and they would lose their jobs if children were allowed inside. That church used to have thousands of members, but now there are only a few hundred left. We don’t know where the others have gone.

Leadership and Ministry

There is a significant pastor shortage. Ministry pressure is huge, and we feel stretched thin. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. It takes a long time to equip someone for ministry, especially since we require seminary before someone can teach God’s Word.

My family and I travel to another area every week to serve. We stay overnight and lead a Bible study and worship service. This back-and-forth is demanding. Our church was only planted a year ago, and we severely lack workers. Discipleship and leadership training take time to bear fruit. Developing people is a long-term commitment.

These challenges, whether in work, children, or ministry, affect many. We often hear about marital conflicts, and are called upon to provide counseling. There are constant needs, requiring visits and care. Neglecting these needs could have serious consequences, so we have to prioritize them – alongside Bible study and small group meetings. My husband is constantly busy and exhausted.

Singleness is another area of concern. I’ve spoken to groups on purity, choosing a spouse, and singleness. It’s difficult for many Christians to find a spouse.

Gao Zhuang: Truly healthy, vibrant, and fruitful churches – churches capable of significant growth – are few and far between. Many churches struggle with theology, inadequate structures, dysfunctional leadership, or simply being too small.

Small congregations offer the benefit of close relationships. But this also makes it hard to develop formal structures and effective management. Because of this, small churches often have a hard time with evangelism and conflict resolution. They can easily fall prey to division or other problems. When problems like this come up, they are difficult to resolve.

Churches in Xi’an are very fragmented. They do not have cohesive structure and influence. In some cities, a single church with strong leadership might have thousands of members. But in Xi’an, it’s common to have small, independent churches, with just 10 or 20 people.

For decades, the relentless pursuit of wealth has been a major idol. This downturn could shatter that. People don’t usually consider religion when life is prosperous… they become more open during times of hardship.

This isolation is concerning. These churches don’t have external support. After an initial growth period, they tend to stagnate. It seems these churches usually grow for about three to five years. After that, if a healthy structure hasn’t been established, or if there isn’t something particularly attractive, the church tends to plateau. I’ve come across lots of churches with 10 or 20 or 30 members that have been stagnant for decades. This is unhealthy, but it’s hard to bring about change. We need to pray about this entrenchment and fragmentation.

Opportunities for Growth

But, I do believe there are opportunities for growth in Xi’an. One is the huge number of rural people coming into the city. Urban churches are growing, but rural churches are declining. Many young people are migrating to cities. I believe there is a significant number of former rural church members who haven’t yet found new church homes in the city. Because these people have already been exposed to the gospel, they might be even more receptive to it as they face the challenges of city life. This is a unique evangelistic opportunity for Xi’an churches.

The post-pandemic economic downturn might also create a gospel opening. For decades, the relentless pursuit of wealth has been a major idol. This downturn could shatter that. People don’t usually consider religion when life is prosperous and comfortable. Instead, they become more open during times of hardship and uncertainty.

Recently, I met someone who had a successful, carefree youth. Through business, he became very wealthy. But when he reached middle age, he suddenly found himself without a job. When I shared the gospel, he was very receptive. Economic hardship is a big societal problem, but it can also be a significant opportunity.

Cai Gao is a house church pastor in Xi’an, and Wang Hu is an elder in his house church. Zhang Nan are women involved in house church ministry, and Gao Zhuang is an elder at a local church.

Pray that the Lord will use these current times of difficulty to show people the hope that is found in Jesus.