Editor’s note: Yunnan Province, where Kunming is located, is well-known for being full of ethnic minorities. These people have their own unique cultures, languages, and ways of dress. Some ethnic minorities are fairly acculturated, and live in ways similar to their Han Chinese peers. But a great many other minority peoples live according to customs very different from that of the Han, who make up the majority of China’s people and whose ways are recognized across the world as “Chinese culture.” Likewise, doing ministry with ethnic minorities can look very different from doing ministry among Han Chinese.

To help us think through this issue, several Kunming pastors shared with us what minority ministry looks like in their congregations.

Blessing Ethnic Believers

China Partnership: When people think of Yunnan, we immediately think of all the many different ethnic groups. Do the churches have ministries specifically for these ethnic minorities?

Wu Yexin: There are not many in our church, maybe only two or three. We are mostly Han Chinese who are local to Kunming.

But our church does have a ministry for minorities. For instance, one of our brothers established a gathering place for these people. Because they are migrant workers, there is a high turnover rate – they might be here today, gone tomorrow. Our church is focusing on this ministry right now.

Ou’yang Qiang: I knew an Yi church in my hometown who lacked the nourishment of God’s word. After talking with them, I saw their thirst for good teaching. Our church has worked with them for about a year now.

There are also Miao and Lisu churches in that town. A few of us go down one Sunday a month to encourage them not to shrink back because of government persecution. We try to encourage them by God’s word. They are grateful and say they are encouraged to have preachers from the city come to them. I’m trying to encourage them to try to not be afraid and to spread the gospel to the Miao, Yi, and Lisu peoples in their own villages.

A few of us go down one Sunday a month to encourage them not to shrink back because of government persecution. We try to encourage them by God’s word.

It’s easier for us to visit them than for them to come to Kunming. One month we visit the Yi church, the next month we go to the Miao church, then we visit the Lisu church, and then the three minority groups all come together and we share with them.

As for our church, we do have some Yi people.

Building the Church Across Yunnan

Huang Gudai: When we go among the minority peoples [in the villages], we find they are mostly elderly people and left-behind children at home with their grandparents, while young people have come into Kunming or other big cities to work.

Our church has many ethnic minorities, including some of our deacons. Kunming is not a city with strong ethnic boundaries. Of course, some ethnic groups still gather by themselves. But actually, many ethnic groups don’t have such strong boundaries with Han Chinese.

Our church hopes to plant biblical churches in Kunming and, in the future, in larger cities throughout Yunnan. Through serving cities, we hope to bring the gospel to ethnic minorities who go there to work. Then, those brothers and sisters can take the gospel back to their hometown.

We have also done some sporadic visits to ethnic minority areas, and have done things like children’s camps or visits to ethnic churches like Brother Ou’yang just mentioned. But overall, our goal is to plant biblical churches throughout Yunnan, and in this way, serve all ethnic groups.

Wu Yexin, Ou’yang Qiang, and Huang Gudai are pseudonyms for preachers and leaders at house churches in the southwest China city of Kunming.

A Special Time for Ethnic Minorities

We are also extending the conversation by re-publishing this older conversation with another Kunming pastor on how his church reaches out to ethnic minorities.

This is the best time to share the gospel. We don’t need to send missionaries to their regions; we can draw them in while we are in the city.

China Partnership: There are many ethnic minorities in Kunming. Does your church have opportunities to reach out to and share the gospel with these groups? How do you communicate with them?

Wang Jianguo: Originally, minorities lived in their regions and rarely came out. Yet this is a special time, because minorities – especially young people – are starting to come to the city to work. They are connecting to urban culture. I think this is the best time to share the gospel. We don’t need to send missionaries to their regions; we can draw them in while we are in the city.

There are lots of minority people in our church. They are transformed by the gospel, and ask us to pray for their people and their families, because they still worship idols and do not know God.

Every year they go home and bring their testimonies with them. These have great impact on their families. If we take advantage of this opportunity, it is much easier than the hardships previous missionaries had to go through. This is a better opportunity for us to catch them for the gospel in the city.

CP: Are there any differences between their cultures and the urban culture?

Wang Jianguo: Not in essence. They do not know God; they have no hope in the world because they do not have God.

Of course, there are differences in lifestyle, in knowledge, and in understanding the world; but these are not obstacles to the gospel.

This generation…thinks the god of their people protects them. If they turn from this god, they are turning from their entire people. It is a challenge to let them see that our God transcends everything.

CP: Praise the Lord that it is now easier to share the gospel. What is the greatest challenge sharing the gospel with the minority nonbelievers?

Wang Jianguo: Idolatry. It is not that many of these minority people have never heard of the gospel. They have heard the gospel; yet through the years they formed a “traditional” view of Christianity. Many minority groups think their ancestors believed in Christ. Therefore, this generation that has had no contact with the gospel, thinks the god of their people protects them. If they turn from this god, they are turning from their entire people. It is a challenge to let them see that our God transcends everything.

Another factor is it is very hard to break the traditions of some minority groups who have a fixed Christian tradition. Sometimes they mistake Christianity with singing hymns and Sunday worship, but do not understand the gospel.

Wang Jianguo is the collective pseudonym for a group of Chinese house church pastors thinking and writing about issues related to the spread of Christianity in their nation. They are committed to preaching a grace-centered gospel, developing resources for the church, and loving China’s urban centers.

Pray for Kunming churches to be able to share the gospel with ethnic minorities in their midst. Pray also for existing churches among minority believers.