Editor’s note: Xiangtan, in Hunan Province, is known throughout China as the home of many famous leaders, most notably Mao Zedong. In today’s Xiangtan, unregistered churches — commonly known as house churches — are no longer able to meet in public spaces like office buildings. Instead, because of government pressure, most modern house churches have moved back into private homes. Church leaders say they need more believers to rise up and guide these proliferating small “home” churches.
China Partnership: How can we pray for your church and your families?
Strong Leaders Needed
Brother Hu: The lives of the main leaders of the church and their families must first be renewed and built up. If their lives are not united to Christ, there will be no fruit in shepherding. If a church wants to flourish, this is the most fundamental issue.
The leaders must first live out the Lord’s life. After leaders teach rightly, then we ask the Lord to build up the lives of brother and sisters. As families are built up well, the church can then go out and bear witness for the Lord. Although we cannot gather publicly, relatives and friends around us still see this witness.
Pray for God to watch over the church. Some people in my church have gone down wrong paths, and bringing them back takes time. It requires teaching them over and over, helping them establish a Christ-centered life.
As families are built up well, the church can then go out and bear witness for the Lord. Although we cannot gather publicly, relatives and friends around us still see this witness.
For my family, pray for the Lord to protect them, lead them out of low places, and make them useful to society.
During Spring Festival, leaders from our church visited an elderly brother whose grandson — a psychologist — told me that many of his patients are second- or even third-generation believers. These children grew up in church, but now many have serious psychological problems. Some of them never truly came before the Lord. But the more serious problem is of those who were deeply hurt in church. We need to pray for these children who grew up in church. I was deeply, deeply grieved to hear this. From childhood, these children have known the Bible well — but inside, they are full of pressure and distress. They have no joy. We should pray for them.
What Is a “Home” Church?
Pastor Li: We ask God to transform the hearts and minds of preachers, pastors, and church leaders. There have been wounds in the past; we all need to let go of old injuries and put away self-righteousness and this “going-our-own-way” spirit so the church can unite and stand together. Only then will there be strength.
We hope shepherding in our church can be more steady, and gradually guide brothers and sisters through the adjustment [to gather in smaller groups in homes]. Right now we don’t have enough leaders; we hope God will bring in and equip more leaders to take responsibility for shepherding the church.
If “home churches” are going to multiply, then we need more equipped leaders. We pray God will help these leaders study Scripture better, and have greater tolerance and acceptance toward new believers and different denominations so we can have mutual acceptance, humility, and a broader vision for the kingdom and for gospel work.
Never miss a story
Our family wants to live out the gospel in our lives so we can influence our extended family and friends. With current circumstances, building up lives and witnessing through those lives is probably a better way to share the gospel.
CP: Just now you mentioned that your “house church” is transitioning to a “home church.” What is the difference?
Pastor Li: The Bible does not actually use the term “house church.” In the early church, believers mostly gathered in homes, because at that time there was persecution from both Judaism and the Roman government. So believers gathered as churches by household units. After [Christianity was legalized in] 313 A.D., the parish, or church-building model, appeared.
What we in China call “house churches” are churches that refused to register with the government. Many of these churches used to meet in larger, congregation-style gatherings. These days, when we say “home church,” we are talking about family-style churches led by elders that meet in groups of 10 to 20 people. These churches link together to make a church network. The early church was a home church – not what we Chinese call a “house church.” The term “house church” is unique to China; this concept doesn’t really exist other places. The church recognized by the government is the Three-Self Church.
With current circumstances, building up lives and witnessing through those lives is probably a better way to share the gospel.
The home church model is closer to what the early church used – and it also fits the present reality in China, where we cannot gather on a large scale. The police have made it very clear that, if we gather in big groups, they will arrest people. Brother Tan’s church has gone through this several times, and people were detained. The government might know your church is theologically sound and is not a cult: you are healthy, your governance is good. But still, they say you cannot gather. If you do, they will arrest you. There is simply no reasoning with them.
Religious Life of Youth
Brother Yang: Pray for Xiangtan young people. The state forbids children under 18 to have religious life, and in public schools, children spend most of their time receiving evolutionary thought. Young people feel the tension between evolution and their parents’ faith. With the post-modern influence, they also don’t believe in absolute truth. Please, pray about this!
My wife and I are both involved in youth and church ministry. Ask God to help us serve with greater unity of heart, and to raise our children well so they know God’s plan for their lives.
Growing Deep Roots
Brother Tan: Pray for God to protect our church. Many Xiangtan churches engage in student ministry. Please ask the Lord to protect the safety of campus ministry, to guard against informants or reports among students, and to preserve and advance this student work.
Also ask God to raise preachers and teachers. Many pastors today are not as systematically trained as in the past. They need God’s help to continue putting down deep truth roots. Pray that, as they study God’s word and receive theological training, they will be deeply rooted in true faith. May they receive blessing as they shepherd others.
My wife and I are both around 40, and I feel the pressure of a mid-life crisis. I am still not mature enough when it comes to managing my personal life and family, and can have the mindset of a young man. Ask God to grant us wisdom, so we can better manage our family and communicate with balance as husband and wife. Pray that we will be able to bring the gospel to our families of origin, because many of our relatives still do not believe.
Lots of Ministry Pressure
Sister Jiang: I feel a great deal of pressure in ministry. I am already in my 60s, and it can be physically exhausting to shepherd the church. There’s a lot of pressure, and I also have some health problems.
The early church was a home church – not what we Chinese call a “house church.””…The home church model is closer to what the early church used – and it also fits the present reality in China, where we cannot gather on a large scale.
In the last few years I have been especially burdened for my children. They used to come to church, but – since their faith foundation was not very firm to begin with – after they married and had their own families and work pressure, they haven’t come for a long time. Their spouses also used to come and even serve the church, but the pressure from [neighborhood watch systems] was too much, and they also quit coming. The pressure of ministry is really very great.
Our church does not have many men. We’ve added a few brothers in the last couple years, but all of them are older. These men are still very new, and don’t do much outside of coming on Sundays. For a long time, our church has lacked brothers who are eager to grow and willing to carry the burden. I continue to hope that young people would rise up, but so far, this has been one of the failures in my ministry.
Brother Hu, Pastor Li, Brother Yang, Brother Tan, and Sister Jiang are pseudonyms for house church leaders in Xiangtan, Hunan Province.
Pray for God to raise up strong church leaders in the city of Xiangtan.
