迈向中国世纪
https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/articles/striving-toward-the-chinese-century/
John Chang ⋅ 1999 年 3 月 1 日 ⋅ 期刊：China Source Quarterly，1999 年春季
世界著名历史学家阿诺德·汤因比曾说过，21 世纪将是中国世纪。这不是预言，而是他一生研究世界历史和文化变迁得出的结论。当时，汤因比说这话似乎没有任何证据支持，但最近的发展表明，汤因比的这些话确实会成为现实。
辉煌的过去
中国在历史上是一个强大的国家，自称“中央”王国。从经济角度来看，中国是中世纪世界的主要经济体。据估计，工业革命前夕，中国产量曾占世界一半以上，人均收入居世界首位。随着工业革命给英国等欧洲国家带来繁荣，中国在世界产量中的份额逐渐缩小，但中国产量仍占世界总产量的三分之一。
清末民初，在国内问题和国外冲突的压力下，中国经历了一系列动荡。即便如此，到第一次世界大战前夕，中国经济总量仍占世界总量的8%。[1]
战火纷飞的民国时期，国民经济仍能保持增长。抗日战争前，中国工业年均增长率接近10%。北伐战争的成功给中国带来了一段稳定时期，1927年至1936年的十年奠定了中国国民经济的基础。[2]
在这十年的建设中，中国教会比以前有了更大的进步。教会领袖们发起了一系列与全国建设运动相呼应的复兴运动。其中一项复兴运动被称为“五年奋斗”，即五年布道运动的简称。这是一场全国性的灵性复兴运动，目的是在五年内重新点燃现有信徒的信仰，使信徒人数翻一番，是由一个表达救国救民理想的教会进行的。在此期间，政府焕发出新的活力，政治、经济领域进行了改革。中国教会意识到自己的影响力和力量，感到有责任协助政府，并渴望做出贡献。它的领袖们希望通过“五年奋斗”触动人心，在人们心中创造新的道德，增加全国有道德的公民数量，并直接协助政府的建设计划。[3]
与此同时，中国教会内部也出现了另一种复兴现象。这些复兴发生在不同的时间和地点，由不同的人领导，复兴团体之间没有沟通，也没有精心策划，这种现象被称为“自发”复兴。毫无疑问，这是圣灵的工作。神兴起了吉安德、宋尚节、王明道、赵天成、倪柝声、贾友铭、王立群等教会领袖。这些领袖虽然性格和风格各异，但都是信仰和教义纯洁的人。尤其是吉安德、宋尚节和王明道，他们把自己视为国家命运的一部分，全身心地投入到传道工作中，以履行对国家的职责。这些先辈的奉献精神为我们今天的人们树立了榜样。他们的贡献和成就是中国辉煌历史的一部分，将对后世产生深远的影响。[4]
宏伟的未来
中国有令人钦佩的过去，21世纪将有更辉煌的未来。据预测，21世纪最大的变化将是世界经济秩序的重塑。在过去的一个世纪里，世界经济几乎完全被更先进的欧美国家所主导。据预测，25年后，目前落后的国家将扭转局势。这种经济重塑的主要因素是东南亚国家的崛起。过去30年来一直保持高经济增长的亚洲四小龙就是这一趋势的最有力证据。在我看来，亚洲经济危机是长期来看的短期挫折。中国的崛起与亚洲四小龙相比，确实像一只巨大的恐龙。在过去的10到20年里，中国年均经济增长率约为10％。根据世界银行的估计（以购买力平价计算），中国在世界经济中排名第三。
世界上15个最强大的经济体，仅次于美国和日本。到2020年，中国将成为世界第一大经济体，其次是美国和日本——两者之间差距很大！如果中国保持每年6%-7%的增长率（经验表明，这是一个保守的估计），中国人均收入将达到13,000美元；因此，到2150年，中国的人均收入可能超过美国和日本也就不足为奇了。[5]
拥有强大购买力的中产阶级的出现是东南亚经济腾飞的主要原因。消费者的需求从汽车、冰箱到电话，应有尽有。消费刺激生产，生产增加收入；因此，存在持续的经济增长和购买力增加的循环。例如，西方飞机制造商确认中国是他们最大的市场。据估计，到2000年，每年将有1000多架飞机销往中国。中国购买力已经非常巨大，而其潜在购买力更是超乎想象。再比如电话服务，中国目前有1200万条电话线，平均每100人拥有一条电话线，而在邻近的香港，这一比例是每2人拥有一条电话线。由此可见，中国尚未开发的市场潜力之大。
华侨华人的经济实力更是惊人。华侨华人为当今中国大陆的经济增长做出了巨大贡献。据估计，每年对华400亿美元的外商投资中，80%是华侨资本。难怪有人说，中国经济发展是5%的海外华人养活了95%的国内华人的结果[6]。这些华侨资本集中在东南亚国家，它们垄断了当地的经济，大多数亿万富翁都是华裔。纵观世界经济强国的变迁，华侨经济圈是一股无法回避的力量。世界银行估计，到2002年，“中国经济区”（包括中国大陆、台湾和香港）的总产值（用购买力计算产值）将赶上甚至超过美国，[7]而在不久的将来，中国经济实力将取代日本在亚洲的经济垄断地位。[8]
过去五十年，中国教会也取得了长足的进步。五十年前，中国有100万到200万基督徒。今天，对基督徒人数的估计有多种说法：保守估计为2000万到3000万，也可能为6000万，甚至可能更高。根据上述估计，过去50年来，中国基督徒人数年均增长率接近7％，尽管这期间增长并不平稳。如果增长率保持在7％，25年后，中国基督徒总数可能达到3亿到4亿。这不是梦想或猜测，而是基于证据的结论。到那时，中国基督徒的数量将超过其他任何民族的基督徒数量，中国将成为基督徒最多的国家。
今天华裔宣教士很少，但将来，中国基督徒可能贡献出最大、最强的宣教力量。由于中国经济繁荣，经济强国地位高，人民收入和生活水平提高，中国基督徒除了提供人力资源外，也可能成为世界宣教的主要经济来源。
研究世界历史的总趋势，我们看到，工业发展和经济增长往往伴随着教会复兴和基督教文明的兴起。历史事实是，每当具有世界视野的基督徒数量增加时，世界宣教工作就会扩大，宣教士就会被派往国外。18、19世纪的英国和欧洲，20世纪的美国和加拿大都是如此。 （日本不是例子，因为它最近经历了相对较短的崛起和衰落时期。日本的崛起只是过去 20 年的现象；20 年后可能会消退。）中国大陆将在 21 世纪轮到它，这并不令人意外。中国很快就会成为世界第一大经济强国，拥有世界上最大的基督徒人口和最强大的宣教资源。我们应该期待这一伟大日子的到来，并鼓励我们加入事工，完成基督的伟大使命。
前方的艰难挑战
上帝是历史的主宰。世界历史的发展是他计划的一部分。他是万王之王，是掌管每个国家命运的主。正如诗篇 103:19 所说，“耶和华已经预备他的子民，他的仆人 ...
中国的历史、命运、前途，都在神的手中。中国能成为世界第一经济大国、基督徒人数最多，是神奇妙的计划。有人幽默地说：“神爱中国人，所以造了这么多中国人！”仔细想想，就会发现幽默背后有很深的属灵意义，历史主的作为显明出来。纵观中国大陆的动向，不但要对历史主有不可动摇的信心，更要用历史的眼光来看神的奇妙作为。[9]
神在中国大陆行了许多奇妙的事，从毛泽东开始，他努力统一语言，消除文化障碍，没想到，为福音的广泛传播铺平了道路。随着经济改革的启动，邓小平??时代的宗教政策，有利于教会的发展。有些家庭教会领袖认为，虽然遭受逼迫，但教会已经“自由”地传福音了。他们认为这是最“理想”的环境之一，因为教会经过长期的考验，在痛苦中成长，信徒们有了传福音的热情，把福音带到了偏远的农村，教会迅速发展。如果没有逼迫，就不会有这样的收获。但如果逼迫太严重，福音就不会传播，教会也不会发展。有人说，神使用邓小平成就了中国的复兴。[10]
另一个奇迹是“文化基督徒”的出现。中国知识分子历来反对基督教信仰，他们的反对表现从排斥到全面攻击，甚至采取了消灭外国宗教的行动。从1980年代开始，中国大陆知识分子中开始出现一批研究基督教的人。在这些基督教学者中，哲学学者占了很大一部分，因为哲学和宗教在研究重点和分析框架上有很多共同之处。经过多年对基督教文献和神学著作的研究，在基督教“精神文明”的冲击下，一些人表达了接受基督教信仰的愿望，成为基督徒，被称为“文化基督徒”。
我们无法确定这群人的信仰是否真实，他们倾向于接受具有学术性重点的欧洲神学思想，这让他们很容易偏离神学的根本轨道，将来可能会给教会带来不良影响。这是不可否认的隐患，但这一群体的积极影响是显而易见的。经过多年的研究，大陆文化界学者的著作纠正了一些宗教理论的错误，打破了“宗教是人民的鸦片”的错误观念，这是一个革命性的、根本性的理论变革。这应该算是“文化基督徒”的一大贡献。“文化基督徒”通过翻译和介绍20世纪的神学史和著作中的基督教文献，为当时的世界宗教研究提供了材料，也培养了众多学者和知识分子对基督教的兴趣和好感。[11]我们深信神会使用这些文化精英，将基督教真理和谐地渗透到中国文化中，完成中国文化的基督教化，为基督教真理重建国家的政治、社会和经济基础开辟道路。
让中国精英遍布世界各地也是神的计划。目前，大约有60万中国学者和留学生，分布在美国、加拿大、英国和欧洲其他地区。其中约有一半人在美国，他们非常乐于接受福音。据统计，他们中约有10%的人已经接受基督作他们的救主，而这些信徒中，很多已经投身于全职事奉的，正在神学院接受训练。这是20世纪末的奇迹。这些学生在学习结束后回国，与中国的精英一起，将成为21世纪中国基督教化的强大力量。
摆在我们面前的“奇迹”包含着这些艰难的挑战：首先，21世纪的中国将是世界上最大的基督徒人口。同时，中国人仍然是世界上最大的未信者聚居地。25年或50年后，他们的数量将大得惊人。挑战在于中国基督徒的成长。
福音要渗透全中国。
其次，二十一世纪的中国将是世界第一经济强国，但今天的中国仍然是一个价值观扭曲的社会，需要纠正。个人主义、实用主义、功利主义是当今中国社会的主流，人们只顾自己的利益和经济利益，只追求物质享受和占有，中国已经丧失了明确的价值观。从精神层面看中国，是一个空虚的、迷失的社会。《河殇》的编剧之一袁志明说：“……如果这些问题得不到解决，中国人就会变成一个面目扭曲、恐怖的人种，人与人之间就会像狼一样，那么……中华民族就失去了在世界民族中真正崛起的机会，即使中国拥有了世界财富的一半，又有什么区别呢？”每个人都会失去意识和道德，像狼一样活着，互相毁灭和被毁灭。”
中国在过去的五十年中经历了两次“解放”。1949年，共产党推翻国民党，“解放”了中国。随后的四十年计划经济发展，他们试图利用资源，刺激生产和市场分配，但并没有使共产主义理想成为现实。邓小平的改革和自由化政策构成了“再解放”，即从共产主义体制的控制中解放出来。现在，中国已经步入后共产主义时代，虽然经济在增长，私营企业和外商投资急剧增加，但中国仍然需要真正的“解放”，才能带来民主自由、人权和人类尊严的恢复。这是精神和道德恢复的挑战。[12]
第三，中国大陆的基督徒经历了几十年的考验，他们具备了可贵的精神品质和丰富的个人传教经验。中国是世界上最大的宣教工场，但同时，它的教会可能也是一支庞大的宣教后备军。随着中国对外开放，许多非华人教会和机构纷纷涌入中国宣教工场，由于对大陆教会缺乏了解，工作中常常遇到挫折和困难。海外华人教会应认清大陆教会的力量和潜力，视其为传福音的伙伴，同时加强自身建设，为有效合作做好准备。
我们回顾历史，辛亥革命时，海外华人作出了巨大贡献。抗日战争时，中国政府经常处于赤字状态，海外华人慷慨解囊。今天中国经济发展，很大程度上要归功于海外华人的投入。要使福音传遍中国的每个角落，海外华人也必须有适当的参与。现在，专业人士可以在教育和医疗领域工作，同时做低调的见证。海外基督徒需要有周密的计划，在机会来临时付诸行动。海外华人宣教机构需要做长远的规划，为中国培养工人，并准备承担世界宣教的任务。这是海外华人的挑战。
最后，在世界各地散布的中国大陆学者和学生中，有一半在美国。前《时代》杂志北京分社社长艾德维说，接触西方的中华人民共和国学生，是世界上基督教宣教事业中最具战略意义的一项。[13]北美基督徒有一个独特的机会，我们尤其是中国人需要抓住这个机会，让我们的亲兄弟姊妹认识基督。当这些学生完成学业回到中国时，他们将在精英阶层中拥有广泛的影响力，并能够帮助基督教信仰在中国人的生命中生根发芽。这是北美华人信徒的一个特殊挑战！
结论
菲利普·滕博士谈到了“乡愁”，这个中文词没有对应的英文，但他将其描述为“一种深沉的感情，一种强烈的孤独感，它揭示了我们心中的根。这个根把我们与祖国紧紧地联系在一起。当这个根牵动着我们的心弦时，结果就是乡愁。”所以，在我们心中，自然而然地就会有一种“中国呼唤”。[14]愿我们通过我们内心的这个“根”得到上帝的力量，有效地应对上述挑战。
注释
^《经济学人》，“全球经济调查”，1994年10月1日。
hn K. Chang，共产主义前中国的工业发展，Aldine，芝加哥，1969 年。
^ Rong-Hong Lin，《太高雅而不受欢迎：赵泽晨的传记和神学》，香港神学研究院，1994 年，第 161 页。
^ Rong-Hong Lin，《中国神学五十年，1900-1949 年》。
^ John K. Chang，《21 世纪世界经济展望》，Proclaim，1996 年 11/12 月，第 21、22 页。
^ Sterling Seagrave，《边缘之王：海外华人的隐形帝国》，伦敦，1995 年。
^ The Economist，同上。
^ John Naisbitt，《亚洲大趋势》，伦敦，1995年。
^ Philip Teng，《基督徒的中国使命》，《宣告》，1997年5/6月，第19页。
^ Alex Buchan，《邓小平：复兴的工具》，《挑战者》，1995年6/7月，第5页。
^ Cun-Fu Chen & Zhi-Wei Xu，《文化基督教现象的反思与理解》，《摄政中文期刊》，第IV卷，第1期，1996年，第21-22页。
^ Zhi-Ming Yuan & Wan-Feng Su，《精神潮流：基督教信仰与中国未来的讨论》，《海外校园》，第5卷，第4期，1997年8月，第21页。
^ 惠顿学院中国研究所，《面向二十一世纪的中国》，会议，华盛顿特区，1996 年 10 月 30 日。
^ Philip Teng，《基督徒的中国使命》，《宣告》，1997 年 5/6 月。
Striving toward the Chinese Century
https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/articles/striving-toward-the-chinese-century/
By John Chang ⋅ Mar 01, 1999 ⋅ Issue: China Source Quarterly, Spring 1999
The Glorious Past
China was a strong country throughout history, calling itself the “Middle” Kingdom. From an economic point of view, China was the world’s major economy during the Middle Ages. It is estimated that on the eve of the Industrial Revolution China’s output reached as high as half of the world’s total and its per capita income was the world’s highest. As the Industrial Revolution brought prosperity to Britain and other European nations, China’s portion of the world’s production shrank. Still, China’s output accounted for one third of the world’s total.During the time between the late Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic, under the pressure of domestic problems and foreign conflicts, China went through a series of upheavals. Even so, by the eve of World War I, China’s economic output was still 8% of the world’s total.[1]
During the wartorn Republican period, the national economy was still able to maintain growth. Before the Sino-Japanese war, China’s industry grew at an average annual rate of almost 10%. The success of the Northern Expedition brought China a period of stability; the decade of 1927 to 1936 saw the laying of China’s national economic foundation.[2]
During these ten years of construction, the Chinese church had greater progress than previously. Church leaders launched a series of revivals echoing the national construction movement. One of these revival efforts was called the “Five Year Endeavor,” short for the Five Year Evangelical Endeavor. This endeavor was a nation-wide spiritual revival effort with the purposes of rekindling the faith of the existing believers and doubling the number of believers during a five-year period, and was undertaken by a church that was expressing its ideal of saving the nation and its people. During this period, the government had shown new vitality, and reforms in the areas of politics and economy were carried out. The Chinese church, realizing its influence and strength, felt responsible to assist the government and was eager to contribute. Its leaders hoped, through the “Five Year Endeavor,” to touch the hearts of people, create a new morality in them, increase the number of moral citizens in the nation, and directly assist the government’s construction programs.[3]
In the meantime, another type of revival phenomenon was emerging within the Chinese church. These revivals, occurring at different times and locations, were led by various individuals; there was no communication between revival groups, neither was there any careful planning. These phenomena are called “spontaneous” revivals. It is, without doubt, the work of the Holy Spirit that accomplished these. God raised up church leaders such as Andrew Gih, John Sung, Wang Mingdao, Timothy Dzao, Watchman Nee, Chia Yu-ming and Leland Wang. Though these leaders had different personalities and styles, they were all pure in faith and doctrine. Andrew Gih, John Sung and Wang Mingdao, especially, saw themselves as part of the big picture of the fate of the nation and devoted their hearts to evangelistic work as a way of fulfilling their duties to the nation. The devotional spirit of these forefathers sets an example for us today. Their contributions and achievements are a part of the glorious history of China and will have a deep impact on future generations.[4]
The Grand Future
China has had an admirable past and the 21st century will see an even greater future. It is predicted that the 21st century’s biggest change will be the reshaping of the world economic order. During the past century, the world economy has been almost completely dominated by the more advanced European and American nations. It is predicted that in 25 years, the countries that, at present, have been left behind, will turn the tide. The major element for this economic reshaping is the rise of the Southeast Asian countries. The Four Little Asian Dragons that have maintained a high economic growth for the last 30 years are the strongest evidence of this trend. The Asian economic crisis, in my view, is a short-term setback in the long-term perspective. The rise of China, compared with these Four Little Asian Dragons, is truly like a giant dinosaur. During the past 10 to 20 years, China enjoyed an annual average economic growth rate of about 10%. According to the World Bank’s estimate (using purchasing power to value production), China ranks number three among the 15 most powerful economies in the world, next only to the U.S. and Japan. By the year 2020, China will be the number one economy in the world, followed by the U.S. and Japan—with a large margin in between! If China maintains an annual growth rate of 6% – 7% (experience shows that this is a conservative estimate), average personal income in China will be $13,000; it is not surprising, then, that by 2150 China’s per capita income could surpass that of the U.S. and Japan.[5]The emergence of a middle class with strong buying power has been the major reason for the economic take-off of Southeast Asia. Consumers’ needs range from cars and refrigerators to telephones. Consumption stimulates production, production increases income; therefore, a cycle of sustained economic growth and increased buying power exists. For example, Western aircraft manufacturers confirm that China is their biggest market. It is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be over 1000 aircraft per year sold to China. China’s buying power is already enormous, while its potential buying power is beyond imagination. Another example is telephone service. China currently has 12 million lines, averaging one line per 100 persons, while in nearby Hong Kong the ratio is one for every two persons. This shows the amazing potential of the undeveloped market in China.
The economic power of the overseas Chinese is even more impressive. The overseas Chinese have been great contributors to today’s economic growth in mainland China. It is estimated that 80% of the 40 billion dollars of annual foreign investment to China is overseas Chinese capital. It is no wonder then that some people say China’s economic development is a result of the 5% of Chinese who live overseas supporting the 95% who live in China.[6] This overseas Chinese capital concentrates in Southeast Asian countries where it has a monopoly over local economies and where the majority of billionaires are of Chinese origin. Surveying the changing faces of the world economic powers, the Chinese economic rim is an unavoidable force. The World Bank estimates total production (using purchasing power to estimate production) of the “Chinese economic area” (including mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong) will catch up with or even surpass U.S. production by the year 2002,[7] and, in the near future, Chinese economic power will replace the Japanese economic monopoly in Asia.[8]
The past fifty years also saw considerable progress by the Chinese church. Fifty years ago China had one to two million Christians. Today, there are various estimates of the current number of Christians: the conservative estimate suggests 20 to 30 million; it may be 60 million, and it is possible the number could even be higher. Based on the above estimates the average annual rate of increase has been close to 7% for the last 50 years although growth has not been steady during this period. If the rate of increase is maintained at 7%, 25 years later the total number of Chinese Christians might reach 300 to 400 million. This is not just dreaming or guessing, but rather a conclusion based on evidence. The number of Chinese Christians will then surpass the number of Christians in any other ethnic group and China will be the country with the greatest number of Christians.
Today there are few ethnic Chinese missionaries, but, in the future, Chinese Christians may contribute the largest and strongest missionary force. Besides providing human resources, Chinese Christians may also be the major financial source for world evangelism due to China’s economic prosperity, its number one economic power status and the growth of personal income and increase in the standard of living.
Studying the overall trend of world history, we see that industrial development and economic growth have often been accompanied by church revival and the rise of Christian civilization. It is a historical fact that, whenever the number of Christians with a world vision has increased, worldwide evangelistic work has expanded and missionaries have been sent to foreign countries. This happened in 18th and 19th century Britain and Europe, and in 20th century U.S. and Canada. (Japan is not an example because of its recent and relatively brief rising and declining period. Japan’s rise has been a phenomenon of the past 20 years only; it may fade in 20 years.) It should not come as a surprise that mainland China will take its turn in the 21st century. It will soon be a reality that China is the number one economic power with the world’s biggest Christian population and the strongest mission resources. We should be looking forward to the coming of this great day and be encouraged to join in ministries to fulfill Christ’s great commission.
Difficult Challenges Ahead
God is Lord of history. The development of world history is part of His plan. He is the King of kings, the Lord reigning over the fate of each nation. As Psalm 103:19 says, “The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.” China’s history, its fate and future are all in the hands of God. It is God’s miraculous plan for China to become the number one economic power and have the biggest Christian population in the world. Someone put it humorously that “For God so loved the Chinese, He created a great many of them!” If you give further thought to this comment, you may see the deep spiritual meaning behind the humor. The deeds of the Lord of history are shown. In surveying trends in mainland China, not only should we have unshakable faith in the Lord of the history, but also the historical viewpoint to see the miraculous deeds of God.[9]God has done miraculous things in mainland China, starting with Mao Zedong who tried to unify the language and eliminate cultural obstacles. Unexpectedly, Mao made straight the way for the wide dissemination of the Gospel. With the launching of economic reform, the religious policy of Deng Xiaoping’s era benefited church growth. Some house church leaders believe that despite persecution, the church had been “free” enough to spread the Gospel. They believe it has been one of the most “ideal” environments because the church, after going through long trials, has grown through painful experiences; believers became enthusiastic for evangelism and carried the gospel to remote and rural areas. The church grew rapidly. If there had been no persecution, then there would not be this kind of harvest. However, if the persecution had been too severe, the Gospel would not have been spread and the church would have stopped growing. Some have said that God used Deng Xiaoping to accomplish revival in China.[10]
Another miracle has been the emergence of “Culture Christians.” Chinese intellectuals have historically been against the Christian faith; the expressions of their opposition have ranged from rejection to all-out attack. They even took action to eliminate any foreign religions. Since the 1980s, a group of researchers on Christianity has started to emerge from among mainland Chinese intellectuals. Among these scholars of Christianity, a large number are scholars of philosophy due to the fact that philosophy and religion have much in common in their research focus and analytical constructs. After years of research on Christian literature and theological works, and under the impact of Christian “spiritual civilization,” some of these have expressed their desire to accept the Christian belief and have become Christians. They are called “Culture Christians.”
We cannot be sure of the authenticity of the faith of this group of people. They tend to embrace the European theological ideas that have academic emphasis, which makes them dangerously vulnerable to being derailed from fundamental theological tracks. They may bring harmful influences to the church in the future. This is an undeniable, hidden problem; however, the positive influence of this group of people has been quite evident. Through years of research, the publications of the scholars in mainland
China’s cultural circles have corrected some mistakes on religious theory and destroyed the mistaken notion of “religion as the opiate of the people.” This was a revolutionary and foundational theoretical change. It should be considered a significant contribution of the “Culture Christians.” Through translating and introducing Christian literature via the history and works of theology in the 20th century, the “Culture Christians” provided contemporary research materials on world religions and cultivated interest in, and favor for, Christianity among many scholars and intellectuals.[11] We deeply believe God will use these cultural elite in harmoniously penetrating the Chinese culture with Christian truth to accomplish the Christianization of the Chinese culture and make a way for Christian truth to rebuild the political, social and economic foundations of the country.
It is also God’s plan that the Chinese elite are found all over the world. Currently, there are about 600,000 Chinese scholars and students abroad, scattered in the U.S., Canada, Britain, and the rest of Europe. About half of them are in the U.S. and are very open to the gospel. Evidence shows that about 10% of them have accepted Christ as their Savior, and many of these believers, who have committed themselves to full-time ministry, are receiving training in theological seminaries. This is a late-twentieth century miracle. When these students return to China after their training, along with the elite in China, they will be a powerful army for the Christianization of 21st century China.
The “miracle” before us constitutes these difficult challenges: First, 21st century China will have the biggest Christian population in the world. At the same time, the Chinese still constitute the world’s largest concentration of unevangelized people. Twenty-five or fifty years from now, their numbers will be amazingly large. The challenge is for the gospel to penetrate all of China.
Secondly, 21st century China will be the world’s number one economic power, but today’s China is still a society of distorted values that need to be straightened out. Individualism, pragmatism and utilitarianism are the mainstream of current Chinese society. People care only for their own interests and financial gain. They seek only material enjoyment and possessions; China has lost a clear sense of values. To look at China from a spiritual viewpoint, it is an empty and lost society. Yuan Zhiming, one of the writers of the popular Chinese television series River Elegy, said, “…if these problems remain undealt with, the Chinese will become a species of people with a distorted and horrifying face. The relationships between their people will be like those of wolves. Then, . . . the Chinese as an ethnic group will lose a real chance to rise among the world’s peoples. What difference will it make even if China has half of the world’s fortune? Everyone will have lost his consciousness and morality, living like a wolf, destroying and being destroyed by one another.”
China has experienced two “liberations” during the past 50 years. The communist Party overthrew the Nationalist Party and “liberated” China in 1949. The 40 years of planned economic development that followed in which they attempted to utilize resources and stimulate production and market distribution did not make the communist ideal a reality. Deng Xiaoping’s policies of reform and liberalization constituted the “re-liberation,”—the liberation from the control of the communist system. Now, China has stepped into the post-communist era and, though the economy is growing and private enterprise and foreign investment are increasing dramatically, China still needs a real “liberation” to bring forth democracy and freedom, human rights and the restoration of human dignity. This is the challenge of the spiritual and moral restoration.[12]
Thirdly, the mainland Chinese Christians have gone through decades of trials; they are equipped with worthy spiritual traits and rich experience in personal evangelism. China is the world’s biggest mission field, but, at the same time, its church probably represents a tremendous missionary reserve army. With the re-opening of China to the outside world, non-Chinese churches and agencies rushed into this Chinese mission field. Their lack of knowledge of the mainland church has often caused setbacks and difficulties in their work. The overseas Chinese church should understand clearly the strength and potential of the mainland church and view it as a partner in evangelism while, at the same time, it strengthens itself and prepares for effective cooperation.
Let’s look back at history. During the 1911 revolution, the overseas Chinese made a great contribution. During the Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese government was running a constant deficit; overseas Chinese provided generous donations. Today, China’s economic development owes a great deal to this investment from overseas Chinese. For the gospel to be heard in every corner of China, overseas Chinese will also have to have appropriate involvement. Right now, professionals are able to work in the fields of education and health care while having a low profile witness. Overseas Christians need to have a comprehensive plan ready to put into action when the opportunity presents itself. Overseas Chinese mission agencies need to do long-term planning to train workers for China and to be prepared to shoulder the task of world evangelism. This is a challenge for overseas Chinese.
Finally, of the mainland Chinese scholars and students that are scattered all over the world, half are in the U.S. Former Time magazine Beijing bureau chief David Aikman said that reaching out to students from the People’s Republic of China in the West is simply the most strategically important Christian missionary endeavor anywhere in the world.[13] Christians in North America have a unique opportunity which we Chinese, especially, need to seize in order to see our blood brothers and sisters come to know Christ. When these students finish their studies and return to China, they will have extensive influence within the elite class and will be able to help the Christian faith take root and grow within the lives of Chinese people. This is a special challenge for Chinese believers in North America!
