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2008-02-05 issue:

Sacrifice and suffering

Grace and Truth column

by Clarence E. Rempel

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I was excited about visiting China for two reasons. One, to see firsthand the economic and social transformation of China from one of the poorest countries in the world to a global economic powerhouse in just 30 years. China now owns over $1 trillion of U.S. bonds. I experience this economic power of China almost every day as I watch mile-and-a-half-long trains stacked with double-decker cargo containers pass through Newton, Kan., loaded with goods from China. Eighty percent of the world’s toys are now made in China.



A second, more important reason was to meet the Christians who had endured the persecutions of the Cultural Revolution and to experience the vibrancy of a growing church in China. I accompanied Sheldon Sawatzky, director for East Asia for Mennonite Mission Network of Mennonite Church USA. Rod Suderman of Mennonite Central Committee served as our in-country guide. From Beijing we traveled 200 miles south to Daming and Puyang (formerly Kaichow), the area where H.J. and Maria Brown and a host of Mennonite missionaries established schools, staffed medical clinics and planted churches in the first half of the 20th century. At great personal risk and family sacrifice H.J. and Maria raised their own support to go to what H.J. described as a place of darkness—no schools, no medical services, no churches, no knowledge of God. The people worshiped idols and were dominated by fear of the spirits.

What about today? At the former Mennonite mission compound in Daming, the church has built a three-story Christian learning center with twin steeple towers. They are using it as a Christian learning center with 71 Bible students housed on the first floor in dormitory-type rooms. We were awakened at 5:15 a.m. to loud praying and robust singing as their day of Bible training began. We were housed on the second floor across the hall from their large classroom. Our room served as dining hall, conference room and sleeping quarters. We had one pail of clean water for washing and one that served as a chamber pot.

Living conditions are simple, education limited. Building new church facilities requires sacrifice.

In 1995, they had 22 congregations. Now they have 44. In 1995, they had four church buildings. Now they have 24. In the 1990s they had 800 baptisms a year. This last year they had 400. In 1995, they had seven church leaders; today they have 65 church leaders but no pastors.

Most of the church leaders in the Daming area have only a middle-school education and limited Bible training. Nevertheless, I sensed the dedication of these church leaders, all serving on a volunteer basis. They want the church to grow.

The church in China radiates the principle that missional churches are willing to suffer and ready to sacrifice to forward God’s saving mission.

The church in China suffered greatly after the Communist takeover and during the Cultural Revolution. Tens of thousands of Christians were imprisoned, starved, tortured and killed. Yet the church grew to anywhere from 30 to 100 million Christians today, depending on whose estimates you trust.

The dream of many Chinese leaders today is to send 100,000 missionaries from China down the silk trade routes back to Jerusalem. The sending of these missionaries has been underway since 2000. In the first year, 400 were sent to 10 countries. Training is not your typical seminary class. Main courses include how to suffer and die, how to witness and how to escape for the Lord. Missional churches are willing to suffer and ready to sacrifice to forward God’s saving mission.

Clarence E. Rempel is a pastor at First Mennonite Church, Newton, Kan.

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