Answers to Prayer

1 The survival and reviving of the Church in China was one of the decisive events of the 20th Century

2 The growth of the Church in China since 1977 has no parallels in history

3 The millions of intercessors who travailed in prayer for the long-delayed breakthrough

4 The atheist rulers of China became unwitting instruments in the hand of our Sovereign God to prepare the way for this growth

5 The manifest failure of Communism

6 The faith and commitment of Christians under what may prove to be the most harsh and widespread persecution of the Church in all history

7 The aftermath of the Beijing massacre in Tiananmen Square in 1989

8 The loving witness of ordinary Christians ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit

9 The fruitfulness of Christian radio and the remarkable faith of those who broadcast into China for years with little visible evidence of a response – that evidence is now plain to see

10 The Internet is creating extraordinary new openings for evil and for good – the latter in providing discipleship and leadership development materials

Challenges for Prayer

1 There may only be a ten-year window of opportunity for receptivity

2 Communist Party members are the elite and number some 60m

3 Market socialism is a convenient term to gloss over the ideological bankruptcy of the Marxism still espoused by the ruling elite

4 The 'One Child' policy is a draconian means of taming the growth of the population

5 Economic liberalization has made a few very wealthy and improved living standards for many, but made others worse off:

a) The millions of unemployed have become an impoverished under-class

b) The poorer inland provinces far from the sea where there has been less development;

c) The elderly – with the one-child policy limiting family care for them

d) Those in the penal system with 15 – 20 million incarcerated

e) Those with disabilities

6 The social and health needs in China overwhelm the available resources

7 China faces environmental disasters on many fronts

Geography

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Area 9,573,000 sq.km. The third largest state in the world, also containing the highest mountains and plateaus in the world.

Population (2000) 1,262,556,787 +0.93%AGR

Capital Beijing (Peking) 12,033,000.

Peoples

Han Chinese 91.3%.

Ethnic minorities 8.7%.

Literacy 81.5%. Official language Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese); local languages in the five Autonomous Regions. All languages 470. Languages with Scriptures 13Bi 13NT 16por 24w.i.p.

Economy

The Cultural Revolution with its application of an extreme Marxist economic system was a fiasco. HDI 0.701; 98^th/174. Public debt 11% of GNP. Income/person $860 (2.7% of USA).

Politics

This great and ancient nation has regained its place of importance in the world after nearly two centuries of decline and humiliation at the hands of the Western powers and Japan.

Religion

Elimination of all religious groups has always been the ultimate aim of the Marxist government.

Churches in China

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Internet Links