Faithful Christians in China

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Tuesday, December 20th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

In December 2018, Chinese authorities arrested a man named Wang Yi. He’s a Christian pastor and leader of Early Rain Covenant Church. More than a hundred members of the house church were also arrested.

Members videotaped some of the arrests, which ended up in news reports, like this one by the South China Morning Post.

CLIP: ARGUING IN CHINESE

EICHER: Authorities soon released most of those arrested, but not Wang. He was sentenced to nine years in prison for the charge of “inciting subversion of state power.” Four years later, Wang remains in prison, but his words and ideas garner attention around the world.

Today, WORLD Reporter Erica Kwong reviews a new book in English based on Wang’s writings and sermons. For reasons of Erica’s security, her review is being read by WORLD reporter Juliana Chan Erikson.

ERICA KWONG, REPORTER: Faithful Disobedience edited by Hannah Nation and J.D. Tseng is a collection of Pastor Wang Yi’s important texts now available in English. It includes sermons delivered at major international conferences, interviews, blog entries, and pastoral letters. The book also offers contributions by other prominent house church leaders, including Jin Mingri.

Editor Hannah Nation had this to say on a recent podcast with Aaron Shamp.

NATION: For Wang Yi, he is very interested in this question: What is the church? And what is it for in our world? All of his conflict with the state church comes down to this question of who’s the head of the church, and who’s the authority of church?

As a house church pastor, Wang argues for the importance of unregistered congregations that are distinct from state-sanctioned churches. The Chinese government regulates churches belonging to the Three-Self Patriotic Movement or TSPM. But house churches refuse to allow the Chinese government to co-opt their theology and practices. And while they do meet in houses, some gather in offices and even public parks.

Wang is a legal scholar. He traces the emergence of house churches in the 1950’s and presents clear reasons to reject participation in the TSPM. I hesitate to fully endorse all of Wang’s arguments. I know several Christians who’ve attended Three-Self churches and have found biblical teaching there.

Still, Wang’s strong faith is indisputable. Faithful Disobedience includes this sermon which followed his earlier release from police custody in May 2018.

CLIP: [WANG YI SPEAKING CHINESE]

Here Wang says what a church glories in shows how faithful it is and how much hope it has. He says the church “should glory in suffering for Christ. It should glory in those members who suffer for the sake of Christ. It should glory in the life of the martyrs.” Wang also condemns persecution because it hinders people coming to Jesus.

In another essay, Wang lists his resolutions in the face of persecution, such as refusing to admit to so-called crimes. He also plans to peacefully resist indoctrination “unless the prison authority tortures me brutally to the point of crushing my health and spirit.”

This book includes a helpful timeline for readers unfamiliar with the development of Christianity in China. A glossary of key terms also helps clarify the Chinese context of religion and politics.

Ultimately, Faithful Disobedience offers insights into the ways the Chinese government frequently uses the TSPM against God’s Kingdom—but it also shows how faithful Christians like Wang stand firm.

I found one quote particularly meaningful. Wang writes, “I hope God uses me, by means of first losing my personal freedom, to tell those who have deprived me of my personal freedom that there is an authority higher than their authority, and that there is a freedom that they cannot restrain, a freedom that fills the church of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ.”

I’m Erica Kwong.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Tuesday, December 20th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

In December 2018, Chinese authorities arrested a man named Wang Yi. He’s a Christian pastor and leader of Early Rain Covenant Church. More than a hundred members of the house church were also arrested.

Members videotaped some of the arrests, which ended up in news reports, like this one by the South China Morning Post.

CLIP: ARGUING IN CHINESE

EICHER: Authorities soon released most of those arrested, but not Wang. He was sentenced to nine years in prison for the charge of “inciting subversion of state power.” Four years later, Wang remains in prison, but his words and ideas garner attention around the world.

Today, WORLD Reporter Erica Kwong reviews a new book in English based on Wang’s writings and sermons. For reasons of Erica’s security, her review is being read by WORLD reporter Juliana Chan Erikson.

ERICA KWONG, REPORTER: Faithful Disobedience edited by Hannah Nation and J.D. Tseng is a collection of Pastor Wang Yi’s important texts now available in English. It includes sermons delivered at major international conferences, interviews, blog entries, and pastoral letters. The book also offers contributions by other prominent house church leaders, including Jin Mingri.

Editor Hannah Nation had this to say on a recent podcast with Aaron Shamp.

NATION: For Wang Yi, he is very interested in this question: What is the church? And what is it for in our world? All of his conflict with the state church comes down to this question of who’s the head of the church, and who’s the authority of church?

As a house church pastor, Wang argues for the importance of unregistered congregations that are distinct from state-sanctioned churches. The Chinese government regulates churches belonging to the Three-Self Patriotic Movement or TSPM. But house churches refuse to allow the Chinese government to co-opt their theology and practices. And while they do meet in houses, some gather in offices and even public parks.

Wang is a legal scholar. He traces the emergence of house churches in the 1950’s and presents clear reasons to reject participation in the TSPM. I hesitate to fully endorse all of Wang’s arguments. I know several Christians who’ve attended Three-Self churches and have found biblical teaching there.

Still, Wang’s strong faith is indisputable. Faithful Disobedience includes this sermon which followed his earlier release from police custody in May 2018.

CLIP: [WANG YI SPEAKING CHINESE]

Here Wang says what a church glories in shows how faithful it is and how much hope it has. He says the church “should glory in suffering for Christ. It should glory in those members who suffer for the sake of Christ. It should glory in the life of the martyrs.” Wang also condemns persecution because it hinders people coming to Jesus.

In another essay, Wang lists his resolutions in the face of persecution, such as refusing to admit to so-called crimes. He also plans to peacefully resist indoctrination “unless the prison authority tortures me brutally to the point of crushing my health and spirit.”

This book includes a helpful timeline for readers unfamiliar with the development of Christianity in China. A glossary of key terms also helps clarify the Chinese context of religion and politics.

Ultimately, Faithful Disobedience offers insights into the ways the Chinese government frequently uses the TSPM against God’s Kingdom—but it also shows how faithful Christians like Wang stand firm.

I found one quote particularly meaningful. Wang writes, “I hope God uses me, by means of first losing my personal freedom, to tell those who have deprived me of my personal freedom that there is an authority higher than their authority, and that there is a freedom that they cannot restrain, a freedom that fills the church of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ.”

I’m Erica Kwong.

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