Overview
Slightly smaller than the United States, China has the world’s largest population of 1.3 billion.
Previously a world leader, China declined after its Cultural Revolution crippled the economy and took millions of lives.
Since 1978, however, China has shifted toward market economics and has risen as the world’s second largest economy. China has experienced the fastest growing church movement in history—from 2.7 million evangelicals in 1975 to over 75 million in 2010. Today, 6.24 percent of China’s population is evangelical.
As a side effect of rapid growth and past persecution, Christian leaders are scarce—in 2010, some groups reported only one trained leader for every 7,000 believers or even every 40,000 in some areas. A shortage of printed Bibles and literature has also afflicted the church, with some congregations sharing a single Bible. As a result, the Chinese church has been susceptible to false teaching.
Chinese culture suffers from growing materialism, rampant corruption, and the world’s highest number of suicides. Additionally, China’s birth restrictions have prompted roughly 23 million abortions per year, according to the U.S. State Department.
How You Can Make a Difference
Ways To Give
Evangelism & Discipleship
One of the many Bible schools assisted by Christian Aid Mission in China offers one- and two-year programs, with training primarily focused on evangelism and the cost of discipleship. Seven days a week, faculty lead morning prayers at 5 a.m. and evening prayers at 9p.m. Every Saturday, students divide into groups to evangelize their community. Due to the school’s excellent standing, home churches often invite students and faculty to preach and lead worship. They travel in pairs on bicycles to over 40 house churches in the school’s vicinity. Over 120 students graduate from this Bible school each year. Students become teachers at the school, return to serve in their home churches, or plant new churches in various regions throughout China. GIVE NOW to help evangelistic and discipleship ministries like this one in China.
Community Engagement
A Bible-based drug rehabilitation center founded in 2007 in Yunnan Province addresses the growing problem of drug abuse in the southern provinces, where heroin and other illicit drugs come across the border from Myanmar. The school’s 18-month program helps addicts recover through the living Word of God. Patients also learn vocational skills to help them reenter society. GIVE NOW to help community engagement ministries like this one in China.
Compassion
Exclusive Stories from the Mission Field
Support Indigenous Missionaries in China
Young people are the future, leading native evangelists not only to focus on university students but preparing them to plant churches when they return to their home areas. The evangelists’ native ministry has founded four university fellowships and begun 15 house churches since its inception 16 years ago.
Train Workers for Effective Ministry in China
Minority ethnic groups present a unique challenge for those bringing them the gospel, and a native ministry has begun a new training center to equip workers in the best ways to reach them with the salvation message. Elsewhere, local workers are relying more on home visits and other small group meetings to share the gospel in the face of church shutdowns and other restrictions.
Expand God’s Kingdom in China
Orphans and other impoverished villagers in mountainous areas recently received badly needed supplies from native Christian workers, opening the way for the gospel to spread. Other workers discipled Christians at newly planted churches in the area. In various parts of the country, workers brought the message of eternal life in Christ to nine ethnic groups.
Help Workers Share the Gospel in China
A girl had attended a summer camp for Tibetan teenagers since she was in the eighth grade and heard the gospel many times. Serving at a summer camp after becoming a college student, she witnessed and came to appreciate the way of life among native workers. Touched by the Holy Spirit, she finally put her faith in Christ.
Help Spread Word of the Kingdom in China
In spite of pandemic restrictions, native Christian workers recently planted a church that is spreading kingdom light amid a community in darkness. The ministry seeks to plant another church in an area where workers previously brought the gospel to schoolchildren during a holiday celebrating the National Day.
Help Bring Gospel Transformation in China
A man living in a remote area of towering mountains had been born with deformed legs, and when he contracted COVID-19, native Christian workers who knew him from prior aid deliveries covered his medical bills and living expenses.