ITINERARY FOR THE TRIP

Our son Jim and his wife, Alice, have set up a lot of appointments to keep us busy during our stay in Hong Kong and China. There will be preaching at the International Alliance Church where Jim is pastor, preaching to the Filipino congregation, a couple’s retreat, appointments with Chinese leaders we worked with in past years. Evelyn will be speaking to the AWANA group and is anxious for a visit to Rennie’s Mill where she worked with the refugees. Our trip into Central China to Wuhang will be most exciting because we will have the opportunity of seeing where our old mission house once stood. In its place is rising the seminary administration building with an auditorium seating 1,000! More on all of that in the next edition.

AMITY PRESS PRINTING BIBLES ONE A SECOND!

From a couple living in Hong Kong who frequently visit China, comes the report that they personally visited Amity Press in Nanjing and watched as the press produced one Bible a second! Through the generous contributions of the United Bible Society, all the paper for the Bibles is free to Amity Press. These Bibles are sold for the equivalent price of $1.50. Praise God for this press that is printing Bibles as fast as possible. They are nearing the 23 million mark!

THE CHINA PARADOX

The whole China situation is so intriguing and filled with hope while at the same time, there are many problems, and in some areas, persecution. It is difficult for Americans to get the picture of the open church on one hand where there is freedom to worship and carry on evangelism while on the other hand there is the house church movement which suffers from oppression. From Intercessors, Inc comes the report that new rules by the Chinese government makes it easier for them to control foreign preachers who often are associated with the underground church movement. China continues to round up members of underground house churches amid justification that the church has to be free of foreign influences. According to the official registered Protestant church, the three Taiwan-born U.S. citizens who were arrested and later released had been lecturing without obtaining an invitation from the official religious organization. It is a well-known fact that the government looks on the unregistered church as breaking the law and therefore subject to punishment or harassment. So even though there is great openness in the registered church, there is much suffering among home churches not registered.

THE TUJIA TRIBAL CHURCH

Balanced against the above report comes the exciting report that the Dick Williams’ wanted to help with the building of a church for the Tujia tribes people. They reported in their most recent letter that Amity Foundation has gotten involved and is helping to build the church, open and repair roads and work on irrigation projects. They also reported that their "goat project" has been a great blessing to needy farmers. When they visited the area recently, it was after some severe flooding and loss of crops. The goats were joyfully received by destitute farmers. This "goat project" was successful because of the contributions by a church in Ohio. Pray that these goats will produce a healthy flock and help alleviate some of the suffering, but also that it will open the door for greater penetration of the gospel. More than 1,000 of these tribes people gather to worship the Lord each week, and some walk as much as 30 miles to get there!

THE VATICAN CHOOSES OCTOBER 1 TO HONOR CHINA’S MARTYRS

In a move calculated to cause a very angry response in Chinese government circles, the Vatican chose October 1, the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, to canonize 87 Chinese Christians and 33 missionaries killed from 1648-`1930. This was reported by Reuters. Mostof these people died during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. The Vatican said it chose this day because it is the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, patroness of missionary work. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry responded by saying "The martyrs deserved their fate because they broke Chinese laws." The state-sponsored Catholic Church is not recognized by the Vatican because it does not follow the Pope’s authority. There are about 8 million Catholics in the underground house church movement.

EVANGELISM EXPLOSION REAPS GREAT HARVEST IN CHINA

The EE representative for Asia reports that in Shanghai, one of the most important and influential cities of China, 4,500 Chinese have trusted Christ through EE ministries. It is also reported that 410 people are involved in EE training and evangelism ministries. When you reckon that each person enlists a prayer partner whose responsibility it is to pray in a face-to-face situation, the enormous impact of this evangelism becomes apparent. Imagine almost 1,000 people praying with each other in this most productive form of evangelism! Besides, the churches of these people are also engaged in earnest prayer support for their teams going out to witness. Pray especially during the second half of October for 40 pastors and church leaders who will be attending an EE Leadership Training clinic taught by local Chinese pastors in Mandarin. Pray that this ministry will multiply throughout the entire country of China. Let us pray that this effective EE ministry will continue to flourish and grow in China, and that the American church will catch this same vision and enthusiasm for witnessing. EE Clinics have also been very active and successful in Mongolia. Obviously, God is doing something special in Asia. Pray for these various outreach ministries.

HUNAN BIBLE INSTITUTE OPENS NEW SEMESTER

On September 18, the Hunan Bible Institute enrolled 35 students from outlying churches in a 3 month training program. An additional 30 students, all under the age of 30, who began a one year training program. At present, 5 students are in the pre-ordination program. Across China, there are 21 seminaries with an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students preparing for Christian ministry. It is reported that half of them are women. It has always been true that women constitute an amazing and powerful force for Christ in China. That speaks well for the next generation for many Chinese have reported over the years that they found Christ as their Savior in their homes through the influence of their mothers and grandmothers. This was even true during the Cultural Revolution when the physical church was all but annihilated. The fact that there is an estimated 80 million believers in China today testifies to the tremendous impact of Christian women in the land.

CHINESE CHURCH IN BRAZIL

Rev. Sanford Hashimoto, a missionary with The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Brazil, was instrumental in starting the Brazilian church in Sao Jose Dos Campos in the 80’s. Now he and his wife, Wendy, are helping Chinese Alliance Pastor Joseph Sze work to form a new Chinese work through the church. Rev. Sze does not speak Portuguese and needs the assistance of the Hashimotos in reaching the Chinese population. In addition to Pastor Sze’s ministry, "short term" mission groups from Chinese Alliance churches in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Queens, NY, have come to help build this new Chinese church.

25 KOREAN "SHORT-TERM" PEOPLE HELP VBS IN TAIWAN

Rod Van Schooten reports from Taiwan that 25 Koreans were engaged with them in a cross-cultural missions project in August. They came to assist with VBS and evangelism outreach by sharing the Four Spiritual Laws in the afternoons. Praise God for these young people who made the cultural leap to engage in missions outreach. Pray for the follow-up work which has begun and for the growth of the youth group in its beginning stages.

U.S. COLLEGES RESPOND TO TEACHING ENGLISH IN CHINA

Dozens of students from U.S. colleges joined ERRC - Educational resources and referrals, in an extensive summer missions program in several Chinese universities and colleges. Among the group of students were many American-born Chinese who have caught the vision of reaching students in the homeland of their ancestors. In addition, Nyack College and Toccoa Falls College sent large teams to work with students for several weeks during the hottest time of the year. Educators in all of these institutions praised the efforts of these young people and welcomed them back next year.

CHINESE SCHOLARS VISIT THE U. S.

The China Academic Consortium invited several outstanding Chinese scholars to visit the U. S. And a Christian conference in Boston and Berkeley. These professors, already with Ph.D. degrees, are all committed Christians who are introducing Christianity as an academic subject to the students in their religious studies courses. The impact of these Christian professors will have a tremendous influence on the future scholars of China. Pray for these professors serving in some of China’s most prestigious institutions.

CONCLUSION

Are you confused by the conflicting reports of blessing and openness in China in many places and the reports of persecution in other places? We must remember that China is a vast country which is seeking by every means to catch up with the industrialized world. These reports of blessing are all verifiable as are the ones of persecution. Do not be discouraged or confused. In Paul’s day the same conditions existed side by side. In some places there were open doors while in others their was persecution. Pray that the believers in China will stand firm on the Word of God and not be influenced by cults, liberal theology and Satanic pressures which abound there as they do here in the USA. Pray that the gates of hell shall not prevail and the church will move forward to continue its aggressive evangelism and church planting.

Please pray for the biography of Rev.Paul Bartle that I am writing. It is presently called "Giants Walked Among Us." Hopefully it can be released in 2001.

Your messenger for God and the Chinese,