8. We are greatly encouraged by the way the Church in China has established itself as a national institution based on the Three Self Principle as the touchstone of emancipation from the sociopolitical constraints of the past. We appreciate the expressed intent of the church leadership in China to take responsibility for the theological, missional, structural and economic development of the Church. This is also what we seek to accomplish through the work of our Theological Education and Formation and Economic Empowerment tracks.
9. In particular, we commend the work of Theological Education and Formation Taskforce for the draft catechism that they have produced. Not only do we believe the Anglican Catechism in Outline (ACIO) will be a blessing to churches in the Anglican Communion, we also hope it will become an area of on-going theological collaboration with the Church in China.
10. In the same way, we are inspired by the way the nation and people of China have been transformed in the past thirty years through shared hard work and determined commitment to social and economic development. We in the Global South can learn from that and work towards economic self-empowerment, as we seek the welfare of our respective societies.
11. We share the same commitment with the Chinese Church to biblical ethics and morality as well as the call to live out the Gospel in serving the needy while faithfully proclaiming the Word of God. This is truly an authentic expression of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church of Jesus Christ living out its prophetic and priestly role in secular society.
This is a big story.
When we were in China, I went to an official church on Christmas day. The were limited to only two services and people were standing outside and inside in a tiny church left from the Portuguese. It was warm and joyful.
For anyone who wants to understand Christianity in modern China, I would recommend “Jesus in Beijing” by David Aikman.
When we were in Beijing in 1999 I attended a weekday mass at a church on a main shopping street not far from the main square and Sunday mass at the South Cathedral. I was not able to find the Protestant church, and the Catholic church in the former Legation Quarter was under repair. The church was filled for the services I attended. The South Cathedral congregation was about half Chinese and half expatriates.
Can someone point me to the text of the Global South Catechism. The link to the Global South web site has information about the catechism project but no text.
Tom Rightmyer trightmy@juno.com in Asheville, NC
4. This visit has enabled us to experience the level of cooperation that prevails between the State and the China Christian Council and the National Committee of the Three Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China (CCC/TSPM). We wholeheartedly commend the Chinese government for its openness and desire to extend sustainable support to the work of the church here. This was expressed in concrete terms by a very significant amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China during the recent 17th National Party Congress. The amendment mentioned the word “religion†in the Constitution for the first time in the history of modern China, and resolves to strengthen the work for the full implementation of the policy of freedom of religion in China. This is a recognition of the increasing role that the church plays in the nation’s economic and social development. This process of opening up to the world, healthily reforming its institutions and re-affirming religious freedom, with the rules and regulations established, would certainly build up a harmonious, prosperous and stable society.
I hope that, in a world where the primate of Nigeria preaches against government corruption, Burma’s Buddhist monks risk their lives on the streets of Rangoon and members of house churches and practitioners of Falun Gong are viewed as threats to the security of the Chinese state, the Global South doesn’t plan to be overly accommodating to the Chinese regime. I understand the need to deal with the facts as they are on the ground, but it’s no service to the principle of religious freedom to allow a secularist regime unqualified license to define what constitutes that principle.
I realize that this trip was sponsored by the Chinese government and that the primates wanted to affirm the positive things that they saw/were allowed to see, but there is still much ongoing persecution in China regarding religious expression, of Christians as well as of other religious groups. I know from hearing personal testimony that house churches are being broken up by government officials and individuals are being imprisoned for giving their personal testimony in public. The outlawed underground house church movement is where most of the growth of Christianity is taking place in China, not the official Three Self Church, which is officially banned from evangelizing, even teaching their own youth. I hope the primates will be able to balance their support of current Chinese policy with a strong plea for an end to government persecution of those devoted Christians who either cannot or choose not to worship in the goverment sanctioned church.
“We are greatly encouraged by the way the Church in China has established itself as a national institution based on the Three Self Principle as the touchstone of emancipation from the sociopolitical constraints of the past” —Global South
The “Three Self Principles”—self-government, self-support, and self-propagation—are fine in themselves. Raising up indigenous leaders in place of Western-born leaders has been key to the thriving churches of the Global South.
But let’s keep three somber caveats in mind. First, the official Three-Self Church—the only legal Protestant church in China—has a history of subservience to the Communist government.
Second, the Three-Self principle of self-governance is inconsistent with Roman Catholic teaching about papal primacy—and thus violates faithful Roman Catholics’ fundamental human right to religious freedom.
Third, the Chinese government actively persecutes both the House Church Movement (which accounts for the majority of Christians in China) and Roman Catholics loyal to Rome rather than to the collaborationist Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. Indeed, the Chinese government is probably the world’s greatest single persecutor of Christians.
By all means, let’s build ties with the Chinese people and seek understanding with the Chinese government. But let’s also remember how that government continues to treat Christians cruelly.
(I recently spent half a day speaking to and with Chinese government officials. The officials were diligent, likeable techocrats and the topics I covered were also technocratic. Before the meetings, I considered saying something about the House Church Movement, my own Christian faith, or both, but couldn’t think of a good opening to do so. Perhaps I should have thought harder.)
Glad to see the caveats expressed in the comments above. It may be that the effusive tone of the GS statement is meant to ensure further contacts with Chinese Christians, but I hope they do not end up getting played.