China

Far East/Asia

Year opened: 1993

China stood as a leading civilization for decades before the events of the 19th and 20th centuries forever altered the nation. Wars, political instability and famines struck during this period, followed by the leadership of Mao Zedong after World War II. This autocratic socialist enforced strict controls on everyday life and killed tens of millions of Chinese during his reign. Since 1978, Deng Xiaoping had been in power and, although political control on Chinese inhabitants remains extremely tight, citizens have more freedom than before. Deng has focused more on the market economy of the world and expanded China’s trade to make it a player in the world scene.

This nation of more than 1.3 billion people is known for harsh human rights conditions and persecution of followers of the Christian faith. Despite the persecution believers experience, the Church in China is growing rapidly, and some estimate 10% of the entire population is Christian.

The Mission Society commissioned its first missionary to China in 1993. This person had been called of God to reach an unreached Muslim people-group that live in an economically depressed and geographically isolated region. There was not a single known Christian living within the district this people-group called home. No church. No Bible in their language. No missionaries working among them. By God’s grace, a small core of new believers have been won to Christ and are being discipled. Another Mission Society missionary began a counseling ministry in this nation, which has the highest suicide rate in the world. Other missionaries are working to mobilize Chinese Christians to serve as missionaries themselves – in China and throughout Asia.

 

Prayer Requests

• Pray for the Chinese Christians often experiencing persecution by local authorities, as well as for the house churches of believers.
• Pray for those working with previously unreached people groups in remote regions of China. 
• Pray for those who minister through counseling in this nation, which has the highest suicide rates of any country in the world.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to continue to work in China and that the Church will increase in numbers and influence.
• Pray for the Lord to raise up more missionaries and national Christian pastors to disciple Chinese Christians in their faith.
• Pray for perseverance for the Chinese Church as it sends its own to minister across Central Asia and beyond.