A History of the Protestant Church in China

Three Threes

• Christianity has come to China three times

• The three “half-centuries” of the modern period

• Three chapters in the development of the PRC

Christianity Comes Three Times

• Nestorians 635 to 845

• Matteo Rici 1583 to 1800s

• Robert Morrison 1807

Knocking at the Door

1800 – 1850 (first 50 years)1795 London Missionary Society

1807 Robert Morrison arrives in Canton

1810 The American Board

1812 Emperor’s edict against Christianity

1842 The Opium War

Initial Missionary Activity

• 1850 – 1900 (second 50 years)– 1869: 400 missionaries from more than 30

different denominations– 1870: Local rioters in Tianjin kill 14 French

missionaries, many local Christians – 1900: 2,800 missionaries – 1900: Boxer Uprising killed 200 missionaries,

great numbers of Chinese Christians– 20,000 Western troops crushed the uprising

20th Century

• 1900 – 1950 (third 50 years)– 1911: Sun Yatsen’s republican revolution– 1926: China missionaries peaked at 8,235– 1927: Civil war breaks out– 1937: Japanese invade China– 1949: CPC victorious, China at peace,

missionaries required to go• 700,000 baptized Christians• Universities, hospitals, orphanages, churches

The History of the PRC

• 1949 – 1966: National building– 1950: TSPM as movement– 1954: 1st NCCC, TSPM institutionalized– 1960: 2nd NCCC, push for unity

The History of the PRC

• 1966 – 1976: Cultural Revolution– “Ten years of chaos”– All religions persecuted, religious literature

burned, worship centers closed, clergy imprisoned, believers forced to apostacize

– 1976: Mao, Zhou Enlai, Chu De died; Tangshan Earthquake – end of the Cultural Revolution

The History of the PRC

• 1980: Opening and Reform

• 1980: 3rd NCCC, formed the China Christian Council (CCC)– Recover & reopen churches– Reopen seminaries & Bible schools, train

clergy & church leaders– Print Bibles & other religious materials

Current Situation

• Statistics– 43 million Bibles printed & distributed– 55,000 places of worship– 4,000 pastors & associates– 18 seminaries – 1,800 students enrolled – 300 graduate & take churches each year

• The work of the Holy Spirit