Course: History of Modern Missions

Section Three: India, China, Africa

Lesson 7

Lesson Title: Foreign Missions to China

Introduction: Association of Missions and trade in China

· Opium

Western trade: British East India Company

Trade dependent upon sale of opium.

Opium Wars 1842; 1860.

Forced Chinese to allow opium.

· Missionary pays the price

Missionaries open to being seen as Foreign Devils

Boxer Rebellion (1902)

Main Points:

1. Development of Missions

· Bible Translation

Robert Morrison (1782-1834) – 1807 went to China with the London Missionary Society.

Learnt Cantonese and Mandarin.

1809 Worked as translator for East India Company

1814 Published New Testament in Chinese.

1818 Published whole Bible in Chinese.

Association with East India Company linked missionaries with Opium trade.

Missionaries kept by coastal regions.

Missionaries kept their western identity.

Christianity – western religion.

· Faith Missions.

Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)

Influenced to follow ‘life of faith’ as testified by George Muller (1805-1898)

1865 – China Inland Mission founded.

Would not ask for funds to support mission. Trusted God to supply without relying upon man.

Sought to go inland

Discarded western clothes.

Put on Chinese clothes. Initially western missionaries opposed wearing Chinese clothes – seen as turned native.

2. Indigenous Church leaders

· Pastor Hsi (1830-1896)– delivered from Opium

Led to the Lord by CIM missionaries – won writing competition

Empowered by the Spirit – moved in the gifts of the Spirit.

· John Sung (1901-1944) – evangelist.

· Watchman Nee (1903-1972).

3. Communist era

· Three Self Patriotic Movement – restricted worship; controlled by government.

· House Church Movement – underground church (estimated over 50 million people in the underground church in China). Many pastors and leaders have been willing to suffer imprisonment, torture or even death for the gospel.

Discussion:

Why has the Church in China thrived under communism whereas the Church in Eastern Europe did not?

Because the Word of God was well planted in China through the missionary movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Has God allowed communism to keep China closed to prevent the Church in China from being infected by a materialistic western gospel?

Believers will become strong through persecution but worldly prosperity robs the Church of power.

Materialism is a greater danger to the true Church than persecution.

Summary:

1) The association of western missionaries with Western Imperialism left them open to being classed as ‘foreign devils’.

2) Hudson Taylor saw the need to become like the Chinese to reach them with the Gospel.

3) China has produced many great Bible leaders and teachers.

4) The Communist persecution has not been able to destroy the church in China. The church in China is numbered in the millions.