I’ve sometimes wondered if there might be more Christians in China today than there are in America. If such were true, I wouldn’t be at all surprised. Here’s two statistics that seem to bear out that supposition.
The population of the United States is around 311 million. The number of estimated Christians in China varies from 80 million to 150 million. The variation in the estimates on Chinese Christians is due in large part to the numbers involved in the underground church movement.
“According to China Aid, a Texas-based human rights group, the number of Christians in China has increased 100-fold since 1949. Current estimates range from 80 million to 130 million active members. And one startling estimate from a Chinese Christian businessman has that number doubling or even tripling in the next generation.”
Staggering, isn’t it?! Even more staggering when one considers how slow Christianity was to take root in China. What few accounts I’ve read of early missionary work in China would show how difficult the work was. Some of the missionaries labored for years without a single convert.
Let me tell you about the first Protestant missionary to China. His name was Robert Morrison (1782-1834).
After a period of carousing in his early years Robert Morrison was converted with the conviction to be a missionary. After much study and showing an aptitude for languages (Latin, Greek and Hebrew) he was accepted by the London Missionary Society. When time came for him to book passage to China, he was told that no ship would take him. The only ships from England that travelled to China were from the East India Trading Company and they didn’t want to take missionaries. So, instead, he booked passage to America. The trip was stormy, but he finally arrived in New York. “Morrison spent nearly a month in America. He was very anxious to secure the good offices of the American Consul at Guangzhou, as it was well known that he would need the influence of someone in authority, if he was to be permitted to stay in China. The promise of protection was made from the United States consul, and on 12 May, he boarded a second ship, the Trident, bound for Macau.” His ship finally arrived in Macau after another 113 days at sea. In Macau, Morrison repeatedly heard tales of how hopeless his mission was. “First of all, Chinamen were forbidden by the Government to teach the language to anyone under penalty of death. Secondly, no one could remain in China except for purposes of trade. Thirdly, the Roman Catholic missionaries at Macau, who were protected by the Portuguese, would be bitterly hostile, and stir up the people against a Protestant missionary. On 7 September, he was expelled by the Roman Catholic authorities in Macau and went to the Thirteen Factories outside Canton City.”
“During these early months his trials and discouragements were great. He had to live in almost complete seclusion. He was afraid of being seen abroad. His Chinese servants cheated him. The man who undertook to teach him demanded extortionate sums. Another bought him a few Chinese books, and robbed him handsomely in the transaction. Morrison was alarmed at his expenditure. He tried living in one room, until he had severe warnings that fever would be the outcome. His utter loneliness oppressed him. The prospect seemed cheerless in the extreme.”
“Morrison's position was menaced by political troubles. One move in the war with France, which England was waging at this time, was that an English squadron bore down on Macau, to prevent the French from striking a blow at English trade. This action was resented by the Chinese authorities at Guangzhou, and reprisals were threatened on the English residents there. Panic prevailed. The English families had to take refuge on ships, and make their way to Macau. Among them came Morrison, with his precious luggage of manuscripts and books. The political difficulty soon passed, and the squadron left; but the Chinese were even more intensely suspicious of the "foreigner" than before.”
“Morrison fell ill and returned to Macau on 1 June 1808. Fortunately he had mastered Mandarin and Cantonese during this period. Morrison was miserably housed at Macau. It was with difficulty he induced any one to take him in. He paid an exorbitant price for a miserable top-floor room, and had not been long in it before the roof fell in with a crash. Even then he would have stayed on, when some sort of covering had been patched up, but his landlord raised his rent by one-third, and he was forced to go out again into the streets.”
During this time he endeavored to produce a Chinese-English dictionary. “He attempted to teach three Chinese boys who lived on the streets in an attempt to help both them and his own language skills. However, they treated him maliciously and he was forced to let them go.”
In 1809 he married Mary Morton. There was a lot she had to endure. Their first child died at birth. Still they persevered. “Chinese grammar was finished in 1812, and sent to Bengal for printing, and heard no more of for three anxious, weary years for Morrison. But it was highly approved and well printed, and it was a pivotal piece of work done towards enabling England and America to understand China. Morrison went on to print a tract and a catechism. He translated the book of Acts into Chinese, and was overcharged to the extent of thirty pounds for the printing of a thousand copies. Then Morrison translated the Gospel of Luke, and printed it. The Roman Catholic bishop at Macau, on obtaining a copy of this latter production, ordered it to be burned as a heretical book.” The Chinese weren’t receptive either. A law was passed that to publish Christian books in Chinese was punishable by death.
Forgive me for skipping over many of the details of his continuing troubles, but suffice it to say Morrison persevered still. Eventually he published the entire Bible in Chinese, tracts, dictionary, grammar and other works. Morrison also established a small church. In his lifetime there were only a few converts. Can you imagine his joy Heaven now? (sources: wikipedia)
YBIC
Bruce Baber