Graeme Chapman Preaching at Dongshan Christian Church in Guangzhou.

During the 10 years of the Cultural Revolution the Christian Church in China was repressed. Public worship was disallowed, church buildings were taken over and used as factories and pastors became part of the industrial and agricultural workforce. Christians were forced to meet in secret, hide their Bibles and to devise means of teaching their children the faith without it being obvious that they were doing so.

House churches

In this atmosphere Christians sought each other out. They met together in homes, sometimes singing hymns in whispers to avoid detention. These house meetings brought together people from various denominational backgrounds. They experienced the reality of a common faith in Christ and supported each other practically and in prayer. Leadership emerged from among the laity. One woman, after she had overcome her initial fears, began seeking out Christian neighbours. She gave valued leadership to one of these groups and is now on the staff of the recently reopened theological college in Nanjing.

Denominationalism Out

When the Gang of Four was overthrown, and Christians were again given the privilege of worshipping publicly, they did not want to forfeit the togetherness they had discovered in their house meetings. They had no desire to return to the divisive denominationalism that had been unwittingly forced upon them by churches in the West. Individualism, which helped splinter Western Christianity, was not part of the Chinese experience, which placed emphasis on the sense of belonging together, of working together for a common goal and of helping rather than being in competition with one another.

Unite First, Talk Afterwards

Another factor that helped ensure that Western denominationalism would not be re-established was the fact that church buildings were handed back to Christians at a fairly slow rate. This meant that when restrictions were lifted on worship there were not many venues to choose from. The Chinese proudly describe their church as post-denominational. They recognise that they are not yet united. But they are on the way. Instead of working through doctrinal issues before unity, they are working them through after having come together. Fortunately, thanks to the Cultural Revolution, property matters don't appear to be fouling the process.

The ways in which the issue of unity is being worked through are interesting. The question of ministry is a case in point. In many of the churches we visited ministry teams, excluding layworkers, were frequently made up of four, six or more pastors. These were likely to include men (or women) formerly ministering in Southern Baptist, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Little Flock, Pentecostal or Seventh Day Adventist churches to name just a few. When I preached at Guang Zhou it was a Seventh Day Adventist pastor who interpreted for me. All differences aren't ironed out, but they are being worked on.

Responsible Compromise

The genius for responsible compromise, that marks the post-denominational Christian church in China, is also evident in a second area on which unity discussions in the West have frequently foundered, i.e., the question of the sacraments or ordinances. Some members of the Grace Church in Shanghai were formerly members of the "Little Flock"--an exclusive and deeply conservative group, a little like the Closed Brethren. It had been their custom to eat from one loaf and drink from one cup. To accommodate their sensibilities, the church bakes a huge loaf--they have near enough to 2,000 at each of their three services--and fills a large chalice with wine. The loaf is cut into smaller pieces and taken round. Similarly the wine is poured into medium sized goblets, and then into smaller cups.

Similar accommodations are made with the practice of baptism, which take into account doctrinal convictions and practical considerations. Babies have not been baptised, though the issue is under consideration. It is responsible adults who are baptised. Baptism is either by immersion, pouring or sprinkling. The former method is practised in summer and the other two in winter. If you want to be immersed you have may have to wait until the summer!

Ministry Training

The staff at the theological college in Nanjing are drawn from many traditions and represent the full spectrum of theological opinion, from men trained in the historical-critical approach to those whose background is conservative. Interestingly, students presently in the college come from no denominational background! The college is bound to play a critical role in developing greater unity within the Chinese churches, but not only through its training of ministers and the lead given to the church through the personal influence of staff. One member of the faculty edits the Syllabus; a new publication designed to tutor the lay leadership that arose during the Cultural Revolution without pastoral supervision, in the basics of the faith.

Besides the college, the influence of the Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A. will also be critical. In China, unlike the West, these two groups are part of the backbone of the church' and influential.

The church in China would not have been in this post-denominational phase had it not been forced on them by the Cultural Revolution. For this reason they are glad that it was and can see benefit arising from that period of distress. They have a long way to go, but they are on the road. They do not want uniformity, but a working through and fine-tuning of the unity in diversity, which is their present experience. Let's pray for them!