Church in Ch!na?? [Ask a Cross-Cultural Couple]

Everything you’ve heard about religious life here is probably true, somewhere and at some point. This country has experienced vast changes in a short amount of time, not only economically, but also culturally and religiously. My goal in this post is to express some of my experience in the last few years, mostly living in one of the wealthier provinces. Disclaimer: My experience is not universal to the entire country – a lot of religious freedom (or lack thereof) depends on local government.

So. Am I free to attend church?

Puffy, white clouds on a sweaty Sunday afternoon~

Yes! I’ve lived in two different provinces, and in both I was/am free to attend church. There is one approved “denomination” here, called the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. The three selfs are: self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation. This means the church is lead by locals, financed by locals, and spread by locals. (Foreign support never goes over well.) It is Patriotic because the government monitors it. All church buildings must be registered and approved.

There are also many house churches, which are groups that are not Three-Self. The ones I know of meet freely and quietly in apartments. Often members spill over into other meetings, house or official; everyone knows everyone, and the community is unified. It’s really beautiful.

Am I free to practice Christianity?

I’m free to practice my religion privately. Evangelizing is illegal. Teaching minors about religion is also illegal. I am free to bring my Bible and other religious books into the country for my personal use. (A suitcase of copies would not be cool.)

I’ve chosen to attend as-legal-as-I-can-find churches. I currently am involved with an international church, comprised primarily of foreign students from over 20 countries. We combine services with a local congregation monthly, and enjoy lunch together after service every week. A third congregation hosts us in their building. I love it!

The biggest complication we face on a regular basis is the law that locals cannot sit under foreign-led religious teaching. So during our combined services, none of the foreign leaders can preach, and during our English services, locals cannot attend. Most people do not know about this law and are very interested in practicing their English, listening to the band, and taking photos of the most foreigners they’ve ever seen at once. We have to ask them to leave and attend a different service. (Foreigners are allowed to attend the local-led service, no problem.)

After 2.5 years at this church, it all feels normal. On an average Sunday morning I’ll use 2 to 5 languages to greet friends, sing songs, and fellowship over food. But as I write this, I remember things that aren’t so normal, such as, ‘Oh yeah, the building doesn’t have crosses anymore. Steeples were removed from churches across the province a few years ago. Someone powerful decided the tallest thing in town shouldn’t be religious.’

Or, ‘Oh yeah, there are large surveillance cameras in the sanctuary and out front. Government installed them a few months ago. They watch everyone that comes in and out and everything we do.’

Or, ‘Oh yeah, you used to be able to buy that religious book online. Maybe in a few months it will be available again…?’

Or, ‘Oh yeah, even though we’re legal, it’s better to remind people not to post pictures or video of our meetings online. Attention never brings anything good.’

Q: How difficult is it to practice Christianity?

Well, to get technical, the constitution protects “normal religious activity,” so as long as your religion isn’t a cult, or a branch, or anti-government, or huge, or meets in an unregistered place… Really, it just depends on what the local government defines as “normal” and how much they care.

A: I go to church every week and read my Bible everyday and attend conferences occasionally so… Not hard where I live!

Here’s a quote from a book I highly recommend if you want to know more:

“Hundreds of millions of Ch!nese are consumed with doubt about their society and turning to religion and faith for answers that they do not find in the radically secular world around them. They wonder what more there is to life than materialism and what makes a good life. As one person I interviewed for this book told me, ‘We thought we were unhappy because we were poor. But now a lot of us aren’t poor anymore, and yet we’re still unhappy. We realize there’s something missing and that’s a spiritual life.’”

The Souls of Ch!na: The Return of Religion After Mao by Ian Johnson

[Ask a Cross-Cultural Couple]

I would like to do a series of posts answering people’s questions about cross-cultural relationships and/or expat life in Asia. Please leave your question in the comments!