Imagine receiving a text like this one: “You must preach this Sunday. There’s nobody else to do it.”
With your pastor jailed for spreading the Gospel, access to digital worship banned, and your church shut down by the authorities, what choice do you have? Suddenly, in a country where living out your Christian faith in the open is increasingly illegal, your home turns into a secret haven for believers. And you, with only a basic grasp of the Scriptures, must now teach the Word of God.
Communist “Sermons”
Far-fetched? Not for Christians in today's China. Since 2018, a wave of growing religious persecution has swept through the country. Churches have been demolished. Pastors and leaders have been apprehended. Children and young people under the age of 18 are prohibited from entering a church building.
Larger church gatherings (if possible at all!) are sometimes forced to preach Chinese communist doctrine instead of the Bible. New laws require Bible schools to make communist education the focus of at least 30% of their curriculum. Breaking these laws results in heavy fines and even dismissal. The official ‘state’ church is progressively forced to become a mouthpiece for the communist party.
For this reason, Christians are increasingly meeting underground—in their homes. One of them is Han (name changed to protect identity). His life changed when he came to know the Lord, after which his house became a place of fellowship and prayer. Soon, his fellow believers regarded Han as their pastor, even though he himself has so little knowledge of the Bible!
The Challenge Before Us
Due to increasing persecution, more and more Chinese Christians like Han are stepping into pastoral roles with little or no theological training. Taking on such a responsibility is even more challenging because access to online Bible teaching in China is increasingly blocked, including Christian study resources or the Bible itself. WeChat, the hugely popular Chinese app, used to have unlimited Christian programs. Almost all of these have now been removed by the government.
The Derek Prince Ministries-China team, who are themselves mainland Chinese, have a strong burden to help their brothers and sisters in China. They want to make a difference, but they cannot do it without your help. That is why we are so grateful to friends of our ministry, who share our passion to help God's Kingdom grow.
A Personal Message From Our China Outreach Director
Because it can be hard to understand what Chinese believers are facing, Ross Paterson, DPM China outreach Director has put together a video that will help you see what it means when you support our brothers and sisters in China.
Bypassing The Great Firewall
Thirty years ago, Derek Prince had a vision for printing and distributing a million copies of Foundations for Christian Living in China. Last year, I met an elderly Chinese pastor who told me this book has been indispensable for the theological formation of parts of the underground church in China. With your help, we can continue to equip greater numbers of these underground church leaders.
Chinese believers continue to ask us to supply them with Derek Prince’s materials. Along with tens of thousands of Derek’s books, we continue to supply USBs filled with his Bible teaching—as well as Bible-playing audio devices for the less literate.
At the same time, we are adapting to this shifting landscape by focusing on digital supply through the internet. Our team works tirelessly, finding innovative ways to bypass the great firewall of China—the government's systematic attempt to spiritually starve believers.
Our team has developed a special, encrypted channel. This interactive online platform offers videos, audio sermons, bilingual articles (English-Chinese), e-books and audiobooks, which believers can access securely without the risk of being discovered by authorities.
A brother from northwest China writes:
"I am a rural area preacher; it is amazing to watch your videos and listen to MP3s from your channel."
This lay preacher draws guidance and inspiration from the Bible teachings of Derek Prince. If you were in his shoes this Sunday, imagine how grateful you would be to have a teaching letter or book from Derek Prince to feed your little group of believers!
Sister Wang is also grateful:
“Your online video Bible school has given me a solid foundation for my faith. I will share the secure link to your platform with other members of my home church so we can learn together. All thanks to God.”
Now Is The Time
We recently received this response from a Chinese leader: “I have a passion to preach the gospel. Your platform helps people like me who are struggling in this area. Keep going, please! God bless you."
The challenges are immense. More and more, we see the doors to China closing. That is why now is the time to take action. Together, we can help them stand strong in the face of persecution, armed with the unchanging truth of God's Word. Your assistance, in the form of prayer and finances, is critical at this moment for the believers in China. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.
