On Tuesday, August 12, Brent Fulton was a guest on the “Connecting Faith” program of KTIS-AM radio in Minneapolis-St. Paul. If you were not able to listen to the broadcast live, have no fear; the entire one-hour program is available in podcast form on the radio station website.
Here is their recap of the interview:
China has been undergoing dramatic change in the last 20 yearspolitically, economically, and spiritually.
We take a closer look with China expert and author Dr. Brent Fulton, focusing on these changes, challenges, and opportunities in China. How has the church expanded so dramatically?
The good doctor says that nearly everything you have heard about the church in China has a grain of truth to it.
Regarding the communist Chinese government’s disapproval of Christianity, Dr. Fulton cities the Chinese proverb: “The mountains are high, and the emperor is far away.”
Right now there is an almost stunning growth of urbanization, and an intertwined pattern of mass human migration, happening in China.
We hear more about some of the various streams of Chinese Christian churches:
- The house churches that make up the countryside Christian movement
- The official church recognized by the government
- And the rapidly emerging urban church
The younger generation in the country right now has a lot of pressure weighing upon them. They live in a culture with a focus on test-taking. High performance is expected & demanded. So while they have the most privilege as far as opportunities and education, they’re also the most unhappy. This even results in a lack of social skills & interaction, and an abundance of stress.
So how can we reach out to China’s next generation? Dr. Fulton notes that a great place to begin is in reaching out to the 25,000 high school students from China that are in the United States today.
Dr. Fulton calls us earnestly to pray for the church leaders of China. He urges prayers against materialism, for good role models, and that there would be a great unity among the generations of China’s believers.
Please take the time to visit the site and listen to the interview, or download the podcast.
And thanks to Neil Stavem and the team at Connecting Faith for making it possible.
Photo by 俊玮 戴, via Flickr
