Harmony in the Hostile Soil of China

Christianity is tightly controlled in China and has become even more tightly controlled in recent years. Learn more about how our China ministry equips and and supports churches in a hostile environment to foster hope, harmony and spiritual growth through fellowships.

There are regions of the world where access to the gospel is restricted and where believers are persecuted for expressing their faith. This is the case for many in China, where these harsh conditions can be disheartening. So, when governing entities prevent Christians in China from voicing and rejoicing in their faith, what can we do to help them grow closer to God? How can we encourage believers in hostile places and cultivate spiritually enriching environments for them so that they can feel safe accessing biblical resources?  

Through our China ministry, fellowships help to equip the church in China and provide a spiritual community that grows faith out of hostile soil. With Christianity so tightly controlled in the country, many SOTA students need extra encouragement. At a fellowship held last year, students dug into the poetic depths of Song of Solomon, where they came to understand both how to study the book as well as see the love of Christ to the Church demonstrated. Praise God for breathing his love through the pages of poetry in his Word! 

Perhaps you’ve read Song of Solomon in the past and also struggled to make sense of it or be able to apply it to your relationship with Jesus and God’s love for you. Maybe, as you’re reading this, you’re facing hardship and need a reminder of Christ’s redemptive and restorative love for his Church. Even though sickness, isolation and fear are strongly felt realities for many SOTA students and pastors in training, these fellowships show them that God’s love for his Church triumphs over even the greatest of adverse circumstances.  

One student shared, "Through this Bible study fellowship, while learning how to study the Bible, we can also have a deeper understanding of God's love for us. Through the study of Song of Solomon, I had a spiritual revival and now have better communication with God. It is wonderful to fall in love with God. Pray that, through the Bible study, I can better understand God’s love and God’s will!” 

Another student shared, “Through the study of the Song of Solomon, I learned that it is a love poem that foreshadows Christ and the Church. It is a song of parting from life and death.” 

Another student mentioned that, although they had read Song of Solomon before, they didn’t understand the meaning of this book. After the fellowship, they shared, “Now I understand that much of the book is a metaphor for the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with the Lord.” 

Christians in China face hostile circumstances as authorities closely police religious activity. But within fellowships, there is harmony and rejoicing. Where fear and sickness dwell, a chorus resounds in the hearts of those in whom the Holy Spirit is fervently at work. In their yearning, SOTA students are moved through these fellowships to grow the Church in an area of the world that is hostile to the gospel. We hope, after reading about how fellowships in China encourage and strengthen faith, that you, too, may rejoice in this harmony! If you’d like to play a role in equipping the Church in China, we invite you to partner with us here!