Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1981

The Churches in China
Will Kroon

Last spring the Canadian Council of Churches received an unexpected invitation from the Chinese Christian Council to send a delegation to visit the Christians on the Mainland. This was the first such invitation received by the Churches in the West.

Our delegation was made up of 17 members, representing various denominations including the Roman Catholic Church. Most of the delegates had served abroad, four of them spoke Chinese, and two of them had lived on the Mainland before the Cultural Revolution. Together we came with a host of questions and we had ample opportunity to raise them.

Hong Kong

During our brief stay in Hong Kong we met with local leaders for an orientation session. Both the Protestant and Catholic leaders made us aware again that the Christians we were likely to -.meet had gone through a lot; many had gone through as many as six wars. In other words, "they know what suffering means, for many, if not all, have gone through forced labour during the Cultural Revolution".

Canton

We left the city of Hong Kong by hovercraft, for we could not get a place on the train that day. When we arrived in Canton we noticed that Chinese Christians were waiting for us at the dock. They had made their way through customs to greet us. They also managed to get us through customs with a minimum of interference and put us on a bus with a large home-made sign: "Delegation of the Canadian United Church". One of the persons in our group, who was bom in China, said: "It is just a miracle that this is possible. They pull us right through customs and they are not afraid to be seen and recognized as Christians".

The following morning we met with 26 church leaders, both men and women including the Roman Catholic Bishop of Canton. Most of those present were pastors, church workers and leaders from the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. The 77-year-old leader from the Three-Self Movement directed the discussions and informed us that there were four churches open in the city with thousands of people attending each Sunday. The usual cup of tea was served. They also inquired about the well being of the Church in Canada.

It was also at this meeting that the Roman Catholic Bishop of Canton informed us about the conflict the Chinese Catholics are having with the Vatican. He was visibly upset at the recent appointment by the Vatican of Dominic Tang as Archbishop of Guangdong. His concern was shared by other bishops whom we met later on during our visit. They all considered this appointment as meddling in their affairs.

The following day we visited the first Protestant Church, the former Baptist Church, of that city. The pastors and lay workers, who were there to meet us, made it clear that since the Cultural Revolution there were no separate denominations anymore. Pastors from various denominational background are now serving that congregation. The sanctuary was tastefully restored. There were 1500 seats in the building, but it is not uncommon to get 2,000 worshippers at their services, many of whom had become Christians during the Cultural Revolution. The 19 fans hanging from the ceiling were installed to cope with the sweltering heat and to get some ventilation during the hot summer days. We also visited the Zion Church elsewhere in the city. This congregation was a great deal smaller, and the building looked more spartan. Here too we noticed a sign at the street indicating the presence of a church building. Frequently, the times of the services were also posted. However, I should add that these signs are easily overlooked for the Churches are so crowded among other buildings anc most of them are located behind closed*' gates.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral in Canton is now also open for worship. This building had received a great deal of beatings. An 83-year-old priest said that the Church was damaged by Japanese bombs, abused by Chiang Kai-sheck's army, as well as during the Cultural Revolution. The Bishop, who was also present, spoke again about the Dominic Tang affair and the conflict with Rome.

On our way back to the hotel, we met with the leaders of the Islamic community. Since Islam arrived in China long before Christianity, the former seems to receive preferential treatment. At least their mosque was already open in 1977, while the Christians had to wait until 1979 before their buildings were opened.

Shanghai

When we arrived at the Shanghai airport we were met again by Christians who took us by bus to our hotel. All tourists who visit China must stay at a government hotel. Even the Chinese from abroad who visit relatives in China must abide by that rule.

Early Sunday morning some of us went to early mass in the beautiful Roman Catholic Cathedral. Since it was his birthday, the 89-year-old Bishop, assisted by six helpers and priests, led the service. To our surprise the mass was pre-Vatican II style and the Archbishop in our group said, "I have not participated in such a mass for 25 years- .

There was no sermon and no audience participation. The choir sang all through the liturgy. About 400 - 500 people were present at that service, including some young families. After the service we had a brief interview with the old Bishop.

In the meantime we had to rush in order to attend the Community Church elsewhere in the city. This building was packed. All 700 seats were taken and close to 100 people were standing before the windows of the sanctuary. We were expected and were led to some reserved seats on the balcony. And even though I could not understand much of the service I was greatly moved by the fervour and enthusiasm of the people. They were well-dressed, carrying Bibles and song books. A member of our group preached the sermon while the local pastor did the translating.

After the service we met with the pastors of the congregation. They told us that the other service is often attended by 1200 - 1300 people. Those who cannot find a place in the building will stand outside to follow the service. There seems to be quite a number of professional people attending that congregation. One pastor mentioned that the architects in the congregation had been very helpful with the restoration of the Church. Part of the sanctuary had not yet been returned to the congregation and is still used for other purposes.

While we were attending the Community Church, others in our group had attended other Protestant Churches in the city. Those who attended the Grace Church mentioned that people started to arrive there at 8:30 for the 9 o'clock service. During that time there was some old-fashioned hymn singing. There were 1400 seats in that building, but there were about 2,000 people present for worship. There was a 45-minute sermon and one of our group was asked to bring greetings from the Canadian churches.

At present there are five churches open for worship in Shanghai, but the Christians hope to get another five before long.

The Liturgy and Other Services

The liturgy used at the services which we attended was quite similar to the one used in the Reformed Church. Even the hymn tunes are familiar and we joined them when they sang, in Chinese, "Blest Be The Tie That Binds". There was no offering during the service. A large offering box was located near the entrance of the building, and the people placed their offerings there at the beginning or end of the service.

The sacrament of baptism is administered in various ways. Some congregations baptize mainly by sprinkling, while others by immersion.

However, all congregations offer both forms of baptism. They leave the choice to the person requesting the baptism. The sacrament of Holy Communion is administered sporadically. These services are well-attended. Most funeral services are not held in the sanctuary, but at the place of cremation. Pastors may go there and lead the bereaved in worship.

(to be continued next month)

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