Rejoicing for the church in China

"During the Cultural Revolution in China Christians were persecuted, many pastors lost their lives and the Church went through several years of walking through the valley of darkness," says Rev Kan Ren Ping, pastor of St Paul's Church, in Nanjing.

Worshippers at St Paul's Church, in Nanjing.

“But the Bible says that if you weep in the night, you will rejoice in the morning, and that is what has happened here in China. God stretched out his arm to save China and His Church.

Today, we see the growth of the Church throughout China, and we are blessed.

"Our own church is just one example of this. In 1985, St Paul’s had 500 members. Today, we have more than 5,000.

“Bible reading is very important to Chinese Christians. They love the Bible. We know that there is a lot of love and generosity from Christians overseas, including in New Zealand. I tell my congregation that when they are holding a Bible they are holding a piece of the heart of our brothers and sisters overseas.”

This article is from The Word at Work – Autumn 2012