Some are misinformed. Others are scared. But some look for material benefits. A Chinese Christian’s analysis.
by Vivian Ren
Under the Chinese Communist Party’s sweeping campaign of “Sinicization” and its strict control over religion, the “Three‑Self Patriotic Church” has become the only legal and publicly accessible venue for Christian activity in mainland China. According to official statistics, it claims between 20 and 30 million believers. Yet under institutional requirements that place “patriotism and loyalty to the Party” above “love for God and love for others,” the religious lives of these believers fall into three heartbreaking categories.
I. The Uninformed
In regions where religious control is especially severe—such as Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Henan, and Shanxi—many believers have been able to attend only “Three‑Self” churches since first encountering Christianity. They have no access to the unabridged Bible and no opportunity to learn the unaltered teachings preserved in house churches. As a result, they regard the government‑controlled “Three‑Self Church” as the “house of the Lord.” They study a modified Bible, raise the national flag in the church courtyard, sing revolutionary songs beneath the cross, and pray using state‑approved scriptures—completely unaware that their faith has long been infused with political elements. They serve sincerely but unthinkingly, believing they are living for the Lord.
II. The Reluctant Compromisers
There are also many believers and pastors with a deeper spiritual awareness. They clearly understand that the “Three‑Self Church” differs fundamentally from the church described in the New Testament, and they know well the arrests and persecution suffered by house churches that refuse to submit to comprehensive government control (such as the Zion Church and the Early Rain Church). Yet under the pressures of daily life—livelihood, safety, family—they choose compromise. Convinced that “it’s better than not believing at all,” they maintain a flawed and constrained Christian faith out of sheer necessity.
III. The Direct or Indirect Beneficiaries
Some pastors and clergy treat ministry as a profession supported by government salaries. They know that their preaching must align with “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” and with “core socialist values,” and they use heavily censored “patriotic” editions of the Bible. But to secure income, advancement, and access to resources, they choose obedience to Party directives over obedience to God’s teachings. Many even preach the spirit of Party meetings from the pulpit and lead congregations in raising the national flag and singing the national anthem during worship.
Regardless of their circumstances, these brothers and sisters are victims. We urgently pray for them—that God’s light of truth may soon pierce the darkness, and that the day of genuine religious freedom in China may come quickly. We also hope the international community will continue to pay close attention to the harsh reality of religious freedom in China.
Uses a pseudonym for security reasons.
