| China Christian Council |
Shopping Patriotic |
Website Links For Patriotic Movement |
Information AboutChina Christian Council |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT THREE-SELF PATRIOTIC MOVEMENT | |
| christianity in china | |
| united uniting churches | |
| members of the world council of churches | |
|
Together, the TSPM and CCC claims a total of between 9.8 million to 13.5 million Protestant Christians in ChinaAmity Foundation: How To Count The Number of Christians In China (URL last accessed on May 1, 2007). HISTORY The three principles of self-governance, self-support (i.e., financial independence from foreigners) and self-propagation (i.e., indigenous missionary work) were first articulated by , head of the China Inland Mission was known for putting the same principles into practice in the effort of assisting the Chinese to esablish their own indigenous churches during the early 20th Century. In 1951, a Cantonese Christian named Y. T. Wu (吴耀宗, 1893–1979) initiated the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, which promoted a strategy of 'self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation' in order to remove foreign influences from the Chinese churches. This was to assure the Communist government that the churches would be patriotic to the newly-established People's Republic of China. The 'Three-Self' is a characteristically Chinese way of abbreviating 'self-governance, self-support, self-propagation' (自治、自养、自传). The movement began formally in 1954. From 1966 to 1976 the Cultural Revolution stopped the expression of religious life in China. In 1979 the church was restored, and in 1980 the CCC was formed. Through the CCC, the registered Protestant church participates in the World Council Of Churches . The CCC serves to unite and provide services for churches in China by formulating Church Order, encouraging theological education through seminaries and Bible schools, publishing Bibles and other Christian materials, and coordinating training programs for churches. The public representation of the two associations was until recently usually carried out by Bishop K. H. Ting (丁光訓, 1915–), who was ordained Bishop of Zhejiang in 1955, prior to the absorption of Protestant denominational churches into the TSPM. ORGANIZATION The TSPM and CCC together form the constituent organizations of the National Conference of Chinese Protestant ChurchesProtestant Church in China: Administrative Structure (URL last accessed on May 1, 2007. The distinctive roles of the TSPM and CCC are hard to distinguish due to overlaps but both organizations maintain separate Standing Committees. Standing Committee of the TSPM
: Presbyter Ji Jianhong
: Rev Deng Fucun
: Rev Mei Kangjun Standing Committee of the CCC
: Rev Cao Shengjie
: Ms Chen Meilin Ministries The TSPM and '''CCC''' jointly administer the following ministries:
:Organizes resources both domestic and abroad, to plan and coordinate the activities of local churches to promote an active social welfare programs, disaster relief programs, and emergency relief work.
:Coordinates the editing, publication and distribution of books, audio and video materials, Bibles and hymnals. Also sets guidelines for the publication of materials by local TSPM committees and Church councils.
:Researches main trends of Churches overseas, major themes involved in Reconstruction of Theological Thinking, and issues concerning church development in China.
:Supervises and coordinates issues relating to educational guidelines for Theological Seminaries and Bible Colleges in China, organizes overseas study program for theological graduates, supports lay training programs, and organizes training programs in specialised fields.
:Supervised and coordinates the establishment and development of relationships between Chinese churches and overseas churches through regular mutual visits and exchanges on the basis of mutual respect, and equality. CONTROVERSY The two associations claim that Christianity in China is 'post- Denominational ' and Protestant denominations prevalent in other parts of the world have no place in China. Christians are said to congregate on Sunday each week in service, implementing the principle of mutual Respect . The TSPM and CCC are viewed with suspicion and distrust by some Christians both within and outside China. Some claim the TSPM to be a tool of the movement in China with some claiming that it serves the large majority of Protestant Christians in China24/7 Prayer: Statistics of Christians in China (URL last accessed on May 1, 2007). There are allegations of regular and systematic persecution against Christians associated with the House Church movement and other unregistered Christian organizations in ChinaForum 18 Analyses: Reports from China (URL last accessed on May 1, 2007). REFERENCES SEE ALSO
EXTERNAL LINK
|
|
|