An Overview of Evangelistic Activities among Overseas Chinese Scholars (Part I)

Rev. Edwin Su

In November 2000 twenty-one workers from eight different countries gathered together for a consultation on gospel ministry to overseas Chinese scholars. One of the main objects of the consultation was to gain an authoritative understanding of the current situation of evangelical activity amongst Chinese scholars in different regions.

Based on information from workers in these different areas, this article will briefly introduce the numbers and geographical spread of churches and fellowships for scholars from China. It is practically impossible to conduct a scientific and thorough statistical research because of the extremely high turnover rate of Chinese scholars. However co-workers from different areas have done their best to provide reliable estimates based on their own experience and observation along with telephone investigation and extensive interviews. The numbers below may not be viewed as academic data, but they can certainly be used as references for the whole picture.

(1) Canada

The Chinese population in Canada has reached nearly 900,000. There are over 350 Chinese churches, most of which are located in a few large cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. According to the statistics published by the Canadian Gospel for Chinese in March 2000, total Chinese believers in Canada number roughly 6.7% of the Chinese population. In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in numbers of new immigrants from Mainland China. From 1990 to 1999, the total figure has reached 152,471. Many churches have started evangelistic activities targeting people from the Mainland. Besides the Mandarin-speaking churches consisting predominantly of believers from Taiwan and Southeast Asia, Cantonese churches with their strong Hong Kong background have also been involved. According to statistics, there are about 120 Mandarin-speaking churches throughout Canada. Average attendance at these churches is 80 adults. Total attendance is about 10,000, of whom about 65% are believers.

In March 2000, the Canadian Campus Fellowship conducted a nation-wide survey. 1500 survey forms were mailed out and 906 came back, representing 22 churches and fellowships in 8 cities. According to the survey result, 40% of these 22 churches have been founded since 1995; about 30% of the attendees are non-believers and about half of the attendees have arrived as new immigrants within the last two years. About two-thirds are from Mainland China. Most of them are between 26 and 45. Most are married and have advanced degrees.

It is obvious that evangelistic activities in Canada aimed at Chinese scholars are characterised by new Mandarin churches, new immigrants, new co-workers and a totally new atmosphere.

(2) Australia and New Zealand

According to statistics collected in 2000, there are about 100,000 people from Mainland China in Australia. This figure does not include about 20,000 students: high school students, language students, and undergraduates and graduates in the 36 colleges of the country.

Most of the 400,000 Chinese population in Australia live in Sydney or Melbourne on the east coast. For this reason, most Chinese churches and outreach activities directed towards Chinese scholars are located in these areas. Nevertheless, Chinese churches targeting new immigrants can also be found in the national capital, Canberra, in Adelaide in the south, Perth on the west coast, Darwin in the north, Brisbane in the northeast and in other cities. Local seminaries have trained several Chinese theological students to become church pastors after graduation.

Like Australia, the United States and Canada, New Zealand passed the June 4^th Protection Bill in the early nineties, allowing Mainland Chinese to obtain permanent residence status. Because of this, a large number of highly educated professionals and family members of overseas students have come to New Zealand in the past five years. There are about 30,000 Chinese scholars and immigrants there. 36 Chinese churches have been established in the city of Auckland in the north, 3 in Christchurch and 3 in Dunedin in the south. Chinese fellowships and western churches in other cities also participate in outreach activities targeting Chinese scholars. These fellowships also focus on care and evangelism for older people. In Dunedin, the college town in the southeast coast, there is a Chinese reading room specially designed for the elders. In December of this year, Overseas Campus will work with local churches there to host a nation-wide Gospel Camp along with a series of training classes.

(3) Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong

There are about 300,000 Chinese people in Japan, 60,000 Chinese scholars, 20 Chinese churches or fellowships, of which 14 consist predominantly of Chinese scholars, scattered throughout Tokyo, Osaka and other cities.

In 1994, Home of Strangers began to spread the Gospel through its publications and feedback was very positive. In Tokyo, one single family has led evangelistic gatherings for over twenty years, during which thousands have heard the Gospel and hundreds have accepted the Lord. The Sunlight Church in Tokyo consists predominantly of Chinese scholars, focusing on training missionaries for Mainland China.

Gospel activities targeting Chinese scholars have picked up steam in Hong Kong in the last three years. There are about 9,000 Chinese scholars working in 7 colleges. Besides professors, visiting scholars and graduate students, about 150 undergraduate students come to Hong Kong from China every year. Several churches have begun to conduct church gatherings specially designed for Chinese scholars and professionals. Many Cantonese churches also run additional Sunday services in Mandarin.

(4) Europe

There are about 1,000,000 Chinese people in Europe, of whom at least 100,000 are Chinese students or scholars.

In England, there are 61 Chinese churches or fellowships hosting about 20,000 Chinese scholars, of whom about 1% are believers. Starting from 1997, there have been Gospel Camps and other training classes. Some areas have begun to use Overseas Campus Chinese Scholars Training Materials to conduct systematic training courses.

In Germany, the Chinese population is over 100,000, of whom over 5,000 are Chinese scholars working in 133 universities and 224 colleges throughout the country. There are about 30 Bible study groups. Beginning from 1993, there has been an annual Chinese Christian Training Camp. Germany's Chinese Library in the city of Hanover is the primary communication center for evangelistic activities for Chinese scholars.

In France, most of the Chinese scholars live in Paris. For the last five years, most Chinese students have been in the 18-25 age group. There are only a few Chinese churches, most of them already starting to spread the Gospel among Chinese students.

In Southern Europe the Chinese churches are predominantly made up of people from Wenzhou and Qingtian. In Italy there is an annual, nation-wide united retreat. There are large numbers of Chinese scholars in Central Europe, but only a few churches and Bible study groups are able to keep in touch with them on a regular basis. In Eastern Europe, Chinese people are mainly business people. Chinese churches can already be seen in Budapest.

Chinese scholars are rarer in the four Northern European countries. But Chinese churches in several major cities there have been able to conduct outreach activities among them. Every summer there is a united retreat run by the Northern European Chinese churches. Chinese scholars' Bible study groups can also be found in several college towns.

In Russia, most Chinese scholars live in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The total Chinese population is about 100,000. Chinese churches there run evangelistic activities.

Note: A bird's eye view of outreach activities in the United States will be published in the next issue of Behold (May 2001).

The term Chinese scholars refers to overseas students, visiting scholars, professors, etc. who come from Mainland China. The term also includes professionals with a college degree or higher, professional immigrants and their spouses and parents.