Overseas Chinese Scholars Assimilating into Chinese Churches

By Su Wen-feng

The development of overseas Chinese Bible study groups and churches started in the 1950s. Thanks to the growth of campus ministry and new immigration policies in the 60's, during the 70's many student Bible study groups became full churches. Since the 80's overseas Chinese churches have not only found themselves facing all the normal challenges of evangelism, ministry and pastoral care, but also issues related to the assimilation of Chinese from different cultural backgrounds - Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and American-born Chinese.

Then in the 90's, in the wake of changes in immigration policies in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, we witnessed the arrival of large numbers of migrants from Mainland China. Chinese students, visiting scholars, investment and technology migrants and their family members began pouring into different parts of the world. Soon they were entering overseas Chinese churches as newly baptized church members and as co-workers. Churches whose members are already from different sources and are involved in demanding ministries are finding they are having to think about how to accept these newcomers.

During the past few years I have had many opportunities of observing how Chinese scholars assimilate into Chinese churches in different situations. I have found many successful examples but there are also difficulties common to many. I believe that churches should be communicating with one another. One of the missions of Behold is to establish a bridge between overseas Chinese churches and Chinese scholars. For this reason, I would like to note some of the difficulties, along with some positive attitudes we need to adopt on this subject of scholars from China coming into Chinese churches. My hope is that in our churches we shall see "neither Jew nor Greek" (Gal., 3:11), nor Mainlanders, Hong Kongese, Taiwanese, Singaporean or second-generation Chinese.

Difficulties for Chinese scholars assimilating into Chinese churches:

1. Newcomers

Most Chinese scholars have never been to church before coming abroad. Although they are happy to come along, they are still newcomers and are not familiar with church rituals, technical terms, programs, sermons, policies or tithing. They are often disorientated. While willing to participate in church activities, they have reservations about joining the church as members.

2. Background

There are a handful of Chinese scholars who have special backgrounds in China and may feel it could bring negative repercussions on themselves or their family if they were baptized or publicly identified as church members. Some retired people also tend to stay away from church because they have long ago adopted habits of caution.

3. Personal experiences

Over the past fifty years, there have been vast differences between the political, social and family experiences of two generations of scholars from China and other overseas Chinese. For this reason, there is often a lack of common language between them when they try to communicate. They are interested in different topics of conversation and they care about different things. So it is difficult for friendships to develop between them.

4. Ways of speaking

A number of Chinese scholars tell me that there are some expressions they dislike: "Since the Mainland fell to the Communists...", "You people from Shanghai are...", "You are not well off, so let me pay for it...", "We have prepared a special dinner today because we want to you to hear the Gospel...". The speaker may mean well, but the hearer may not like what is said.

5. Attitude problems

There are a lot of believing Chinese scholars, but not many of them come forward to serve. In the fifth issue of Overseas Campus, a writer pointed out from his personal experience "that we newly-converted Christians may have to go through quite a struggle before we can devote ourselves to minstry in the church. And there are some reasons for this. In general we are just not ready psychologically. While we believe with all our heart in the perfection of our Lord, we also subconsciously expect the church to be just as perfect. We have a strong sense of identity and make friends in church only with those who also come from the Mainland. We don't have the courage to change ourselves, but we often expect others to change. We don't have a heart to serve, but we often complain that our talents are not being used properly. We have too many complaints, too much skepticism and too much arrogance, but too little faith and stickability. These are some of the obstacles we have to overcome in regard to serving in the church."

I. The Chinese church and the obligations of believers

1. Attitude

(1) Acceptance

It takes love and patience to accept Chinese scholars or new immigrants. We must accept them just as they are, not according to what we have been used to, just as the Lord Jesus accepted every individual who came to him. We must allow them to maintain their own expressions, language and styles. We must maximize what we have in common and minimize our differences.

(2) Affirmation

We must have a positive attitude toward their cultural characteristics and skills. We must encourage them and elevate them to participate in church ministry.

(3) Affection

We must care for new believers and new co-workers in a natural and unaffected attitude of love. We must also tolerate and love those who speak in an aggressive way, encouraging them to speak out. Those who express strong skepticism before they believe usually turn out to be firm believers once they are saved.

2. Mobilization

The church must devote sufficient human, financial and spiritual resources to ministry with Chinese scholars, as part of our local ministry. We must always remember that we are to share, not to give. Do not do it in a condescending or superior manner.

3. Initiatives

We must take the initiative in inviting Chinese scholars to participate in church ministry and let them become co-workers in fellowship groups and church with major responsibilities. We must take initiatives in establishing strong relations with them in terms of spiritual life, daily life and ministry.

4. Understanding

We must try to understand their personal experiences, educational background, life-style, special ways of speaking, public media, expressions and viewpoints. When we have common interests, then we can more effectively find breakthrough points for the Gospel.

5. New styles

Style	Content	Message emphases	Ways of speaking	Principles
Avoid lecturing	Jesus' teachings and actions	Humility and repentance	positive	Dependent on prayer
Avoid cramming in too much	Love and forgiveness	Focus on the Lord	sense of freedom	Rely on the Spirit
Avoid passivity	Faith in daily life	Our Savior and Lord	reasonable	Rely on co-workers
Involvement	The Cross	Righteousness through faith	Not too many technical terms	establish a common understanding

6. Be restrained in making comments

Do not criticize China's political, social, cultural and environmental problems. Do not discuss China's political issues - such as unification and Taiwan independence - in church.

II. Efforts that Chinese scholars must make

1. Forget

Forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Whatever wounds you suffered in the past, ask the Lord to give healing. Whatever habits of self-protection and skepticism you have adopted in the past, ask the Lord to remove them.

2. Be yourselves

Be yourselves in participating in church discussions, ministry and activities without being too humble or too arrogant. After all, we are all children of the Lord, just like all other believers with their different backgrounds.

3. Take the initiative

Take the initiative in getting involved in church ministry; work hard and be responsible in the activities assigned to you so that others will have confidence in you.

4. Interests

Care about and understand the personal experiences and educational backgrounds of other overseas Chinese believers. Enlarge your areas of interest to discover common topics of conversation with other overseas Chinese.

5. Be restrained in your comments

Do not criticize Hong Kong's or Taiwan's political, social and cultural problems. Appreciate the strong points in them. Do not emphasize your own political standpoints or provoke political debates.

6. Sensitivity

Do not be over-sensitive. Do not pay attention to ignorant or unintentional comments from some overseas Chinese.

III. Conclusion: Be One

In John Chapter 17, the Lord Jesus prayed time and again "that they may be one as we are one", and "may they be brought to complete unity". Paul also emphasized: "There is neither Jew nor Creek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:28) In today's church with believers from a multiplicity of backgrounds, we need to "make every effort to keep the unity" (Eph. 4:3) through the Holy Spirit. To make every effort implies that the task is a difficult one. But by the Spirit's help, we will succeed.

Today, there are large numbers of Chinese scholars who are assimilating smoothly into Chinese or Western churches in various parts of the world. They maintain their own characteristics and they are also one with people of different backgrounds. How wonderful !

Furthermore, as ministries to scholars from China continue to mature, many churches with Mainland Chinese people as their main membership are being established in North America as well as Australia. This phenomenon reminds us of the churches made up of American-born Chinese, or the Taiwanese-speaking and Cantonese-speaking churches established in the 70's and 80's. From our experience of church growth we see that originally mono-lingual and mono-national churches will eventually become multi-lingual and multi-national. For this reason, present-day churches with Chinese scholars as their main entity will certainly not continue to see their composition limited to Chinese scholars only. As they become mature and start to adopt their own strategies of ministry, they will begin to consider attracting other Chinese communities or Western or other communities so that all will blend into bodies of the universal church.

The church is the body of Christ. "From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Eph. 4:16) This is the vision that all Chinese churches in China and overseas ought to have today.