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With the exception of Hong Kong, there are no Mennonite churches in China. In China, Christians generally distinguish themselves as either Catholic or Protestant. Older Christians, aware of the denominational heritage of the churches they attend, often express gratitude for the Western missionaries who brought the gospel to China. Despite government pressure to have only one Protestant church in China, there is an increasing interest by some Chinese churches to reconnect with their historical roots. This is true for the churches in the Shandong-Hebei-Henan border region, where the majority of General Conference Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren missionaries served.
One such church is located in Daming County in Hebei province. In the 1920s, General Conference Mennonite missionaries built the church building, but had to leave the area in the early 1940s because of the Japanese invasion and subsequent civil war in China. For many years, the church was used as a movie theatre. Christians continued to meet in homes even though that was quite dangerous during the cultural revolution of 1966-76. Several years ago, the local government assisted Christians in having the church building returned to them. Today, hundreds of people come to church each Sunday to worship.
Daming County, with a population of 700,000, has about 7,000 Christians. In addition to the main church in the county seat of Daming, five other churches have been constructed, and there are 40 home meeting points where Christians gather to worship. While older Christians remember the Mennonite missionaries, the younger generation of church leadership does not. One pastor, the grandson of a former Mennonite pastor, has received some theological training outside of the county.
The church in Daming is extremely active and evangelical. Although more than 95% of the people are farmers, many of them quite poor, each year they add new meeting points and churches. Church leaders receive no pay, but farm like everyone else. After the harvest season, the church organizes a 40-day training program for the young Christians and lay leaders in the county. Last year, more than 180 young people participated in this program.
In order to provide better training and increased outreach, Christians in Daming built a three-story training centre in the middle of the city. Mennonites in North America, Taiwan and Hong Kong donated funds to help complete this building. A Mennonite pastor from Taiwan spent his time in Daming teaching and preaching; Mennonites from Hong Kong are assisting with computer training and printing equipment, which will broaden the church's outreach into the community.
There are about 80,000-100,000 Christians living in the counties that have General Conference Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren mission roots. Many of these churches are interested in some contact with the greater Mennonite family. Although there is no Mennonite conference in China, many are grateful for the contribution of Mennonite missionaries in the past.--from a report by Myrrl Byler for Courier, publication of Mennonite World Conference.
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