The Reluctant Exodus Redux: Transmission of Christianity in China and Some of Its Cycles — Connecting us with Mission & World Christianity

2018 revealed a great deal of tension in the People’s Republic of China with its Chinese churches and ex-pat Christians. This article will not go into the missiological strategies and their ethics but will discuss many expatriate Christians, the mission organizations to which they have been related, and how they have reacted in the past and present to PRC expulsion. Also, in the context of greater regulation and repression of religious groups this discussion will include Chinese Christian viewpoints.

In 1951, China Inland Mission, its leaders, missionaries, and local church partners, were faced with the dissolving of the Republic of China and how the People’s Liberation Army and its Communist leaders were implementing their government across the country. In the work “The Reluctant Exodus” we find realistic reflections on those involved in making decisions on whether this successful mission organization would remain in China or retreat. Both the missionaries and Chinese Christians participated in the debates and decisions. Ultimately, as we know, CIM had to pull out most of their missionaries, through a hair-raising withdrawal through Hong Kong. This came at the end of a long, conflicted, and dangerous period of time (again for the missionaries and the local church leaders and congregants).

As different stages occurred in the historical escalation towards pull-out, we can see processes of grief (anger, bargaining, denial, hopelessness) and of faith (belief, persistence, kindness, and bravery). Some missionaries, having lived through much of the early 20th century in China, were to say “We have outlasted previous persecutions and governments, and we will outlast the communists as well.” Others would say, “We have never faced anything like this, at this scale, and are ill-equipped to do so now.”

“The Missionary Exodus from China.” Pacific Affairs Vol. 28, no. 4 — “The Missionary Exodus from China.” *Pacific Affairs* Vol. 28, no. 4

Local Chinese Christians, for their part, had to negotiate fellow Chinese governments, armies, and new political winds. Many, at times, thought the development of PRC control of local areas would give the church more freedoms than they had experienced before. The emphasis on of the communists on the supposed autonomy of villagers and peasants, gave many Christians, themselves among the poor in many of China’s provinces, hope to be allowed to worship and lead their local churches. On the other hand, the fear of foreign influence made many other Christians fearful to be seen with missionaries. This fear, along with legitimate concern for missionary lives, compelled different Chinese believers to admonish the missionaries to leave. One journal article from 1955 reflected, “‘The end of the missionary era in China’– heralded gloomily in 1900, 1911, 1926, and 1937– had [finally] arrived” (Lacy 1955, 302).

On both sides, the prevalent feelings and concerns were expressed in the idea that the current repressive political climate was “unprecedented.” In 2018, this word “unprecedented” was on many lips again, in reflecting on the general outlook of Christianity in China. Chinese Christians often would refer to the tensions as unprecedented in looking back on the last couple of decades of steady growth and growing openness of their church meetings (whether registered or unregistered). This growth and openness had, for some time, expanded from local cities to provinces, and large regions of China (see Kunming or Wenzhou, let alone many eastern cities). This generation of Christians more often heard of local crackdowns, but often saw local and regional ambivalence or cooperation with their churches and authorities. However, there were signs beginning in 2014 of a national focus on renewed religious restriction from PRC leaders. Xinjiang began a “war on terrorism” after years of escalating tensions and current local attacks. Church buildings, whose construction was permitted in informal ways by local leaders, suddenly were condemned. Crosses were taken down from many long-standing registered churches.

Eventually, heavy regulation and PRC leadership attention began to focus fully on what typically concerns them: religion in general, its lack of adherence to PRC’s political supremacy, and foreign influences that could do the same. Like many things with PRC restriction, if it is concerned about one religion, its solutions will often spread to other religions in the country. Rounding up of leaders, renewed local focus (such as on meeting places and personal religious materials), as well as requirements to lower the amount of religious signage while heightening political teaching, all grew in this context. Finally, in 2018, this also meant large amounts of foreign expulsion.

At this time many Chinese Christians were unsure as to how far the PRC authorities would take their continued meeting, and even their desire to participate in Christian missions themselves. Some, so unused to the unprecedented restrictive environment, would go to their own local police stations, inform them of upcoming international trips for Christian conferences. This was done to ensure the local authorities that their participation was wholly indigenous and not coerced. Seen from a foreign perspective, this leads to in-numerous dangers. Other Chinese Christians and local authorities spent great effort to give careful warnings, both to fellow church congregants, and foreign Christians.

Though there is a general feeling that the current exodus of many foreign Christians, and oppression of local churches and Chinese Christians is unprecedented, we should remember that other such occurrences have led to unprecedented opportunities.