I must admit, I haven’t always been convinced of the need for Chinese churches. For the most part I went along because that is what I was use to and my Chinese church was my home church. So coming to my church was merely, if anything out of habit and simply because I love my church. Indeed I must admit there was a time when I tried to start a small bible study group to see if we could reach out to our non-Chinese friends. I called it “All Nations”. I had a theory that if I start a bible study group and kept the ratio of Chinese to Non-Chinese at 50/50 then, God willing, as it grows I could introduce these guys into our church and this would help us be less Chinese and more multi-ethnic as per the vision in Rev 7:9. Well alas the group never took off.
I guess it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve come around to see the value and the importance of the Chinese church. So today I’m a strong advocate for starting and growing Chinese churches. I never would have thought so but I’m totally sold on the importance of having Chinese churches. I know not everyone will agree. That’s ok. If we can all agree on the gospel, then that’s cool. So if people don’t agree that’s fine with me.
Invariably this brings us into the debate over HUP or the Homogeneous Unity Principle. I know there are great Christian scholars, missionaries, and church leaders who stand on opposite sides of this debate. So I’m only a small voice amongst many great ones.
From what I can see a key element in the debate turns on our eschatology. As we all know we have now entered into what is commonly termed “Inaugurated Eschatology” where we live in the tension between the “Now” and the “Not Yet”. In other words we continue to live in the NOW present, sinful and broken world. At the same time we have been introduced or given a taste of the NOT YET new world that is to come in full with the return of the Lord Jesus. Thus we live in the NOW and the NOT YET.
A lot of people argue that, because the church at the end of time will consist of people from all nations, all tribes, and all cultures, etc then we should reflect that heavenly reality in the here and now.
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; Rev 7:9
On the other side, many will argue that we are not in the “Not Yet” but in the “Now” which means that forming multi-ethnic or multi-cultural churches is nice in theory but unrealistic in practice. One side will argue that we need to be biblical while the other side will argue that we need to be practical. I don’t think we need to divide it so strongly. I think we need to be biblically practical.
For me, we do live in the “NOW” and our church practice and strategies need to reflect this. At the same time, because of the “Not Yet” we need to also find opportunities to give expression to the heavenly reality.
What does this look like in practice? Well, one church missionary motto nicely sums it up “Focus without Exclusion”. They are focused on reaching the Chinese community but are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit if He should open other doors for gospel ministry beyond the Chinese.
What does it look like in practice? Well I can only share what my church does.
- Our church is focused on reaching the Chinese community around them and most of our money, time and energy is directed to this focused goal.
- While our church is focused on reaching the Chinese, in recognition of the wider work of the gospel, a portion of our monies is directed to supporting ministries beyond the Chinese community so that we are not exclusive.
- In our prayers, both congregational, small group and personal, prayers are offered up for others as well as for the Chinese.
- If people leave our church to join up with a local church or because their passion lies elsewhere, then they go with our well wishes, blessing and love.
- Member are supported in attending Christian conferences etc outside the Chinese Churches where we can celebrate the multi cultural dimension of the gospel.
In this way we are focused without seeking to be exclusive.
One final things needs to be said, I believe in the Chinese church because I believe the gospel is for all people, and what better group of people to reach the Chinese than the Chinese church. In all honesty I think the Chinese Churches are able to reach the Chinese so much easier than the Greeks, the Latinos, the Italians, the Spanish, the Nepalese and the Irish etc etc. This is not to say that they can’t but without seeming to be arrogant, I think the Chinese Churches are best placed strategically to reach the Chinese.
I’m sure not everyone is going to agree with this. That’s OK. Let’s at least agree on the gospel of the Lord Jesus.
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I think Rev 7:9 is a bit of “proof text” for the so-called advocated of heterogeneous churches.
I personally, think that the way “ethnos” is used in that text actually supports the perpetuity of ethnic churches reaching people of a particular ethnicity.
Take, for example, the basic approach of a foreign missionary – he goes into the country/culture/people does evangelism, plants churches and trains “national leaders” (i.e. locals). Why? because locals will, in the long term, be more effective in reaching other locals.
The same applies to the Chinese Churches in Aus, USA, UK, etc. I see my primary job, as a Pastor in a Chinese Church to develop leaders who will reach, more effectively than I, others of their own “ethnos”.
Rev 7:9 tells me that this will be successful because God has and will call people to become worshippers from amongst every “ethnos” – it doesn’t tell me that I MUST, myself, be trying to reach EVERY “ethnos”. Nor does it necessitate that every individual church/congregation must try to reach EVERY “ethnos”.
/rant endeth here
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