Chinese Christians are taking the Gospel back to Jerusalem

China (MNN) — Western missionaries took the Gospel to China many years ago and now the Chinese church has a plan to take the Gospel back to where it started — Jerusalem. It’s called, “The Back to Jerusalem” campaign. It’s not new, but it’s growing.

OMS International’s Asia Field Director Lowell Williamson says the program started in the 1940’s, but lost momentum during the war. “When the large house church movement began to mature they picked up on the theme again and realized the church in China does need to send missionaries out. And, they feel like with the right training that they can evangelize even better that westerners could.”

All of the nations between China and Jerusalem will be the focus of the effort, says Williamson — primarily Muslim countries. He tells us why Chinese believers believe they could be more effective in evangelism. “The house church (members) feel like they’ve gone through difficulties, including persecution. They know how to survive in tough situations. So, they feel like they have some of the qualifications that are need for missionaries who would infiltrate into those Muslim countries.”

Only a small number of Chinese believers have actually gone down the ‘silk road’ toward Jerusalem, says Williamson, but he adds, “More are in training as the movement is growing. Even in our own seminary probably half of them really feel they are called to be missionaries. And, there are little pockets of Bible schools and training centers all over China preparing people.”

Training and funding to send these Christians into these areas are the biggest challenges. However, Williamson says, Chinese believers are finding ways to do it. “Many of the first missionaries will be going as so called ‘tentmakers.’ They can go as businessmen. They can go as experts in various areas and get established as a business person and then use that as a platform.”

However, OMS isn’t forgetting about the 55 minority groups in China itself. “Many of these groups are unevangelized and so we’re concentrating more of our church planting efforts among the unevangelized minority groups in China.”

Williamson is asking Christians to pray the God would protect the church, which is still facing persecution. Pray also that God would raise up more Chinese missionaries to reach into unreached areas of China and the road back to Jerusalem. Click on the link below to get connected.