People will be allowed to quarantine at home instead of in a government facility. Additionally, people will no longer have to use apps on their phones that track their health. Lockdowns have been limited in frequency and scope.

Additionally, the government hopes to jumpstart the vaccination program, which has thus far gotten off to a slow start.

Xi Jinping

But Xi Jinping maintains his powerful grip on Chinese life. Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China says, “Xi was able to secure that additional term and open up the door for quite a long reign there. That may not be the word that he uses. But he will have a lot more time in office. We were on a pause just as far as activity during that time. Now that that’s all over, we’re kind of back up and active in planning for next year.”

“We hope to be able to do as much or more next year, in terms of Bible funding for distribution, as we did this year.”

Bibles for China works to get Bibles to Chinese churches, especially in rural areas.

Amid constantly changing regulations, Rovenstine says the ministry has to stay flexible. “Xi has a secular worldview and has doubled down on the atheist manifesto in terms of, if you’re a communist, you will espouse this. I think that doesn’t bode well for the church. You have an entity that is promoting allegiance to God before state.”

Ask God to give Chinese Christians creativity in a very fluid situation. Pray Chinese believers will have the boldness and strength to serve and proclaim Jesus.

The header photo shows police patrolling in China during the initial COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo courtesy of China News Service, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

The protests began after an apartment fire killed 10 people under strict lockdown. Videos of the fire appear to show firefighters taking more time to reach the victims due to the COVID-19 restrictions. The fire happened in the Western region of Xinjiang, in a city that had been locked down for over 100 days.

Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China says, “They just want to have some freedom to live life, even in the context of a communist government. Whether it’s religious freedom, the ability to visit family, to go out for a meal, or whatever the case may be, it reached a tipping point. And so people have hit the streets.”

CCP response

These are the most widespread demonstrations in China since the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

So far, the police have responded by detaining people and heavily patrolling the streets of major cities. Officials have also sent home university students, fearing they would stoke even more unrest.

Rovenstine says the protests could move China in a positive direction. “But as Tiananmen showed us, there’s also the opportunity for a response that is swift and harsh. So we’ll have to wait and see.”

“But the exciting thing for me as an observer of things going on in China is the opportunity for the Church to be a voice in all of this.”

Pray Chinese Christians will speak into the lives of those looking for significant change.

Pray also that Chinese leaders would not respond with violence but would listen to and understand their people. Rovenstine says, “National leaders have to do more than be iron-fisted. They have to live in a global economy. We no longer live in a world where information can be completely monitored. We are a connected global people.”

The header photo shows students holding a memorial for those who died in the apartment fire. (Photo courtesy of Date20221127, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Take some time to pray for this ministry. Kurt Rovenstine says, “Keep praying for the people we’re reaching out to. Because they’re the front line, pray that God would give them creativity, strength, and determination to keep getting the Word into the hands of those who read it, obey it, and allow God to transform their lives.”

Pray also for the leadership at Bibles for China. They need the wisdom to navigate the next few years. COVID-19 lockdowns continue to ebb and flow due to China’s zero-COVID policy.

It’s hard to know what the future will hold. Rovenstine says, “God continues to bless us with donations. That is an indication for us that there’s still work for us to do. We’re going to keep going through the open door in China, trying to cooperate as best we can with the leaders who are there and the opportunities that currently exist. And that’s still a great opportunity.”

“As those things shift and change, pray that we sense clearly the leadership of the Holy Spirit and taking us where we need to be in the future.”

You can support Bibles for China’s work here.

Ask God to strengthen and encourage the Church across China.

Header photo courtesy of James Wheeler on Pexels. 

Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China says economics could be a major factor. “In every conversation, we have with our folks in China, that’s part of what we talk about. Life is a lot harder in China than it has been in the past. Many people have got to stay home and take care of their families, even though the call of God is very strong.”

“The obligation to provide for your family and those kinds of things needs to be considered as well.”

China’s zero-COVID policy has kept many citizens quarantined for months or even years. Officials have shown no sign of changing the restrictions.

Travel remains incredibly difficult, Rovenstine says. “One of our primary contacts there was finally able to get out. She planned to visit four cities, meet with leaders, continue to develop relationships, and share our greetings. She was only able to visit two cities.”

Lay leaders

Rovenstine says while long-term seminarian numbers have dwindled, many leaders continue to take shorter programs. “We would probably call them lay leaders in the United States. It’s somebody that would serve as a local church pastor. Lots of people are getting grassroots training in seminaries through one-year programs. That seems to have a little more traction.”

Celebrate the continued growth of the Church in China. Ask God to strengthen Chinese Christians as they work creatively in difficult situations.

Header photo courtesy of Bibles for China on Facebook. 

China’s “zero-Covid” policy puts immense pressure on regional leaders to eliminate the virus.

Meanwhile, Wuhan, the city where COVID-19 first emerged, has seen lockdowns over a case of Cholera. Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China says, “I believe it was a local official that decided that they would restrict travel. That incited some panic, which is the word that was shared with me by one of our partners.”

Churches and schools

Rovenstine says churches and schools often suffer the worst from lockdowns.

One partner in China said her son could only attend school in person six weeks out of the last semester.

Churches have been unable to offer the Lord’s Supper during services. Rovenstine says, “That’s sad for me, that people can’t choose to go to church and receive a Bible. So it continues to be a struggle for us. Our list is quite long of requests that people have made for Bibles around China.”

Rovenstine says Bibles for China have four Bible distributions planned for later in the year, but they have gotten pushed back.

Chinese Christians

Despite the challenges, Christians throughout China remain committed to growing in Jesus. They want to share His story with their neighbors.

Ask God to rest upon them. “At Bibles for China, we still are functioning as open and legal, trying to navigate that well and look for opportunities to fulfill the requests that have been made of us.”

You can also support Bibles for China here. “It’s been a tough year economically. We’re trying to manage our money well so that we can buy the scriptures that people request.”

The header photo shows a truckload of Mandarin Bibles. (Photo courtesy of Bibles for China)