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An International Center for Indigenous Christian Leadership
Strategic Leadership Alliance
Why China is Strategic
Napoleon once commented that it’d be a wise thing to let China continue in her slumber. He warned that
whoever disturbed the sleeping giant would live to regret it. Well, China is finally rising from her long rest and
the world is taking notice. Many feel both within China and around the world that it is now time for China to re-
take its rightful place on the world stage as the celestial Middle Kingdom (center of the universe).
Historically, some in the church haven’t been receptive to the idea that China is a friend and is divinely
endowed with blessings to be a blessing to the rest of the world. Many theologians and church leaders have
demonized China as the ultimate enemy who will fight against the righteous in the last days (Rev. 16:12).
However, while traveling in China this past spring, I came to a conclusion that, without a doubt, China will
become a superpower in our time, not only economically and militarily but spiritually as well. In other words,
many have ignored the importance of China as a spiritual superpower. It is very likely, with the continuation of
the Holy Spirit’s mighty work, China will become a relatively Christianized nation in a couple of generations.
Even now, one of the most conservative estimates puts the total number of Christians in China to about 100
million! Just imagine sending out tens, even hundreds of thousands of missionaries from China to the world!
According to Operation World: 21st Century Edition, the US is still the world leader in sending out overseas
missionaries (46,381), followed distantly by Korea as the second largest overseas missionary force
(10,646). However, with the expected infusion of missionaries from the soon to be galvanized Chinese
church of the 21st century, the once distant and almost unreachable dream of world evangelization suddenly
becomes a very tangible possibility in our time.
According to Harvard professor Samuel Huntington in his national bestseller The Clash of Civilizations:
Remaking of World Order, even though the most violent challenges to Western hegemony will probably come
from the Islamic civilization, the real formidable challenge will inevitably manifest from the Sinic civilization
(regions of Chinese dominance in the Far East). He foresees China as an economic giant whose financial
prowess will eventually catapult Chinese to a world trade language rivaling even English. Initial signs of this
undeniable brave new world is seen in China’s eventual membership in WTO next year and the hosting of the
Olympics in 2008. With her immense wealth and almost inexhaustible human resources, a Christianized
China could globally dominate the
international missions efforts in the latter half of the 21st century!
For the first time in church history, there are more Christians and missionaries from the non-Western world
than those from the West. At the present, we are at the crest of the first wave of world-wide indigenous
missionary movement which is spearheaded by nations like Korea and Brazil. I believe our job at this historic
juncture is to help initiate the second wave of indigenous missionaries from China and nations of Latin
America in the next few decades. SLA strives to become an active part in this strategic endeavor. Won’t you
join us as partners in ushering in the multiethnic kingdom of God?
By LGZ, Messenger (November 1, 2001)
Reviews
Bay Fang, “China’s Christian Underground”, US News & World Report (April 30, 2001).
Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations: Remaking of World Order (New York: Simon & Shuster,
1996).
Patrick Johnstone & Jason Mandryk, Operation World: 21st Century Edition (Waynesboro, GA: Peternoster
Publishing, 2001).
Napoleon once commented that it’d be a wise thing to let China continue in her slumber. He warned that
whoever disturbed the sleeping giant would live to regret it. Well, China is finally rising from her long rest and
the world is taking notice. Many feel both within China and around the world that it is now time for China to re-
take its rightful place on the world stage as the celestial Middle Kingdom (center of the universe).
Historically, some in the church haven’t been receptive to the idea that China is a friend and is divinely
endowed with blessings to be a blessing to the rest of the world. Many theologians and church leaders have
demonized China as the ultimate enemy who will fight against the righteous in the last days (Rev. 16:12).
However, while traveling in China this past spring, I came to a conclusion that, without a doubt, China will
become a superpower in our time, not only economically and militarily but spiritually as well. In other words,
many have ignored the importance of China as a spiritual superpower. It is very likely, with the continuation of
the Holy Spirit’s mighty work, China will become a relatively Christianized nation in a couple of generations.
Even now, one of the most conservative estimates puts the total number of Christians in China to about 100
million! Just imagine sending out tens, even hundreds of thousands of missionaries from China to the world!
According to Operation World: 21st Century Edition, the US is still the world leader in sending out overseas
missionaries (46,381), followed distantly by Korea as the second largest overseas missionary force
(10,646). However, with the expected infusion of missionaries from the soon to be galvanized Chinese
church of the 21st century, the once distant and almost unreachable dream of world evangelization suddenly
becomes a very tangible possibility in our time.
According to Harvard professor Samuel Huntington in his national bestseller The Clash of Civilizations:
Remaking of World Order, even though the most violent challenges to Western hegemony will probably come
from the Islamic civilization, the real formidable challenge will inevitably manifest from the Sinic civilization
(regions of Chinese dominance in the Far East). He foresees China as an economic giant whose financial
prowess will eventually catapult Chinese to a world trade language rivaling even English. Initial signs of this
undeniable brave new world is seen in China’s eventual membership in WTO next year and the hosting of the
Olympics in 2008. With her immense wealth and almost inexhaustible human resources, a Christianized
China could globally dominate the
international missions efforts in the latter half of the 21st century!
For the first time in church history, there are more Christians and missionaries from the non-Western world
than those from the West. At the present, we are at the crest of the first wave of world-wide indigenous
missionary movement which is spearheaded by nations like Korea and Brazil. I believe our job at this historic
juncture is to help initiate the second wave of indigenous missionaries from China and nations of Latin
America in the next few decades. SLA strives to become an active part in this strategic endeavor. Won’t you
join us as partners in ushering in the multiethnic kingdom of God?
By LGZ, Messenger (November 1, 2001)
Reviews
Bay Fang, “China’s Christian Underground”, US News & World Report (April 30, 2001).
God confirmed our vision through this article when we discovered it by divine providence. Its
description of central China where we are planning to work in, the strategies, and the needs are
exactly what we’d received from the Lord. It will ignite your passion for the Chinese.
Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations: Remaking of World Order (New York: Simon & Shuster,
1996).
- Several chapters in this national bestseller is relevant to missions including the ones on world
religion and its role in reshaping world order, initial Westernization of the 2/3 World and its re-
embracing of indigenous cultures, and the rise of China as superpower and her language as
international trade language.
Patrick Johnstone & Jason Mandryk, Operation World: 21st Century Edition (Waynesboro, GA: Peternoster
Publishing, 2001).
- This latest edition of Operation World is very informative and easier to use. Its perspective and
presentation are still very Western. Nevertheless, it is a very reliable and accurate source of facts on
world mission status.