Via Fr. Dick Kim

Friday September 30, 2011     Church of England Newspaper  >  > Global South announces link with Chinese Church  >  > By George Conger  >  > THE PRIMATES of the Global South coalition of provinces have opened  > ecumenical relations with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) ?  > China?s official state Protestant Church.  >  > The 12-day visit to China by 11 senior archbishops led by Singapore?s  > Archbishop John Chew ? who represent a majority of the communion?s  > members ? has sparked public controversy in evangelical circles with  > some conservatives perturbed by the outreach to the Communist  > Party-approved state Church.  >  > The visit will also pain supporters of the current institutional  > structures of the Anglican Communion, as the China trip marks the  > establishment of an international Anglican ecumenical movement  > independent of the London-based instruments of communion.  >  > > From 30 August-10 September the Primates of South East Asia,  > > Myanmar,  > Uganda, Jerusalem and the Middle East, West Africa, Burundi, Nigeria,  > the Southern Cone, Kenya, Rwanda and Central Africa visited Beijing,  > Chunking, Nanking, Shanghai and Soochow as guests of the Chinese  > government?s Minister for the State Administration of Religious Affairs  (SARA), Mr Wang Zuoan.  >  > The primates also met with leaders of the TSPM and China Christian  Council.  > ?This visit is opening the way for greater cooperation between China  > and the countries we represent, especially in the areas of church  > development, social services and commercial activity,? the primates  > said in a statement released at the end of their visit.  >  > The China communiqu? stated the Global South primates were ?excited by  > the invitation by the Church in China, with the support and  > encouragement of SARA, to develop a long term relationship with the  > Global South of the Anglican Communion for mutual encouragement and  sharing of experiences.?  >  > They also noted China?s ?advances in economic growth and social  development?  > over the past 30 years ?including the recognition and encouragement  > given to the Church and other religious organizations.?  >  > The primates said they were ?inspired by the exponential growth of the  > Church in China, in spite of the challenges she faces. We are  > encouraged to see a Church that is actively leading people to faith in  > Christ, training lay leaders for ministry, advancing the theological  > education of catechists and clergy, and being a blessing to society,  > especially in providing social services to the needy.?  >  > They noted the success of the Amity Printing Press, which has produced  > over  > 90 million Bibles and the work of the Amity Foundation in providing  > social services to the needy.  >  > ?These achievements affirm the Church?s faithfulness in doing God?s  > work in a manner that is self-governing, self-supporting and  self-propagating.  >  > In all this, we recognize God?s divine providence, grace and wisdom,?  > they said.  >  > However, the communiqu? made no mention of China?s house church  > movement, home to the overwhelming majority of Chinese believers, nor  > of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement?s complicity in the state?s  > persecution of Christians.  >  > Conservative bloggers were quick to denounce this oversight with  > posters at the website StandFirm expressing outrage the Global South  > would align itself with the TSPM.  >  > However, the Rev Loren Fox, a former missionary in Singapore told The  > Church of England Newspaper, these criticisms were misplaced.  >  > Fr Fox noted the experience of the Diocese of Singapore and Archbishop  > John Chew had coloured its outlook on the Chinese church. The diocese  > of Singapore had been ?generally liberal through the 1960s, but with  > Bishop Chew Ban it saw a movement sweep the Church through the  > influence of the Charismatics.?  >  > During the Second World War the leaders of the Methodist,  > Presbyterian, Lutheran and Anglican churches ?were imprisoned together by  the Japanese,?  > he noted. In their prison camps ?they prayed together deeply.  >  > That unity laid the groundwork for the Charismatic outbreak across the  > island in the 1970s that still influences all branches of the Church  > there today.  >  > ?Thus, the Singaporean Church has seen a weak (liberal) church  > transformed from within.  >  > ?Likewise, the TSPM/CCC has also moved from biblical faith to a faith  > filtered and truncated by the Communists, which has now returned to a  > biblical faith,? he said.  >  > Singapore and the Global South primates want ?to encourage a further  > transformation of the Church ? both government-sponsored and  > independent/house churches. Their own history gives them reason to  > believe it is already happening and will continue to do so.?  >  > He added that Chinese history had seen ?regime changes? brought about  > by changes in religion. ?The Communist Party is afraid of any change  > in religion ? whether it is Falun Gong, Tibetan Buddhism, Uighur  > Islam, or Christianity.?  >  > The Global South knows this and ?has been helping the Communist  > Party?s Religious Affairs Bureau to see how biblical Christianity  > makes for good citizens,? Fr Fox said.