House Church Voices
CHCT is proud to publish new translations of original essays authored by pastors and theologians in the Chinese house church. All are available in html or pdf format; some also have study guides and responses by thinkers outside of China.
Many names have been changed to protect the authors’ identities.
Latest Article
Where Are You Running To?
by Brother Fan
In the wake of Zero Covid policy and increased government persecution, the second generation in the house church are discovering what it means to be persecuted and tested. When things are overwhelmingly difficult, where can we find the courage to face our fears? This heartfelt sermon from a younger pastor in China addresses the disciple Mark’s desire to flee and how he found salvation to be even greater in his weakness.
Register to download our full color, hand-illustrated PDF articles. Then go deeper with study guides and responses by thinkers outside of China.
2023
Creation and Consummation: The Church as the Goal of History
by S.E. Wang
Summary: The first and last chapters of the Bible tell us God’s will and plan for humanity, and the consummation of this plan in the new Jerusalem. What was started in the garden will be perfected in the church. These chapters also give us hope in the eschatological tension of this age.
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31, Revelation 21:1-5
Key terms: ecclesiology, eschatology, redemptive-historical framework
Date created: 2018
Should Christians Be Patriots?
by Wang Yi
Summary: In a context in which Christians have been forced to either come under the Chinese government's oversight or face persecution, Wang Yi ponders what it means to be a Christian patriot who loves their country and strives for its betterment versus a nationalist who idolizes their nation.
Scripture: Daniel
Key terms: church and state, nationalism, patriotism
Date created: 2013
Spiritual Formation in the House Church Seminary
by Rebecca Chen
Summary: Theological education is not only the transmission of knowledge and the acquisition of skills, but also the formation of people and the transformation of life. In this paper, a female leader discusses the challenges facing house church seminaries and offers suggestions for how seminaries can better prepare leaders in any context.
Key terms: theological education, leadership development, spiritual formation
Date created: 2023
Before Sending Someone Abroad for Seminary
by Man of Dust
Summary: For a house church leader, there are many reasons to seek a seminary education in the West. However, it may come as a shock how much Western seminaries have been influenced by a secular post-Enlightenment culture. This blog post by a house church leader and former seminary student honestly describes the dangers of going abroad for a seminary degree.
Key terms: theological education, spiritual formation, contextualization
Date created: 2017
2022
The Glorious Gospel of the Son of God
by Victor Guo
Summary: A discussion of the role of sons in the Bible and the idolatry of sons in Chinese culture.
Key terms: Chinese culture, gender, idolatry
Date created: 2020
Walking with God in the Last Days
by J. Elem
Summary: Enoch walked with God even as he prophesied his judgment. We often compromise our faith when we come up against hardship, and even life changes such as getting jobs and having children tempt us with worldly comforts. Our only comfort as believers is in salvation, and truly walking with God means putting him first and overcoming all other obstacles and temptations.
Scripture: Genesis 5:21-32, Jude 14-16
Key terms: eschatology, parenting, discipleship
Date created: 2021
The Lord is Preparing a Deliverer
by Joseph Cheng
Summary: Where is God in the midst of evil rulers, slavery, and genocide? He remains on his throne, providing for and protecting his people in ways that we can’t always see. This meditation on God’s sovereignty during Israel’s enslavement in Egypt is addressed to the house church in a time of pandemic and persecution, but speaks to many of the crises we face in our world today.
Scripture: Exodus 1 & 2
Key terms: suffering, persecution, sovereignty of God
Date posted: 2022
2021
Church in the Wilderness: A Message to the Global Church from a House Church Pastor
by Paul Peng
Summary: When all the church’s external support systems have gone or are diminished, we must ask: What resources does the church stand on? What resources do pastors themselves depend on? Union with Christ provides the answer. This essay looks at what we can learn from the Chinese house church about surviving persecution and hardship.
Scripture: Rev. 7:4, 19:6-9, 20:9
Key terms: house church history, persecution, union with Christ
Date created: 2020
The Primary Colors of Sin
by Guo Muyun
Summary: Guo Muyun describes his relationship to a classic 16th century Chinese novel, Journey to the West, as a metaphor for his own changing worldview.
A cultural apologetic for the younger Chinese generation, he argues that their nihilistic worldview will ultimately fail them, and he presents a way out of the tragedies of our lives through the gospel.
Scripture: Luke 4:1–13
Key terms: contextualization, Chinese culture, sin, worldview, deconstruction
Date created: 2020
The Political Dimension of the Gospel
by Gao Hang
Summary: The Bible intentionally uses—and subverts—political terms like "army," "kingdom," and "justice." It is vital that we understand the church as a new world order that supersedes and challenges all worldly politics, so that we ourselves do not become agents of worldly causes rather than God's people.
Scripture: Eph. 2:11-19; Matt. 12:22-32
Key terms: church & state, gospel theology, ecclesiology, persecution
Date created: 2020