In a rare meeting with Pastor Joshua, one of the top leaders in a Chinese underground house church network of about 4 million believers, the need for Bibles was discussed.
“Bibles are one of the biggest needs we have in the rural churches in China,” Pastor Joshua said. He went on to describe the situation saying, “It is very difficult to connect with other networks, because the persecution has been so hard. Only last week, one member of our fellowship was
arrested. In 2000, this brother was sent to the western region of China to preach among the minority groups. As a result, he was recently arrested. We have tried to lessen the security risks by going from bigger groups to smaller groups, but a smaller group was just arrested last week. Many
preachers and missionaries from the network are still in prison today.”
“In spite of the persecution, God is building the house church in several ways,” Joshua shared. “First, Christians have to depend on prayer. Second, God is raising up a lot of Chinese brothers who are not afraid of death or the cost that will be asked of them for serving Christ. Thirdly, the Chinese church is becoming self-sufficient. And lastly, God is raising up many faithful workers in China to share the Word of God through the Bible. A foundation built on the Word of God will not fall.”
In the past 4 years, since Covid, it has made the Chinese brothers and sisters grow their roots deeper, “but,” says Pastor Joshua, “they need more Bibles.”
“We have a bible training school for new believers, but need more Bibles. This year, we have printed a lot of Bibles and Gospel booklets. One of our small churches has already printed 1000 Bibles just by themselves.”
Pastor Joshua goes on to explain, “To really find Bibles in China is almost impossible, unless you register with the government where they take your personal information. If you need many Bibles it is almost impossible this way. The government does everything to stop the spread of the Bible and its accessibility. Bible apps are still very dangerous to download. Also, for those who do have a Bible, it can be easily confiscated by the police and then they need another one. This is another reason Bibles are so desperately needed in China.”
To support Bibles in China and other nations in the world where BTJ is working, click below:
This is such an eye-opening reminder of how many people in China still long for access to Bibles. It’s inspiring to see the dedication of these pastors and believers despite the challenges they face.
We believe God is calling us to a global financial support ministry for the global church and especially in restricted nations. Currently awaiting several financial contracts to be completed in the next 30-60 days.
The one year contracts provide substantial capital to donate , all in Jesus name and his church .
This article highlights a critical need. It’s easy to take access to religious texts for granted, and to hear about the scarcity in China is a sobering reminder. It makes you think about how something as simple as having a Bible can be so impactful. I wonder what the biggest hurdles are to getting more Bibles into the hands of those who need them.
It’s a good piece on the Bible, but I don’t like it very much. I usually think, “not superstitious, but not superstitious either.”
Your choice of words is incredibly nuanced, adding significant weight to each sentence and effectively emphasizing the various themes you explored
Wow, this is heavy stuff. It’s heartbreaking to hear how hard it is for Christians in China to get Bibles. Makes you appreciate the freedom we have to read the Bible anytime. We should definitely support their work!
This was sobering to read — it’s easy to forget that access to Scripture is still a real struggle in many parts of the world. Thank you for sharing the pastor’s perspective and helping us see the need firsthand. I’ll be praying for this work.