Exuberance at one of Beijing’s state-sponsored churches
Posted: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 7:08 PM
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Beijing, China
By John Cheang, NBC News Producer
Assisted by Val Wang, NBC News Assistant Producer
"Are you a Protestant?" the fresh-faced church member, dressed in a blue blouse and crisp pants, greeted me as I walked into the foyer of Beijing's Kuanjie Church, which President Bush will visit on Sunday. Around her, dozens of other members, dressed in identical uniforms, directed incoming churchgoers - many dressed in white baptismal robes - into the main chapel.
After years of reading about China's suppression of religious freedoms, I must admit that I honestly didn't know what to expect. Bowed heads and hushed tones, maybe. But what I encountered was exuberance.
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| NBC News |
| Kuanjie Church members watch as fellow worshippers are baptized at the government-sanctioned church in Beijing on Aug.3. |
It was Baptism Day, which only occurs twice a year. Chinese men, women and children jammed the pews of the main chapel. Everywhere I looked, beaming faces were mouthing the Chinese verses to "All things bright and beautiful." One by one, white-robed parishioners were led into a small wading pool and tipped backward to a chorus of prayer and religious songs.
Seeking solace
Li Jian'an, the chief pastor of the church, had a questioning face with eyes that lit up when he spoke about his faith. He said that each baptism adds some 200 new parishioners to the church’s ranks. With a broad smile, Pastor Li said that more and more younger Chinese, trying to solve problems they can't solve otherwise, are finding God. Many are seeking solace to alleviate stress in their marriages, jobs, or children's education - problems that sound all too familiar to the Western ear.
Kuanjie Church is one of several Chinese government-sanctioned churches in Beijing. Tucked away off a hutong just north of the Forbidden City, it’s an unimposing two-story building, which one would not pay much attention to but for the massive cross on its roof. But come next week Kuanjie will become very well known because it's the one church that President Bush has chosen to worship in during his trip here for the 2008 Olympics. Exciting as this event may be, church officials hint it could be a double-edged sword - as it will raise the church's profile right under the lens of the attentive Chinese government.
Illegal 'house churches'
In China, the right to pray is not frowned upon, but you must do it in the correct place. For many years Christianity was marginalized by China's officially atheist government. The ruling Communist Party requires all religious organizations to register with the state, giving it broad latitude in running the church. Despite that, unauthorized "house churches" - many run out of small living rooms - have sprouted up across the country. The government has repeatedly cracked down on them and hauled their pastors off to labor camps, stating that such worship houses "destabilize the public order." However, after winning their bid for the Games, Beijing officials allotted money to several sanctioned churches so they could revamp their facilities in order to put forward a better face for international visitors.
Although China has repeatedly denied any form of religious oppression, try asking even a state-sanctioned pastor about the issue. Pastor Li has visited the United States only once. He recalled how "loose and carefree" worship was there, where people wear shorts and flip-flops to services and play the guitar. He said he had heard of evangelicalism, but hasn’t seen it in action. He intimated that such forms of worship might be something he'd "consider" in the future, but admitted it's a long way off. A Chinese church worships "according to its own feelings and inspiration," he said.
Church numbers swell
Li said he thought that the recent spate of house church arrests stemmed from the jitters the country has over the Olympics - but expects that leniency will come after the Games are over. He doesn't venture as far as to condone the existence of house churches, but feels a strong affinity for them as they all "worship the same God" as he does, and he is happy that they can all "share God's glory and testify to God." He has invited house church worshippers to visit his church and attend his services. In return, he has visited their churches. When asked why there is such a strong need in China for house churches, he said that the low numbers of state-sanctioned churches cannot satisfy the great number of worshippers.
Within the last decade, church attendance numbers have swelled. The World Christian Database estimates there are 70 million Christians in China - a number that includes all the Christian faiths - while China's official estimate hovers at a far lower number of around 21 million. Whatever the true number is, with Bush due to attend Kuanjie this Sunday, Pastor Li might just find a few more people to baptize next time.
NBC News' John Yang will be with President Bush as he visits Kuanjie Church on Sunday. For more on this church and the President's visit to China, tune in to NBC Nightly News on Sunday, Aug. 10.
Click here for complete coverage of the Beijing Olympics
