Starting with the Book of Acts, Christians have a heritage in the lives of disciples of Christ who have set before us examples of faithfulness and love. The Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity has developed into a rich repository of brief accounts of both foreign missionaries and Chinese believers over the past several hundred years. 

As we all know, Chinese intellectuals play a role in their society that is far out of proportion to their numbers. Partly because of the Confucian tradition of the scholar-official, those with advanced education are often called upon to give advice to the government on policy issues.

It would seem reasonable to say that the most lasting fruit would come from evangelism that was built upon the Bible and reflected both its explicit teachings and normative examples. So, what might biblical evangelism look like?

In the past few months, we have looked at the central importance of home meetings and of patience in reaching Chinese worldwide.This letter will continue that discussion, with an emphasis that only biblical methods will bring lasting Gospel transformation to Chinese.

As I have reflected on effective methods for reaching Chinese with the Gospel, it seems that one theme keeps recurring: The need for patience. Without patience, coupled with perseverance, we are not likely to have a lasting impact on our Chinese friends or upon their society.

As we look back over the past year, we are once again both amazed and thankful for what God has done.

A few weeks ago, I visited a large American church which was about to cut staff because of insufficient funds. One major reason: Their huge mortgage.

Maybe the most valuable gift we can give visiting students from China is a our genuine interest in them, expressed by sincere questions about their country, culture, family, and reactions to their host culture.

Long ago, Lin Yutang, in My Country and My People, wrote that China is a more “feminine” culture compared to the “masculine” cultures of the West. We may take the Chinese emphasis upon personal relationships as an example of this difference.

Since arriving in Taiwan on April 25th, I have seen abundant evidence to confirm my previous belief that this island plays a strategic, even vital, role in the building of God’s church in China.