Thursday, April 5, 2012

"Where the Church Is Booming" by Thom Schultz

I just returned from a land where the church is booming.

I found the conditions there fascinating. The Christian population may double in the next few years. The church is growing so fast no one really has an accurate current count. How is it thriving–with characteristics that most may find counter-intuitive?

•Almost all the churches are small–typically no more than a couple dozen members. When they grow beyond that, they sprout new churches.
•They aren’t divided into tribes that are distinguished by theological hair-splitting.
•They can’t name even one famous pastor.
•They receive no help or tax-free status from the government.
In fact, the government stands in the way of the church.

What can we learn from where tens of thousands commit their lives to Christ every day? We need to pay attention. Assuming current growth trends, this will represent the largest Christian population in the world.

Where is this place? China.

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Excerpt from an article written by Thom Shultz appearing on HolySoup.com
Thom Schultz is an author and the founder of Group Publishing.