The Church in China Will Not Break

On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong stood atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace and declared to the world: “The Chinese people have stood up.” With this pronouncement, the People’s Republic of China was born, and a new communist era began. For the Chinese church, this marked the beginning of a long, hard winter.

At the time, Protestant Christians numbered roughly 700,000 a fledgling body surrounded by the cold winds of suspicion and authoritarian control. Foreign missionaries, sensing the coming storm, feared the church in China would not survive the grip of the Communist Party.

They were wrong.

A Church Far Beyond Survival

In the decades that followed, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sought to control every sphere of life including religion. In the 1950s, churches were consolidated under the state’s “Three-Self Patriotic Movement,” and believers had to either conform or retreat underground. Many chose the latter.

The Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) intensified persecution. Churches were shut down. Leaders were jailed or killed. The Cult of Mao replaced all formal religious structures. Yet, in this crucible of suffering, the church did not die. It multiplied.

By the time Mao died in 1979, the number of Christians in China had grown to around ten million. That’s a staggering 1,300% increase without foreign missionaries, open churches, or public evangelism. In their attempt to crush the gospel, the regime inadvertently scattered seeds across the land.

From Shadows to the Streets

The decades following Mao’s death brought a softening of state control, ushering in a period some now call the “golden age” of the Chinese church. Registered churches flourished. House churches expanded. Migrant workers carried the gospel into cities. Students who found Christ abroad returned to lead urban churches filled with professionals and intellectuals.

These churches tested the boundaries of newfound freedoms. They launched orphan ministries, responded to natural disasters, and began publishing the works of theologians like Philip Yancey and John Piper. Evangelism flourished not through fanfare, but through faithful presence.

Foreign Christians also found creative ways to serve: teaching English, starting businesses, studying in Chinese universities. The gospel moved quietly yet powerfully through relationships, just as Paul encouraged in Colossians 4:5–6:
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.”

By 2010, estimates placed the Christian population in China at over seventy million. Despite decades of crackdown, the church was thriving.

Winds Shift Again

The past decade, however, has brought renewed pressure. Under Chairman Xi Jinping, the CCP has reasserted control over religious life. Activities once tolerated like large gatherings, Sunday school, and Christian publishing are now banned or heavily restricted. The space for Christian expression is shrinking again.

But if the history of the Chinese church teaches us anything, it's this resistance only strengthens it.

Despite tightening controls, a new wave of growth has begun not just in China, but from China. An indigenous missions movement is emerging. Chinese missionaries now serve in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and beyond. The largest mission field may yet become the largest sending nation.

What the Church in China Teaches Us

So what can we learn from this astonishing story of faith under fire? Consider these four truths:

1. Chinese Christians are resilient.

In Chinese culture, bamboo symbolizes strength and flexibility. It bends under pressure but does not break. So it is with the church in China.

Buffeted by war, revolution, and persecution, believers continue pressing on. They embrace a theology of suffering that gives them roots, not despair. Ask any Chinese Christian today about the current restrictions, and you’ll likely hear, “Yes, things are hard but let me tell you what God is doing in my church.”

2. Chinese Christians are innovative.

A popular Chinese saying goes, “The leaders make the rules, and the people find a way around the rules.” That spirit of creative adaptation has served the church well.

When churches couldn’t gather in large groups, they split into house fellowships. When landlords refused to rent to them, they met in restaurants. When Sunday school was banned, they met in secret. When streaming was blocked, they turned to encrypted platforms. The gospel continues because the Spirit inspires ingenuity.

3. Chinese Christians are disciple-makers.

The vast majority of church growth in China happened without foreign missions. This is humbling and deeply encouraging. The gospel is not dependent on Western efforts. It thrives because God is building His church.

That said, there is still a role for foreigners not to lead, but to serve. Opportunities remain for teachers, students, entrepreneurs, and anyone willing to walk alongside Chinese believers. And for those who can’t enter China, ministry among the Chinese diaspora continues to be fruitful.

4. Chinese Christians are kept by a faithful God.

The most important truth of all. God is faithful.

In 2010, a pastor in southwest China showed a visitor an American-made church bell cast in 1863. Somehow, it survived the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward, when metal was being seized and melted for war. Government officials tried to burn it. They failed.

Like that bell, the Chinese church endures not because of strategy or strength, but because God has not forgotten His people.

“I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

The Bamboo Gospel

The church in China is not a fragile flower. It is bamboo rooted deep, flexible under pressure, and growing in every direction. And the power behind its growth is not clever plans or political freedom, but the unwavering faithfulness of God and the unchanging power of the gospel.

No matter what the future holds, that will not change.

If this story inspired you, consider sharing it with someone or subscribe to our newsletter for more stories of God’s unstoppable grace around the world.