Are house churches allowed in China?

Are house churches allowed in China?

House churches in China are generally considered illegal, yet smaller house churches of less than 25 members tend to be tolerated by the government.

How many house churches are in China?

20 million
According to Frank Lee, a Chinese academic who has studied the development of house churches in China, there are currently 20 million registered with the Three-Self Church, whereas the house churches boast 10 million Catholics and up to 70 million Protestants. Others put the figures even higher.

How does a home church work?

A house church or home church is a label used to describe a group of Christians who regularly gather for worship in private homes. The group may be part of a larger Christian body, such as a parish, but some have been independent groups that see the house church as the primary form of Christian community.

What is the Chinese underground church?

The term underground church (Chinese: 地下教会; pinyin: dìxià jiàohuì) is used to refer to Chinese Catholic churches in the People’s Republic of China which have chosen not to associate with the state-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, they are also called loyal church (Chinese: 忠贞教会; pinyin: zhōngzhēn …

What is the Three Self Church in China?

The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM; Chinese: 三自爱国运动; pinyin: Sānzì Àiguó Yùndòng) is a Protestant organization in the People’s Republic of China, and one of the largest Protestant bodies in the world. It is colloquially known as the Three-Self Church (Chinese: 三自教会; pinyin: Sānzì Jiàohuì).

What is largest religion in China?

National surveys conducted in the early 21st century estimated that some 80% of the population of China, which is more than a billion people, practice some kind of Chinese folk religion; 13–16% are Buddhists; 10% are Taoist; 2.53% are Christians; and 0.83% are Muslims.

What is a church house called?

Definition of church house 1 : a house belonging to a church (as a rectory or a parish house) 2 South & Midland : church, meetinghouse.

Who does Chinese worship?

The government formally recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. In the early 21st century, there has been increasing official recognition of Confucianism and Chinese folk religion as part of China’s cultural inheritance.

How do I start a house church?

The first step to starting a house church is to pray. House-church ministry must be birthed in prayer. Though it is a simple step, without prayer and God’s leading, we invite trouble. Starting a house church cannot be just a good idea; it must be a God idea.

How many people are in a house church?

A house church of eight or ten may have one or two small groups of men and one or two small groups of women. Oftentimes, house church leaders meet monthly with the small-group leaders for training and encouragement. In fact, small-group leaders usually become house-church leaders.

Is the house church movement a rediscovery of New Testament Christianity?

Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! T he modern house church movement has both captured allegiance and anxiety. Many acclaim it as a rediscovery of New Testament Christianity, while others see in it an escape from the realities of established church life. The early Christian community started as a house church.

How effective are small groups in a house church?

If the house church is larger than five or six people, we have found small groups to be very effective. These groups often meet outside of the micro-church meeting. When we ask new believers about their favorite part of the micro-church meeting, we hear again and again that they enjoy small groups.