June 1988 Why is the China Inland Mission/North America's 100th Year Celebration So Significant For Us Today? Why Suddenly Are Many Reports On the Number of China's Christians So Drastically Subdued? Dividing the Church-- What is TSPM Leadership Up To? Wise as Serpents, Harmless as Doves: Christians in China Tell Their Stories |
The Editorial of Ralph D. Winter Founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission Dear Friends, I am afraid this issue of Mission Frontier's is some kind of a watershed. After Saying what we are saying about China, I may not be allowed a visa to get in. Don't think I am kidding. The proof is there for anyone to see. I 'm just glad my wife was able to visit China recently. I never have. I'll admit this is hard to believe. But it is not hard to prove that China exerts phenomenal control over who says what about China. You can see the different factors and forces as you digest the following pages. But another thing that rattles the governing powers of China is any kind of talk about another world coming. In China it is against the law to speak about the return of Christ! This means at least two things: 1)that many people ARE talking about the return of Christ, and 2) that the government is quite unhappy about this particular doctrine. However, I don't want to start the article here. The final purpose of this issue Mission Frontiers, after all, is not simply to give another side to widespread published impressions of China which do not square with the facts. Rather, our purpose is to give one more solid reason why we believe we are nearing the end of world evangelization and to reflect on whatever that implies about the end of time, the return of Christ, the final, forceful breakthrough of the Kingdom of God. We submit that the Return of Christ will obviously resolve a whole lot of issues with which man is apparently not making much headway. What's the connection between the situation in China and the end of world evangelization? Curiously, the clue is in the centennial celebration of what was at one time the world's largest Protestant mission, the China Inland Mission, now the Overseas Missionary Fellowship. But talk about Chinese Intrigue! I am going to have to let you pursue this in the following pages. There just isn't space here. But it is a spellbinding link. But, living in this HOPE, the most spectacular thing---of interest especially to all of you good people who have sacrificed to fund this place---is to reflect even for a movement on the staggering array of opportunities made possible now by our being very near paying off of all this property! We touch on USWCM's FUTURE on page 15, but will take it up next time with far more detail. With great gratitude, to you, and to the Lord, Ralph D. Winter [ FRONT PAGE ] [ MEET OUR STAFF ] [ USCWM ] [ SEARCH ] |