(Beijing, China – October 8, 2024) Beijing’s officially recognized Christian churches held a propaganda seminar and the 2024 Fall Spiritual Revival Conference themed “Strict Governance of Religion,” entangling church and state in violation of church traditions.
According to the website for the two official organizations of Christianity (China Christian Council and the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of China), Beijing City’s two official organizations of Christianity organized a propaganda seminar and the 2024 Fall Spiritual Revival Conference from September 7 to 8. The conference’s theme – “Strict Governance of Religion,” combined with the biblical teaching of “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Corinthians 14:40 NIV), were the critical points of the preachings. Eight pastors were arranged in pairs to deliver thematic sermons at different churches across Beijing, including Nankou Church, Tongzhou Church, Nanyuan Church, and Mentougou Church.
The report claimed that the pastors shared God’s word in simple and understandable language, helping believers correctly understand the necessity of “Strict Governance of Religion” and explaining the importance of practicing one’s faith as a Christian, including teaching them how to live out their faith.
The report also highlighted that the conference helped establish a sense of order among Christians, encouraging them to discipline themselves and become practitioners of “loving the country and loving the Church,” as well as law-abiding citizens. It emphasized that the event played a positive role in advancing the process of “Sinicization of Christianity” and promoting the healthy continuation of Christianity in Beijing.
The Spiritual Revival Conference is a way of gathering within Christianity designed to reinforce Christians’ understanding of fundamental doctrines and nurture their spiritual lives. This type of meeting is distinct from Sunday worship services and is generally held once a year or once a quarter, with local churches adjusting the frequency based on their specific circumstances. It is rare to see the theme presented in a format that combines politics and religion.
The “Strict Governance of Religion” Spiritual Revival Conference organized by the officially- recognized Christian community in Beijing violates the spiritual significance and long-standing tradition of spiritual revival meetings by entangling politics and religion. “Strict Governance” is not about studying the Bible, nor does it stem from biblical teachings; it is undoubtedly not about spiritual development. Instead, it is an official patriotic ideological agenda that uses the guise of a spiritual revival conference to control and transform the officially sanctioned Christian Churches.
Both “Strict Governance” and the “Sinicization of Christianity” are political ideologies imposed on Christianity by the Chinese Communist government, aiming to respond to the statements made by General Secretary Xi Jinping regarding religious work.
The core argument is that Christianity must conduct religious activities within the framework of various regulations rolled out by the authorities. According to official statements, the aim is to build a group of clergies that is “politically reliable” and “effective in key moments” and to “tell the story of China’s religion well” to the outside world.
These newly proposed regulations in recent years are aligned with the political demands of “Strict Governance of Religion” and the “Sinicization of Christianity.” Their purpose is not to strengthen the rights of faith communities but to comprehensively weaken the vitality of Christian groups and impose broad restrictions on their activities.
ChinaAid Association calls on the Chinese authorities to return to the Constitution, abandon the political direction of a “government-led church,” and allow the church to be a church and worship to be worship.
