(Fujian province) Government-sanctioned church groups in Fujian province held a work conference on the annual inspection and license renewal of religious clergy. Their goal was to strengthen the government-controlled organization’s re-evaluation and to control religious clergy.
ANNUAL INSPECTION MEETING
On April 13, the Fujian Provincial Two Christian Associations (Three-Self Patriotic Movement and Christian Council) held a work conference. Both the Christian Council and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) are government-sanctioned groups. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) appoints its leaders to ensure their ministry and activities favor socialism and Xi Jinping. During their meeting in April, they discussed the annual inspection and license renewal of Christian clergy in the province at Fujian Theological Seminary. Pastor Zhang Jiyou, deputy president of the Fujian Christian Council, and Chen Zenping, Vice president and Secretary-General of the Fujian Committee of the TSPM, presided over the conference, respectively.
COMMENTS FROM ATTENDEES
Zhang Huarong, Professor at Fujian Normal University, gave a lecture at the conference on “The Generational Implications and Contemporary Values of Chinese Path to Modernization” and his experience studying the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
ANNUAL INSPECTION “SIGNIFICANT”
Pastor Zhang Jiyou pointed out that the license renewal process is a significant reflection of the governing religion according to the law. It is a crucial measure for the information management of religious clergy and an important channel for the Fujian Churches to strengthen its self-management.
CHURCHES MUST BE “STRICT” WITH THEMSELVES
He asked the clergy of the churches to take the opportunity of this license renewal work to be strict with themselves. State-sanctioned groups should implement every regulation conscientiously and govern their churches strictly. If they “resist foreign infiltration”, they will do an excellent job carrying on the Sinicization of Christianity.
ANNUAL INSPECTIONS OVER THE YEARS
In recent years, government-controlled Christian groups across China have organized annual inspections, reviews, and license renewals of religious clergy. Before the annual inspection, assessment, and certificate renewal, the religious clergy needs training lectures, self-assessments, and examinations. An official government-controlled organization will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the religious clergy who participate. Training courses include:
- Religious policies and regulations.
- The Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches.
- The Sinicization of Christianity.
XI JINPING THOUGHT
Assessment units also need to organize the education of religious clergy on “Xi Jinping Thought.” They familiarize themselves with his speeches and themes of “love the motherland, love the Communist Party of China, and love socialism.” Communist ideology is instilled throughout the training.
ELIMINATING DISSENT
The Chinese government’s surveillance of Christianity increases year by year. CCP organizations use the annual inspection to reinforce their ideology on religious clergy to better serve Communism. Political loyalty is above all else, so annual inspections also operate as an excuse to remove the unqualified “dissidents” – religious clergy who are evaluated as “not patriotic enough.”
CONTROL OVER RELIGIOUS GROUPS
Under the leadership of leader Xi Jinping, the Chinese government intensified its efforts to tighten its comprehensive control over Christian religious groups. Throughout the last several years, they have made efforts to erase Christianity under the disguise of the Sinicization of religion. In recent years, the government has continued to introduce various religious regulations, Regulations on Religious Affairs, Administrative Measures for the Administration of Religious Institutions, Measures for the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services, and Measures on the Management of Religious Clergy. These regulations are not intended to uphold the freedom of belief guaranteed to citizens by the Chinese constitution. Instead, the CCP intends to exert comprehensive control.
The annual inspection and license renewal of China’s Christian clergy is part of the effort to nationalize Christianity in China completely.
~Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent of ChinaAid Association
