Currently, China’s church is estimated in excess of 100 million members. Given that the church worldwide numbers about 2.1 billion people (International Bulletin of Mission Research, January 2011, p. 29), this comprises about 4.7% of the global total. Further, consider that the total number of Protestants and Independents, worldwide, is about 804 million; China’s 100 million thus represents about 1/8th (or 12.4%) of this number. China’s believers make up more than a tithe of the world’s Protestant/Independent believers. Finally, of Asia’s total of 354 million, China’s believers make up about a third. What happens in China will represent a substantial trendline for the church in Asia and the world as a whole. Consider:
- “Nationalistic and chasing the ‘Chinese dream’” in today’s New York Times (1/12/2011): “We are not ideological. We are patriotic, we are nationalistic. But then, who doesn’t love their country?… We’re not poor anymore, we enjoy life. We want a life with quality, with meaning, and not just a working life like our parents had.”
- Chinese citizens spent $48 billion overseas in 2010: an increase of 14% of one year earlier. Chinese mainland tourists made 54 million trips abroad, up 15%. When will Chinese short-term missions begin in earnest? Have they already? See also an article like Interview: Tourism official says Chicago’s rich culture attracts more Chinese travelers (People’s Daily).
- Beijing honors Confucius with big statue. The NYT article mentions that some want to return to Confucianism. Especially interesting considering “Confucius was once reviled under Maoism.”
- How China is buying up the world (Guardian): “Huge foreign reserves give emerging superpower ever tighter grip in business, finance and politics.”
- As a mark of the diversification of wealth, see Rural hukous becoming more valuable than Shanghai ones? (Shanghaiist)
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It appears that you’re assuming that the total of China’s Christian population of 100 million+ is Evangelical or Protestant. Nearly a quarter of them are Catholic according to Operation World.
You have a point. Actually–I glossed over this–but of course there’s some (mostly friendly) disagreement over the total # of Christians in China. I tend to go with Paul Hattaway’s numbers – 80 million Protestants + 20 million Catholics, rounded, see http://bit.ly/hp8eRy. That said there are other estimates that would put the total even higher, perhaps into the 120 million vicinity, and Protestants closer to 100 million of those. Regardless your point is well taken – China’s Protestants probably aren’t precisely a tithe. I’d think they would be close, tho, and certainly more than the 2 to 5% range.
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