Dream of a sanctuary. That’s what the Feng’En Church represents for many Christians in China. Millions of Chinese people have turned to religion for decades. It might be hard to believe because of the Chinese Communist Party’s suppression of religion. Americans usually focus on the Chinese economy instead of Chinese faith beliefs. China is in its own great awakening.
The Feng’En Church stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of faith in China. It is a place where people seek solace. They also seek community and spiritual renewal.
Since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012 China has shifted back toward its first 30 years after World War II. Chairman Mao Zedong was in power then. He stifled religious freedom.
During the 1960s and 70s religion was completely banned. Religious buildings were shut down. Holy scriptures were burned. Sacred statues were smashed. Monks and nuns were forced to return to secular life.
In 1978 universities reopened and one year later religious services were allowed to resume. People in the 1980s began to have their awakenings. The Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4 1989 was a major turning point. It was like a dam broke. The atheist dam broke open. People began to pour into churches and temples.
Churches have increased in number. They are under some government control. To make themselves more visible churches would construct large neon crosses. Between 2014 and 2016 more than 1500 crosses were removed. Church services continued as normal though.
There are five legal religions in China. They are Buddhism Islam Taoism Catholicism and Protestantism. Churches are legally allowed and tolerated but they are stained red. Red is the Chinese Communist color. It is illegal to worship outside of designated venues. People regularly get away with worshiping inside of their own homes though. They call these jiating churches. Jiating means family home or house in Chinese.
In the early history of Christianity many Christians had to meet at people’s private homes. Jiating churches have become more than that. Some have become large congregations with several hundred or more than a thousand people. Some of those congregations began to form together to create denominations.
The main reason people meet in these jiating churches instead of regular churches is to avoid government-designated buildings. They fear that those buildings are controlled by the Communist Party. People would even worship in the streets and public squares. Punishments are often no more than 24 hours in jail or a couple of weeks at worst. As soon as they were released they would go back to the streets and squares. They are so fired up and it’s uncontainable.
Christianity has been the fastest-growing religion in China. Sharing maps it showed how widespread the five legally allowed religions are in China. There are official venues spread across the country. This is significant for the world’s third-largest country by land area and largest by population. In a high number of provinces there were more Christian churches than any other religious venue.
The Feng’En Church stands as a symbol of resilience. It embodies the spirit of those who seek faith and community. Its story is a reminder of the challenges and triumphs of religious life in China. The Feng’En Church is not just a building. It’s a living testament to the enduring power of belief.