An urban fishing village in east asia:
Fragrant to the glory of god
Part One: Description of Context
Introduction
God’s Word tells us, “ Zhuhai sits along the southwestern bank of China’s Pearl River. It’s oldest area, known today as the Xiangzhou district, began as a small fishing village. The two characters used to write Xiangzhou in Chinese mean “fragrant” and “islet,” respectively. “Islet” likely refers to the land this village occupies among the tributaries flowing into the Pearl River Delta. For decades, if not centuries, these fishermen, perhaps a few nearby farmers, and their families cultivated a place in the heart of Southern China. Souls were born here, they fished, married, raised new generations of fishermen, and finally died and …show more content…
Historical figures, such as _______, hailed from here; and Matteo Ricci, the first Jesuit missionary to China, traversed through this region. Today, in China, churches are commonly described as either state sanctioned, Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM, “government”) churches or “house” churches, which are non-sanctioned, and as such are often also described as “underground” churches. These labels may be helpful to distinguish between the main two types of status a church may hold, but they are a bit of a misnomer. Government churches are not exactly endorsed or promoted by the government, but are rather registered with the government, and while this status provides a bit of legal protection, TSPM churches also fall under a great deal of government oversight. Both their leadership and the messages they propagate typically require government approval. House churches, on the other hand, do often meet in homes, but this is not always the case. Some house churches, particularly in areas where the local governments are more tolerant of free, religious expression, will rent out large ball rooms in local hotels to hold their gatherings. Such tolerance from local officials has not historically extended to …show more content…
This is considered typical in many areas, though the frequency of such actions will vary from province to province, and even city to city. TSPM churches and house churches have both dotted the Christian landscape in this prefecture-level city. Although openly attending the state-sanctioned gatherings at the TSPM churches is often considered more convenient and safe, many believers still prefer to attend the house churches. In 2006, Lucy, a worshiper from Zhuhai, describing why she would rather go to a house church, was reported as having “said she was more comfortable with the ‘family feeling’ she has at her underground Zhuhai house church.” Lucy continued her description of the environment for the house church she
Fragrant to the glory of god
Part One: Description of Context
Introduction
God’s Word tells us, “ Zhuhai sits along the southwestern bank of China’s Pearl River. It’s oldest area, known today as the Xiangzhou district, began as a small fishing village. The two characters used to write Xiangzhou in Chinese mean “fragrant” and “islet,” respectively. “Islet” likely refers to the land this village occupies among the tributaries flowing into the Pearl River Delta. For decades, if not centuries, these fishermen, perhaps a few nearby farmers, and their families cultivated a place in the heart of Southern China. Souls were born here, they fished, married, raised new generations of fishermen, and finally died and …show more content…
Historical figures, such as _______, hailed from here; and Matteo Ricci, the first Jesuit missionary to China, traversed through this region. Today, in China, churches are commonly described as either state sanctioned, Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM, “government”) churches or “house” churches, which are non-sanctioned, and as such are often also described as “underground” churches. These labels may be helpful to distinguish between the main two types of status a church may hold, but they are a bit of a misnomer. Government churches are not exactly endorsed or promoted by the government, but are rather registered with the government, and while this status provides a bit of legal protection, TSPM churches also fall under a great deal of government oversight. Both their leadership and the messages they propagate typically require government approval. House churches, on the other hand, do often meet in homes, but this is not always the case. Some house churches, particularly in areas where the local governments are more tolerant of free, religious expression, will rent out large ball rooms in local hotels to hold their gatherings. Such tolerance from local officials has not historically extended to …show more content…
This is considered typical in many areas, though the frequency of such actions will vary from province to province, and even city to city. TSPM churches and house churches have both dotted the Christian landscape in this prefecture-level city. Although openly attending the state-sanctioned gatherings at the TSPM churches is often considered more convenient and safe, many believers still prefer to attend the house churches. In 2006, Lucy, a worshiper from Zhuhai, describing why she would rather go to a house church, was reported as having “said she was more comfortable with the ‘family feeling’ she has at her underground Zhuhai house church.” Lucy continued her description of the environment for the house church she