Does China still need our help to meet its Bible needs?

Whenever I’m asked this question, I respond with a resounding “Yes!”

Here are my top 5 reasons for why American Bible Society continues to work with the Chinese Church to provide the hope of God’s Word to millions of believers.

1. The Chinese Church is growing rapidly.

   The Church in China continues to grow at near-exponential rates, and there are simply not enough Bibles to meet demand.

   On average, 400,000 new baptized believers join the Church each year and have done so for the past five years. This is the official number from the registered Church in China, the China Christian Council/Three-Self Patriotic Movement. This does not include the scores of people who join the unregistered Church.

   Conservative estimates put the number of Chinese Christians at 100 million. Yet only 60 million Bibles have been printed for the Church in China at Amity Printing Company since 1987.

   So if we do the math, we see that demand far exceeds supply. That’s why American Bible Society works in concert with our partners to get God’s Word where it’s needed most.

2. Christians are the minority in China.

   Although nearly 100 million Christians live in China, this number comprises only about 8 percent of the total population, which hovers at 1.3 billion people. China is still largely unreached by God’s Word.

   Our mission is to make the Bible available in a language and format each can understand and afford so that all may experience its life-changing message. Considering numbers alone, that mission has never been more relevant.

3. Rural Christians can’t afford Bibles.

   Despite great advances in poverty reduction, nearly 128 million Chinese people exist on less than $1.80 a day. Seventy percent of Chinese Christians live in rural areas where poverty is much more prevalent. The cost of a Bible is still prohibitive for them, and access to distribution sites is not easy.

   ABS leads efforts to support the printing of affordable Bibles, in partnership with other Bible societies and the Chinese Church. About 1 million to 3 million Bibles are produced through this partnership each year. Our target is not highly urbanized areas where Christians can buy Bibles. Rather, it’s rural areas where people don’t have the money to afford God’s Word.

4. China influences the world.

   China is growing in influence largely because of its economic impact on the world. As its wealth and power increase, China will influence the world even more than it already does. There is no better time than now to equip our brothers and sisters with biblical tools, resources and training for future leadership.

5. China opens doors to ministry.

   We have an unprecedented opportunity to reach Christian leaders who oversee millions of believers. We must use this opportunity prayerfully, wisely and effectively.

   The Church in China needs more biblically trained pastors and lay leaders, family ministries, and children and youth outreach, just to name a few. The Bible speaks to all these issues, and we will remain a friend of the Chinese church as they continue to invite us to come alongside them.