The Family Church    (House Churches)

The Family Church (also known as the house churches or underground church) is made up of unregistered assemblies of Christians, which operate independently of the Chinese government sanctioned Three Self Patriotic Movement. (TSPM) 

During the Cultural Revolution, 1966 to 1976, religion in China was effectively banned, including even the TSPM which had been formed shortly after the People's Republic of China had been established. During that time only two to five people could gather together. All Christian worship was forced underground and the House Church phenomenon began and rapidly grew under years of acute persecution. Estimates of those killed for their faith go into the millions.  

China opened to the west in 1973.

China's ruling Communist Party China is officially atheist. It's stand against the unregistered churches is also derived from a fear that uncontrolled gatherings may lead to social disorder and could evolve to mass mobilization of believers.

This is an understandable concern given the decades of strife and civil war suffered prior to forming a unified People's Republic of China.

One of the most well-known Christian leaders in China, Pastor Lin Xiangao (known to many as Samuel Lamb), was known to have said that the more the church suffers, the more it grows. “More persecution, more growth,” he told them, using his own church as an example of this truth. “Each time I was taken into prison, the church grew.” 



REASONS TO BELONG TO THE FAMILY CHURCH

  • Introduced to a Family Church through friends.

  • They are Chinese Communist Party members that are hiding their Christian beliefs.
    Party members must be atheist to belong. 
  • Church goers are required by law to register with the TSPM. Belonging to the Communist Party provides better work opportunities. State employees such as teachers, soldiers, police and politicians must belong to the Communist Party. 

  • They like the fact that there is no central church hierarchy with humanistic, doctrinal or political leaning.

  • Or they may object to the following rules governing the Three Self churches:
  • The Communist Party has the final decision on who can preach and what can be  preached.
  • Preaching should focus on the social rules and the social benefits of Christianity.
  • Preaching about resurrection and the second coming of Jesus is forbidden.
  • Preaching against religions that deny the deity of Jesus is forbidden.
  • Preaching that atheist communist heroes went to hell is forbidden
  • Preaching against abortion is forbidden.
  • Children and teenagers under 18 cannot be instructed in any form of religion.
  • Preachers can only preach at their assigned church.
  • The Communist Party is the head of the church in China
  • Pastors are trained at seminaries overseen by the Communist Party.
  • The Communist Party decides how many people can be baptized per year.