CCSM-NZ

About Us

Our History

Chinese Church Support Ministries (CCSM) began in 1986. The founder of the ministry, Ross Paterson, had been called to China while a student in Cambridge in 1962 and his missionary career by spending ten years in Taiwan, learning Mandarin Chinese and working mainly with students.

In 1979 China began to open her borders to the outside world after the Cultural Revolution. Ross, now married to Christine and with one daughter, began to serve China directly, first of all from the UK then from Asia.

The mandate – to serve and support:

“Be a reporter for us,” said the house church leader Ross met on his first trip to China in 1983. Ross took that as his initial mandate from the Lord – to raise in the West awareness of China's needs and to prompt intercessory prayer. At this time very little was known about the church in China.

A further plea came on that same first visit to China. "We desperately need books and sound foundational teaching.” Again, by taking Derek Prince’s radio ministry and books into China, together with translation and printing, Ross sought to meet that request. But very soon it became clear that China needed more, and so CCSM was born, beginning to print materials for the believers – and at that time hand-carry Bibles and those books into China from outside.

Originally based in England, CCSM has grown to include branches across the world and is active in many areas of ministry to the Chinese believers.

Board of Advisors

We are delighted to be able to call on the wisdom and advice of our Board of Advisors, who share their considerable experience with the leadership of CCSM.

Rev Canon Mark Bailey – Mark is the Lead Pastor at Holy Trinity Church, Cheltenham, UK.

Rod and Ruthie Gilbert – Rod and Ruthie bring a wealth of experience in Mission for over 30 years. Rod’s previous assignment was as Principal of Trinity College, Sri Lanka, Principal of Hebron School, India and they are currently the pastoral couple for Mission Life Coaching at Bethany Ministries, Hong Kong.

Rev Jim Graham – Jim is currently Pastor Emeritus, Goldhill Baptist Church, London having served as a minister in that church for over 40 years. Jim is a regular speaker at Spring Harvest, UK.

Peter and Shirly Ling – Peter and Shirly bring a substantial experience from the business community. Peter as a retired senior lawyer within a multinational oil company, Shirly as a business woman in her own right. Peter and Shirly are based in the UK and in Asia.

Chris and Jan Mungeam – Chris and Jan founded Sovereign World, a successful Christian Publishing House in 1986 and remain involved with that business as joint President. Chris and Jan are based in the UK.

Max Palmer – Max is a founder and director of Life Resources, a Christian resource company in New Zealand. He is also a director at Natural Church Development , New Zealand.

Jackie Pullinger MBE – Jackie is known around the world as founder and director of the St Stephen’s society, Hong Kong.

Rev Yang Tuck Yoong – Yang Tuck Yoong is the founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Community Church, Singapore.

Policy Statement

The object of CCSM New Zealand is to serve support and strengthen the church in China.

We have no other agenda. China is an amazing country. We support the government of China and commend the massive advances they are making to improve the lives of their people.

We will never comment on Chinese politics or international relations nor on social issues that are not our business.

We believe that Christianity has a beneficial role to play in modern China led by local believers. We offer our support as it is requested.

We want to make the name of Jesus known so that Chinese people can choose to follow his teaching if they wish.

Statement of Faith

AS A CHRISTIAN MINISTRY, AM/CCSM HOLDS TO THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT OF FAITH:

1.1. That God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one God in three Persons, revealed to mankind through the Holy Bible, which is God's inspired Word, and has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct for Christians;

1.2. That Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, is God's only-begotten Son, and, that being both fully human and fully divine, He exemplified the Kingdom of God through His life and ministry on earth, and the increase of His Kingdom shall have no end;

1.3. That God created the universe, and he created mankind in His own likeness and image so that we could relate with Himself, but since the fall of Adam and Eve, all mankind is universally sinful, and therefore subject to the condemnation and judgement of God with the punishment of eternal death. That God does not desire any person to die eternally, and so provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him and redeemed from this judgement.

1.4. That Jesus Christ freely gave himself to death upon the Cross, to redeem mankind; that He rose from the dead in triumph, for it was impossible for him to be held in its power, and is now seated at the right hand of God in majesty; that God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Jesus Christ, Who is the King of kings and Lord of lords;

1.5. That at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out into the world. He convicts people of sin and draws them through the love of God to repentance and new birth into the life of the risen Christ; that there is no other way for anyone to escape from eternal death and be reconciled to God; that Jesus Christ baptises in the Holy Spirit all who, through repentance, faith, love and obedience, put their trust in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, in Holy Spirit power and anointing to produce in us the gifts and the fruit of His Presence which empower us to be His witnesses and do His works here on earth;

1.6. That the Christian Church is the Body of Christ present in this world today, for which He prayed that the unity which he enjoys with His Father would be achieved with God, and so would draw people to Himself; that Jesus Christ shall come again in power and glory when the Church completes its task of taking the gospel to all peoples, and at that time all nations will be gathered before Christ for Him to judge the living and the dead in righteousness; that all people are to love God totally, love their neighbour as they love themselves, and put their faith into action;

1.7. That prayer is a God-given means of divine appointment between God and people, through which God achieves His gracious intentions on earth, and, ultimately, will fulfil His glorious purpose of presenting the Christian Church to His Son as a bride comprising people from every tribe, tongue and ethnic group on earth.

1.8. We believe that the Bible teaches that the Great Commission, the command of Jesus Christ to reach all nations and people groups with the Gospel, is central not peripheral to the churches life and mandate