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Relating to the World Day of Prayer

The church in China has gradually renewed and established ties with the ecumenical family, including the International Committee of the World Day of Prayer (ICWDP). In 1990 two young Chinese women, both theological students, were invited to attend an ICWDP meeting held in Jamaica. Encouraged and inspired by the 4th World Conference on Women sponsored by the United Nations and held in Beijing in 1995, the Commissioin on Women's Work joined the celebration of the World Day of Prayer activities for the first time that year. Through the organizing effort and participation in activities related to World Day of Prayer, Church women in China have gained an ecumenical dimension in global concerns and spiritual transformation.

The World Day of Prayer intentionally creates space for women to explore their capacities for participation in the work of the church. In many places in China, this is really something new. For example, one of the chrches in Beijing maintains a former "Little Flock" tradition, which is an indigenous expression of Christianity in China. The Little Flock requires women to be silent in the church and does not accept women in leadership roles equal to those of men in its Sunday services. Last year the women's committee of the Beijing Christian Council decided to hold the World Day of Prayer service in this particular Little Flock church, since all churches in Beijing had agreed to take turns in hosting this event. For the first time women were standing in the chancel of this former Little Flock sanctuary, leading the service of worship, preaching the sermon, conducting Holy Communion and distributing the bread and wine. All were done by women, who in that particular church had been excluded from participating in such leadership roles. Quite visibly on that day women's gifts became visible and were recognized. Women's self-confidence and self-esteem had been elevated.

Through the organizing effort and participation in the activities related to the World Day of Prayer, the national Commission on Women's Work has to work more closely with women in local churches, thus facilitating the establishment of women's committees on all levels of the church in China. Up to now 24 out of 29 provincial church councils have set up their own women's committees or liaison offices on women's affairs. The World Day of Prayer is a significant bridge for Chinese church women to connect with sisters in the ecumenical family. As the majority of women in the Chinese church live in rural, and even remote parts of China, their faith is sincere and uncomplicated. Although they may not be able to fully understand the outside world, through the WDP service and background material written each year by women of a different country, we in China come to learn about the concerns and about the church in other parts of the world. Chinese church women today are more aware of some of the issues and problems shared by sisters in the church worldwide.

Transformation of the Church

The ten years of turmoil of the Cultural Revolution brough great disaster and persecution to the church. After surviving that fiasco, the church moved from the valley of the shadow of death into an intensive period of spiritual healing and physical restoration. Since 1979 the church has been in one long process of recovery, rehabilitation and restructuring. There is need for constructing its thinking (a theological task) as well as its buildings, all the while witnessing to its Lord through evangelism and worship. Quite understandably the church finds it more important and urgent to address the logistical and administrative tasks than other pressing issues, such as the position of women in the church. In short, women's concerns enjoy no priority in the agenda in the Chinese church. Feminist theology is a rarity for seminaries to consider. Only one out of 18 seminaries offers a course in theology from the perspective of women. Although churches in the West have discussed feminist theology at great length and published numerous books on the subject, feminist theology as such is still hardly heard of, let alone mentioned, in the world of Chinese theology.

After the church service in Suzhou, 1987

Today one of our biggest problems and perhaps the saddest, is that after thousands of years of subjugation and conditioning, many women in China, including those in the church, still accept the notion that women are inferior to men. Therefore, the greatest challenge is for the women themselves to recognize their own potential and gifts, to participate and contribute fully in the church and in society. As the China Christian Council is launching a church-wide effort of "Constructing Chinese Theological Thinking," Christian women in China can take full advantage of this nation-wide opportunity to explore biblical and theological bases for gender equality in the church. My personal experience thus far has convinced me that the struggle of Christian women for equality in the church and in Chinese society is a complex task beyond my earlier imagination. This struggle is an ongoing one. It is a slow, step-by-step process which demands of us patience, endurance and encouragement from others. I also hope that through our participation in this great assembly we can together develop an enlightened theological understanding that will support each other in our common struggle for equality of all people under God.