Mindy Belz captures the heart of Pastor Ezra Jin’s vision for online worship (“Xi Is Watching as Chinese Christians Pray,” Houses of Worship, Oct 24). It is also worth noting that the Communist Party’s repression has fueled the church’s growth: Its seizure of Zion’s meeting space in 2018 forced the church to develop the online hybrid model that proved so successful during the country’s severe Covid lockdown and thereafter.
That is one example of a broader dynamic that has characterized Christianity since its earliest days and the Chinese church since Mao Zedong came to power. Necessity is the mother of invention, and this new wave of persecution will push the Chinese church toward greater dynamism even as it fights to survive—on or offline. The state’s oppression of church leaders simply aiming to worship their God and serve their society will further expose the hollowness of China’s state ideology and the living hope of Chinese Christians.