Gaps Exist in the Gospel of Chinese Evangelicals, Hong Kong Pastor Says
A pastor in Hong Kong recently presented a critique of the understanding of the gospel by the Chinese evangelical church. There has been a lack of emphasis on the Lordship of God. In his opinion, this gap in understanding of the gospel was seen to be associated with the present lack of regard to social-political involvement in Chinese churches.
This presentation, given over video conference call on May 1 2020, was titled “The Distance Between Us and the Gospel” (我們與福音的距離), with a subtitle of “A View of the Mishaps in the Gospel Theology in the Chinese Church from the Lausanne Covenant” (從《洛桑信約》檢視華人教會福音神學的錯失). A summary of the presentation given is available at the Hong Kong Christian Times (時代論壇) publication, this article translates the major points presented there to English. [1]
Presenter Rev. Leo Kwan (關浩然牧師) is the senior pastor of Evangelize China Fellowship Tsim Sha Tsui Canaan (基督教中國佈道會尖沙咀迦南堂). The presentation was moderated by Douglas Reng Fu Wang (王礽福) of China Alliance Press in Hong Kong and attended by approximately 35 individuals. It was presented for Glorious Worship Ministry (榮光敬拜事工) church and open for attendance to the general public, in light of the ongoing public unrest in Hong Kong.
Kwan traced through the relevant history of the Lausanne Movement of 1974, followed by the history of CCCOWE (Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelism) of 1976 which was inspired by it. Comparing the contents of the original English version of the Lausanne Movement covenant document to its Chinese language version and the CCCOWE declaration statement, Kwan highlighted significant differences. In particular, the CCCOWE declaration statement treats sociopolitical involvement and concern for justice merely as subsidiary.
Near the heart of the issue in the CCCOWE statement is a definition of the gospel that fails to be appropriately concerned for the Lordship of God, overly emphasizing individual salvation instead. Kwan observed a tendency for churches to make pleas to governmental powers in securing leniency towards the church for evangelism, but overlooking social-political injustice.
This critique may still reflect the current situation in Chinese churches in Hong Kong and elsewhere, since CCCOWE remains representative of many Chinese evangelicals today.
References
高思憫. “從《洛桑信約》檢視華人教會福音觀 關浩然：信徒應在不義世界傳揚上帝公義.” 時代論壇, 5 May 2020, https://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=161960&Pid=102&Version=0&Cid=2141&Charset=big5_hkscs.