Church in the Wilderness Study Guide
This free 12-page study guide accompanies the article Church in the Wilderness: A Message to the Global Church from a House Church Pastor. It includes:
An Introduction
An Outline and Summary of the Article
A Response by KA Ellis
Discussion Questions for Classrooms and Study Groups
From the Introduction:
Main Idea: This article looks at what we can learn from the Chinese house church about surviving as a church on the margins of society and enduring even persecution and hardship. A house church pastor examines the 70-year legacy of the Chinese house church, drawing out what we can learn from its example as well as what can be corrected.
About the Author: Paul Peng is a pastor and former publisher in one of China's top cities. He has spent much of his career studying church history and creating theological resources for the church in China.
Background: The house church began when roughly half of Chinese Christians refused to submit to the religious authority of the Chinese Community Party after it came to power in 1949. As a result, through the 1950s and 1960s, many Christians suffered in labor camps, experiencing torture and death. Their faith in the midst of persecution brought forth one of the fastest growing churches in world history, growing to an estimated 70-80 million Christians by the end of the 20th century.
