Growing The Faith in China: Leading Across Generations
The Outreach Foundation is pleased with our partnership in China. Our approach involves showing up where and when the official church can host us, expanding our partnership with the Amity Foundation, and encouraging the next generation of Chinese Christian leaders both in China and abroad.
The following story comes from Christian Communications Ltd. (CCL). While based in Hong Kong, the team works alongside the church and its seminaries, Bible colleges, and lay training centers throughout China.
Thirty-year-old Pastor Z is a fourth-generation leader in China’s rapidly changing church. He oversees college ministry in a congregation where older pastors and faithful members sit on one side and eager young believers—digital natives born in the 1990s—on the other.
Z feels caught in the middle, a “sandwiched” servant trying to honor the past while preparing for the future. The older generation, shaped by the Cultural Revolution and rural hardships, taught him obedience and sacrifice. They rose at dawn for prayer, prioritized the church above personal comfort, and gave everything in quiet faithfulness. Their example moves Pastor Z deeply. But it also weighs on him. Their emphasis on individual diligence and heroism can seem impossible to match. Their loving concern sometimes crosses into excessive control—questions about marriage, family, and lifestyle that leave younger leaders feeling smothered rather than supported.
Pastor Z’s generation sees the world differently. Flooded with global information through the internet, they value teamwork, innovation, social responsibility, and mental health. They ask how Scripture speaks to these new realities and sometimes question past teachings. Their loyalty is shown in creative ministries and a desire to weave faith into careers and community life; in short, they want an integrated faith.
The next younger generation presents an even greater challenge. These digital natives live in the metaverse and on social media. They absorb vast amounts of information instantly yet struggle to focus or discern what truly matters. Reaching them means connecting their mindset with strong theological roots, teaching proven church leadership tools, and understanding mission in their context. Shepherding them requires fresh wisdom, not just traditional calls to obedience.
Pastor Z does not resent the elders—he respects their hard work and worries for their well-being, and he longs for them to “let go” just enough to give the next generation room to grow. He knows that simply preaching faith and duty is no longer enough. Intergenerational mentorship is essential yet putting it into practice amid China’s complex realities remains difficult. Bridging this generational gap in China, which is both complex and eager for the gospel, is where faithful partners can make a lasting difference.
Our recent visit to China
In November 2025, The Outreach Foundation team traveled through Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, and Beijing to strengthen long-standing partnerships and encourage brothers and sisters serving under increasing pressure. We deepened our collaboration with the Amity Foundation by participating in its Second International Charity Table Tennis Tournament and 40th Anniversary celebration, reaffirming our shared commitments to Bible ministry, charitable outreach, and people-to-people exchange. Equally meaningful, we spent extended time with local believers—sharing tea fellowship, learning from the “Kitchen of Love” mercy ministry that serves families facing serious illness, and listening to young adult leaders and Christian professionals who continue to witness with quiet courage and wisdom.
Overall, the trip reminded us that the church in China remains resilient and hopeful, and that faithful presence and long-term relationships continue to matter deeply.
Closer to home: working through technology for the diaspora and beyond
Bin Wang, our China Mission Specialist, actively advances creative and faithful ministry efforts on multiple fronts. He sustains online Bible studies, prayer gatherings, and leadership conversations via Zoom, maintaining vital connections despite travel limitations. Closer to home, Bin nurtures a bilingual fellowship for Chinese immigrants at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston and partners with The Outreach Foundation. He and his family are also developing neighborhood outreach – including prayer, hospitality, and an early ESL ministry – while collaborating with a Chinese church in Chinatown through prayer and targeted outreach.
This summer, Bin will facilitate a theological symposium in Malaysia, fostering reflection and dialogue among Chinese and American church leaders. Through online and local efforts, Bin exemplifies a dedicated commitment to serving Chinese communities worldwide with quiet purpose and faithfulness.
Your next step
Please pray for Pastor Z and his vital work in difficult provinces of the mainland, for our trusted partner CCL and its teams across the mainland, for a successful symposium in Malaysia, for safe travels, and for security for everyone involved. Also pray for Bin Wang’s growing ministry among the Chinese Diaspora.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Please prayerfully consider supporting this effort with a gift, such as $150 to provide a complete theological library for graduates like Pastor Z. You may make a gift by sending a check to the address below with the partner name “CCL” in the memo or you can donate on the GIVE page of our website.
