Three-Self Patriotic Movement
Encyclopedia
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (officially , National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China; colloquially , the Three-Self Church) or TSPM is a state-controlled Protestant church in the People's Republic of China
. Known in combination with the China Christian Council
as the lianghui
(two organizations), they form the only state-sanctioned (registered) Protestant church in mainland China
. (See also: Protestantism in China
and Christianity in China
.)
, General Secretary of the Church Missionary Society from 1841–73, and Rufus Anderson
, foreign secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
. The principles were drafted formally during an 1892 conference in Shanghai
of Christian missions reflecting an almost unilateral agreement that the future of the Chinese church depended on the indigenization of the leadership, and the finding of sufficiently Chinese modes of worship. Dixon Edward Hoste
, head of the China Inland Mission
was known for putting the same principles into practice in the effort of assisting the Chinese to establish their own indigenous churches during the early 20th Century.
In 1951, a Cantonese Christian named Y. T. Wu
initiated the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, which promoted a strategy of 'self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation' in order to remove foreign influences from the Chinese churches and to assure the communist
government that the churches would be patriotic to the newly-established People's Republic of China. The 'Three-Self' is a characteristically Chinese way of abbreviating 'self-governance, self-support, self-propagation' . The movement began formally in 1954 and allowed the government to infiltrate, subvert, and control much of organized Christianity.
From 1966 to 1976 during the Cultural Revolution
, the expression of religious life in China was effectively banned, including even the TSPM. The growth of the Chinese house church
movement during this period was a result of all Chinese Christian worship being driven underground for fear of persecution. To counter this growing trend of "unregistered meetings", in 1979 the government officially restored the TSPM after thirteen years of non-existence, and in 1980 the CCC
was formed.
in 1993 there were 7 million members of the TSPM with 11 million affiliated, as opposed to an estimated 18 million and 47 million "unregistered" Protestant Christians respectively.
The attempt to bring house-church Christians into the fold of "registered" meeting places has met with mixed results.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Known in combination with the China Christian Council
China Christian Council
The China Christian Council or CCC was founded in 1980 as an umbrella organization for all Protestant churches in the People's Republic of China with Bishop K. H. Ting as its president. It works to provide theological education and the publication of Bibles , hymnals , and other religious...
as the lianghui
Lianghui
Lianghui is a common Mandarin Chinese abbreviation for the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference...
(two organizations), they form the only state-sanctioned (registered) Protestant church in mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
. (See also: Protestantism in China
Protestantism in China
Protestant Christianity entered China in the early 19th century, taking root in a significant way during the Qing Dynasty. Some historians consider the Taiping Rebellion to have been influenced by Protestant Christian teachings. Since the mid-20th century, there has been an increase in the number...
and Christianity in China
Christianity in China
Christianity in China is a growing minority religion that comprises Protestants , Catholics , and a small number of Orthodox Christians. Although its lineage in China is not as ancient as the institutional religions of Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism, and the social system and ideology of...
.)
History
The three principles of self-governance, self-support (i.e., financial independence from foreigners) and self-propagation (i.e., indigenous missionary work) were first articulated by Henry VennHenry Venn (Church Missionary Society)
Henry Venn , was an Anglican clergyman who is recognised as one of the foremost Protestant missions strategists of the nineteenth century. He was an outstanding administrator who served as honorary secretary of the Church Missionary Society from 1841 to 1873...
, General Secretary of the Church Missionary Society from 1841–73, and Rufus Anderson
Rufus Anderson
Rufus Anderson was an American minister who spent several decades organizing overseas missions.-Life:Rufus Anderson was born in North Yarmouth, Maine, on August 17, 1796. His father, also named Rufus Anderson, was Congregationalist pastor of the church in North Yarmouth. His mother was Hannah...
, foreign secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was the first American Christian foreign mission agency. It was proposed in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College and officially chartered in 1812. In 1961 it merged with other societies to form the United Church Board for World...
. The principles were drafted formally during an 1892 conference in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
of Christian missions reflecting an almost unilateral agreement that the future of the Chinese church depended on the indigenization of the leadership, and the finding of sufficiently Chinese modes of worship. Dixon Edward Hoste
Dixon Edward Hoste
Dixon Edward Hoste was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China and the longest lived of the Cambridge Seven and successor to James Hudson Taylor as General Director of the China Inland Mission, ....
, head of the China Inland Mission
China Inland Mission
OMF International is an interdenominational Protestant Christian missionary society, founded in Britain by Hudson Taylor on 25 June 1865.-Overview:...
was known for putting the same principles into practice in the effort of assisting the Chinese to establish their own indigenous churches during the early 20th Century.
In 1951, a Cantonese Christian named Y. T. Wu
Y. T. Wu
Wu Yao-tsung , a Christian leader in China, was the founder of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. He has played an important role in the theology of K. H. Ting.-His life:...
initiated the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, which promoted a strategy of 'self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation' in order to remove foreign influences from the Chinese churches and to assure the communist
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
government that the churches would be patriotic to the newly-established People's Republic of China. The 'Three-Self' is a characteristically Chinese way of abbreviating 'self-governance, self-support, self-propagation' . The movement began formally in 1954 and allowed the government to infiltrate, subvert, and control much of organized Christianity.
From 1966 to 1976 during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, the expression of religious life in China was effectively banned, including even the TSPM. The growth of the Chinese house church
Chinese house church
Chinese house churches are a religious movement of unregistered assemblies of Christians in the People's Republic of China, which operate independently of the government-run Three-Self Patriotic Movement and China Christian Council for Protestant groups and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic...
movement during this period was a result of all Chinese Christian worship being driven underground for fear of persecution. To counter this growing trend of "unregistered meetings", in 1979 the government officially restored the TSPM after thirteen years of non-existence, and in 1980 the CCC
China Christian Council
The China Christian Council or CCC was founded in 1980 as an umbrella organization for all Protestant churches in the People's Republic of China with Bishop K. H. Ting as its president. It works to provide theological education and the publication of Bibles , hymnals , and other religious...
was formed.
in 1993 there were 7 million members of the TSPM with 11 million affiliated, as opposed to an estimated 18 million and 47 million "unregistered" Protestant Christians respectively.
Doctrine
The TSPM is not a denomination, and denominational distinctions do not exist within the organization. Pastors are trained at one of only thirteen officially sanctioned seminaries. Current theological emphasis is on "a protection and promotion of the five basic tenets of Christian faith - the Trinity, Christ being both human and God, the Virgin Birth, Death and Resurrection and the Second Coming."The attempt to bring house-church Christians into the fold of "registered" meeting places has met with mixed results.
Controversies
There have also been allegations of regular and systematic persecution against Christians associated with the House Church movement and other unregistered Christian organizations in China. The attitude of the government towards unregistered Christian organizations differs regionally, however, with some regions restricting their activities more vigorously and other regions treating such organizations similarly with the official Three-Self churches. Nevertheless, since the 1960s, the government of China has been more wary of the international repercussions of persecuting Christians.Standing Committee of the TSPM
- Chairperson
- Fu Xianwei
- Secretary General
- Xu Xiaohong