Baptist Do Best as the Persecuted Church



I recently spent two months in China and noticed the power of the Christian church. I noticed something else. Most Chinese Christians organize their ministries and churches in a Baptist sort of way. By that I mean they have no hierarchy. They do not want or need several layers of church bureaucracy sitting over them. And each individual Christian is expected to study the Bible for himself and let it alone be his guide in living the Christian life.

And I noticed one more thing. The Baptist way of governing the church is perfect for those areas that are under persecution. A hostile government decapitates a hierarchical church. But with the Baptist way of organizing church there is no head to chop off. Each congregation is self-governed. And so is each Christian. He is expected to read the Bible, interpret it for himself, and do what it says.

The communist government of China can control a lot of things—the economy, the internet, banking and finance, and a host of other activities. But it cannot control the individual conscience. That stands alone before God and is out of the reach of Beijing.