TERRITORY is a Chinese-language new media ministry founded by a married Christian couple who were formerly journalists in China. Founded in 2010, its WeChat public channel now ranks the top among all Chinese-language Christian WeChat ministries.
TERRITORY has been publishing a series of articles (in Chinese) on pastoral power abuse.
Since 2018, TERRITORY has been publishing a series of articles (in Chinese) on pastoral power abuse. Each article attracted between 10,000 and 30,000 readers—the topic was certainly a felt need among Chinese believers. Below are a few examples.
Power structures exist in the church because local houses of God on this earth are also human social institutions. In fact, it is especially in the church that a range of leadership gifts are endowed with overlapping layers of power: hierarchical power, theological power, emotional power, spiritual power, etc.
Churches are places with much higher doses of concentrated power than other places.
In other words, churches are places with much higher doses of concentrated power than other places of social interactions, such as workplace. This can help us understand why church leadership is prone to abuses of power and cover-ups.
Churches are also embedded in the political, economic, and cultural trends of the society that surrounds them. So the local culture may also influence the use of power in churches.
So power abuses in this scenario are really hard to expose and counter.
Take Chinese churches for example. There is a distinct difference between the level of authority enjoyed by pastors in mainland China and North American Chinese churches. Given the general authoritarian political culture in mainland China, churches grant more authority to their leaders. Believers tend to revere the servants of God in their midst. So power abuses in this scenario are really hard to expose and counter, because the congregants are generally trusting and submissive to church authorities.
There are of course situational and local variations beyond this general impression. Given the historical divide between state-sanctioned churches and unregistered house churches, believers in the latter group might consider leaders of the first category as not worthy of their reverence. Interestingly, it is within the growing house churches where one may find the most authoritarian leadership. State-sanctioned churches are often so busy following the government’s directives (for example, preaching sermons that mention loving China and its socialist values) that they generally do not exert much power over congregants.
Before the 2000s, female leadership was the norm.
In contrast, Chinese churches in North America generally have leadership structures that answer to the congregants, who are immersed in a more democratic American culture.
Demographic features, especially gender ratios, shape the power dynamics within a local Chinese church too. In mainland China, 60 to 80 percent of house church members are women. Before the 2000s, female leadership was the norm. But with the introduction of male-dominated theology and the conversion of male members who became leaders, churches are moving towards of elevating male headship, teaching the complementarian relationship between two genders, and discouraging females from leading the church.
When comparing ethnic Chinese churches with other churches in the US, the theological dimension plays an important role. Historically, most Chinese churches in North America had pietistic and fundamentalist roots. The great majority of Chinese churches in North America are independent, without denominational structures. So church governance tends to be done through a board of deacons (sometimes with elders). So it may appear that Chinese churches, usually with 50 to 100 members, have a flatter structure than other American churches in the broadly evangelical camp.
Historically, most Chinese churches in North America had pietistic and fundamentalist roots.
Sometimes it is a long-residing deacon in the church community that abuses his or her governing power over a pastor. These powerful local figures who like to terminate contracts with pastors are even given the name of “pastor-killers.” Consequently, there are Chinese churches run by deacons but without a long-term pastor for decades.
In recent years, a male-dominated version of Reformed theology has influenced an increasing number of house churches in mainland China. Some churches had domestication campaigns, discouraging women from pursuing their careers. Mothers with children under age six are encouraged to stay home with children and to care for their husbands’ needs. Women are taught to be submissive, not just to men in marriage, but to all male leaders in the church.
These powerful local figures are even given the name of “pastor-killers.”
Unfortunately, Western Christians tend to have a romanticized view of churches in China, thinking them as being persecuted and reviving. There are certainly faithful leaders and believers, but the dark side of power abuse is also a reality. The greatest crisis of the church is always from the inside. And there is an acute need for Chinese resources on this area.
Given the numeric growth of Christianity among the Chinese, churches’ conservative theology in general and authoritarian, patriarchal culture, the issue of power abuse by church leadership is a timely one.
How are power structures in your church shaped by the surrounding culture?
How are power structures in your church shaped by the surrounding culture? How is that positive or negative? These questions are worth reflecting on.
[Photo by Denny Ryanto on Unsplash]
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