That growth has continued to this day, in spite of dungeon, fire and sword. A great multitude which no man can number has come out of great tribulation, having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

It would never have happened if colonial missionaries had remained in China. The Christian faith was known as "the foreigners’ religion." Few Chinese would work for it. Few would die for it. Theater-style churches were propped up everywhere by foreign support and supervision.

But now a new day has dawned. It has been 50 years since colonial church operations were closed down in China. A billion Chinese have grown up during these years having no recollection of the colonial foreigners. Christian faith no longer carries the stigma of being a western religion imported by “foreign devils.” And the flow of new believers into the churches, estimated to be 20,000 souls a day, is without parallel in church history.

But, sadly, most churches in America have been left out of this marvelous work of God. Instead of getting behind our fellow believers in China and helping them financially, our churches are still living in the past, trying to hang on to obsolete 19th century traditions that should have been phased out 50 years go.

I visited a Presbyterian church recently that was celebrating "missions emphasis week." Their total concern was still to send out "their missionaries" to foreign countries. Their "China focus" was especially sad: No one expressed a word about possibly helping our fellow believers financially as they work around the clock setting up Bible institutes and missionary training centers in China. Instead these denominational Christians expressed interest only in two women from their church who had managed to "get in" to China as teachers of English. And another who had managed to "get in" as an exchange professor. Never mind that they had signed an agreement saying they wouldn’t "propagate their religion" in China. Or that their every activity would be tracked and followed by the Chinese FBI. Or that their presence would be an embarrassment to Chinese believers and bring interrogation by police if they tried to visit with local Christians.

Bob Finley Founder, CAM

Why can’t we turn loose our 19th Century traditions? Why don’t we give up our colonial mentality? There is no precedent in the New Testament for the "send out your missionaries" approach. Rather, God’s Word says that all true believers are one body in Christ and every one members one of another. If some members of His body suffer needs, those who have more should share in meeting those needs. As God leads us to further the cause of Christ in China we should send financial help to our fellow believers who are there. Trying to go ourselves is likely to make things more difficult for them, and hinder more than help in furtherance of the faith.

It’s time for an entirely new approach to foreign missions. I urge pastors and churches everywhere to discontinue our insistence on sending our representatives to invade foreign countries and cultures. Instead, let’s get behind our fellow believers who are already there, and help them financially to carry out their God given ministries among their own people.