EMQ » July–September 2021 » Volume 57 Issue 3
Edited by Tabor Laughlin
Resource Publications, 2020
164 pages
US$19.00
Reviewed by Mark A. Strand, professor, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota.
China’s Harvest Fields has arrived at a critical time for ministry in China. Since 2012, the space within which the Christian church can exist in China has shrunk considerably. This has made ministry for expatriates in China particularly difficult and forced them to pursue new roles. The contributing authors to China’s Harvest Fields introduce just such an array of ministry opportunities for expatriate Christians in China.
Edited by Tabor Laughlin, who has ten years of experience ministering in China through English teaching, the book includes 12 chapters written by eleven authors, all with extensive ministry experience in China. The wide variety of topics covered include urban ministry, theological education, social service ministries, orphan care, business, English teaching, prolife ministry, and cross-cultural ministry to non-Han Chinese people within China. Each chapter combines personal experiences with information from external sources, thus providing both passion and depth of knowledge. Although some of the contributors are ethnically Chinese, this book represents ministry in China as seen from an expatriate perspective. This perspective is helpful for individuals who are new to China but works that provide insights from the perspective of Chinese nationals should also be consulted.
As with any edited volume, the chapters vary in depth of treatment. The chapter on spiritual growth and discipleship by Doyle is twenty pages long with eighty-seven references, while the chapter on English teaching by Laughlin is five pages long with no references. Some chapters are highly personal, such as Ensor’s chapter on abortion, and others are written in a more academic format, such as Kaiser’s chapter on social service ministries. Regardless of the wide range of styles (and a few proofreading issues), readers wanting to get a personal and in-depth understanding of the breadth of ministry opportunities for expatriates working in China will not be disappointed.
For Further Reading
Li, Ma. Surviving the State, Remaking the Church: A Sociological Portrait of Christians in Mainland China. Studies in Chinese Christianity. Pickwick Publications, 2017.
Fulton, Brent. China’s Urban Christians: A Light That Cannot be Hidden. Pickwick Publications, 2015.
Johnson, Ian. The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao. Pantheon Books, 2017.
