The following is a guest post by Ryan Black, coordinator of marketing and communication for ChinaSource .

On October 1st, the People’s Republic of China celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding in 1949.

Brent Whitefield has written an article entitled “Chinese Protestants and the West Since 1949” that is very helpful in understanding what transpired with the church in China during these 60 years. There was little communication with the West during the years of Mao Zedong’s communist reign, so many began to wonder “whether there remained a Chinese church to speak of.”

Despite the oppression, the church “had not only survived but had grown” during this time into a prominent position in Chinese society and the worldwide church in general:

Poised to dispatch legions of missionaries to the world, some to take on the re-evangelization of the West, the Christians are asking: “What can China do for Christianity?”

How did this growth take place?

You can read Brent Whitefield’s article and a host of others at ChinaSource’s new site. Visit to learn about China and connect with others interested in China.

ChinaSource is a partnering organization dedicated to serving those who serve China. They provide analysis on current China-related issues through their publications while also informing, networking, and mobilizing individuals and organizations through their events.