Editor’s note: As China opens its border to the world and resumes international flights, many foreign organizations and ministries are coming back to China. Dr. Gene Wood, founder of Word4Asia, which dedicates itself to providing consulting to non-profit organizations to help them achieve their purposes in China and Southeast Asia, and his team visited China in early April. In this interview, he shared about his recent trip, how his firm wishes to build bridges of understanding, and his observations about the church in China.
China Christian Daily: Can you introduce yourself and your organization to us?
Dr. Gene Wood: I’m an Evangelical Christian from the United States, and I was a senior pastor for 30 years. Many of the national leaders have been in my pulpit to bring greetings. In 2011, I resigned as the pastor of a local church, and since then I have worked full-time with Word4Asia Consulting International.
Word4Asia is a for-profit consulting firm registered in the United States to help non-profit organizations achieve their purposes in China and Southeast Asia. The word in our logo refers to God’s Word, so we want to help clients who have an interest in the Word of God. The number 4 defines our guiding principles. 1) Our clients must be willing to work legally, following the principles and regulations of the PRC. 2) Our work endeavors to include, when possible, the rural areas of China where they have the least affordability and accessibility. 3) Our work should be highly verified, giving all involved confidence in the integrity of the work. 4) Our efforts are always free to the people in China.
To ensure legality, we monitor written policies and maintain a good relationship with CCC&TSPM and the officials. We helped chair the first China Bible Exhibition in the United States and hosted delegations from China in the USA when requested. I've been honored to know three generations of leaders in the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA, now renamed the “National Religious Affairs Administration”) and four generations of CCC&TSPM leadership dating back to Dr. Han Wenzao.
China Christian Daily: What kind of services does your organization provide for Christian organizations in the Western world?
Dr. Gene Wood: It's important for me and my clients to understand that it's the Christians in China that do ministry in China. Let me share an anecdote. Years ago, there was a leader in the national TSPM office in Shanghai named Deng Fucun. When I was much younger, I was talking with Rev. Deng, and I stated brashly, “I just want to help the churches in China!” He sat back in his chair and replied, “Dr. Wood, the churches in China don’t need your help. But if you wish to serve the churches in China, we welcome that.” Since that time, Word4Asia has attempted to serve the churches in China. We are trying to meet the needs of the churches in China that express their needs and ask for support.
I want every Chinese Christian to have a Bible that is legally printed in China. I would like for every teacher, elder, pastor, or whoever is in the pulpit, whether in small churches and meeting points or in big churches, to have sufficient study tools and training so that they can teach the word of God in a way that creates a healthy Chinese church, and then those churches are able to make a valued contribution to a harmonious society. Thankfully, if leaders need study tools, there are many good ones printed legally in China today. Bibles are also available in China today. In some cases, the challenge may be affordability and accessibility.
China Christian Daily: What do your clients do to help China?
Dr. Gene Wood: Each of them has a different focus and set of priorities. Our firm has a non-disclosure agreement with our clients, so it is up to them to disclose and share their work. But many of them are concerned about the Bible’s availability and provide training and study tools for teachers and leaders. Often, we can help them achieve their objectives through relationships with the CCC/TSPM and official channels. Again, all our clients must agree to respect the policies and regulations of the PRC.
One thing I stress with clients is the critical importance of a low-key (低调) attitude. Not only is this appropriate in Chinese culture, but it also reflects the heart of Jesus.
We don't desire recognition or attention. We have a good relationship with the government and with TSPM, and we want to keep that. I strive to keep the focus on the work of the churches in China, because that's what the world needs to understand. There are an innumerable number of good Chinese leaders who are sacrificing greatly, loving the Lord, and growing evangelistic churches according to the law. This is a largely untold story. I appreciate what the China Christian Daily is doing to share this.
China Christian Daily: What are the difficulties your clients face, and how can your organization help them?
Dr. Gene Wood: If we’ve brought any value to the Body of Christ as a whole, with regards to foreign relationships and the church in China, it may be our story. I made a decision 25 years ago to work legally and openly in China.
I believe that God’s train is running today on two tracks in China: the registered church with which we work and some unregistered churches. Philippians 1:18 says, “Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.” We shouldn't be critical of each other. Officials in China are very aware of both. This is no secret.
What makes Word4Asia unique is the fact that we have chosen to work exclusively through the registered church. In 1998, I was the chair of a mission board in the United States. Most missions in the United States worked with unregistered churches. That's one reason the government had a view of Evangelicals. They assume that if we are Evangelicals, that means we will sneak around the country and cause headaches.
Dr. Han admonished me on my first visit to China. “If you are a Christian, act like one. Don’t say one thing and do another. Be honest. If you wish to work in China, come and ask.” I determined I would take him up on that challenge.
I advise our friends here in America that if you pretend you're working legally in China and you're not, you'll cause pain and heartache to the unregistered church leaders, and you'll lose your friends in the registered church in China. What we say should match what we do.
Part of friendship is being open and honest with one another. I think that's true between countries as well.
China Christian Daily: We know that you visited China in April and visited CCC and some seminaries; what were your takeaways from this trip?
Dr. Gene Wood: We enjoyed a VIP welcome in China. We were treated like old friends, from the national level to the cities. It was good to be back with our friends.
I think that in my three-year absence from China, it changed quite a bit. I think we need to be very careful about taking one quick trip into a country and then assuming we know everything. My focus is on the church, and I think the big question for the churches is going to be—what does “Sinicization” mean for them?
There were so many different answers to this question. Does it mean one thing to the government and another to the church? Does it mean one thing at the seminary level and another at the local level? I believe "Sinicization,” or Zhongguohua, is a topic we are all trying to understand and learn more about. I ask multiple questions while there to numerous groups. One example. Does sinicization mean a complete reinterpreting of the Bible to something completely different in China than what it means in France or Russia, or are we talking about the application of Biblical truth to fit a Chinese context? I think those are interesting discussions that the church in China is going to explore for the next couple of years.
China Christian Daily: You’ve visited China many times, and what do you think are the problems the Chinese church faces, and how can they solve these problems?
Dr. Gene Wood: That's too general of a question to allow me to give an intelligent answer. The challenges at the grassroots level in the countryside and the large city churches may be significantly different.
At the grassroots, perhaps a need exists for good Chinese study tools and for equipping and training lay preachers. Some of these preaching points in the past have had over 1,000 people in them. These aren't small churches. Volunteers carry a great deal of responsibility. For some, perhaps all they have is a Bible. They don't have a Bible atlas. The least we could do is give those committed local leaders one or two good study tools to help them in their sermon preparation. For example, a study Bible that has an atlas, so they know the difference between Nazareth and Nineveh; they just haven't had Chinese-authorized study tools. The absence of good material contributes to unhealthy teaching for the church and the Christians in China. For the big city churches with highly educated and capable pastors, it depends on where and who. No two situations are identical. I am confident they will or are figuring out what sinicization means and will adapt to continue leading their congregations well.
China Christian Daily: What do you think was the difference between the church in China before and after China adopted the zero-COVID policy?
Dr. Gene Wood: I don't think I changed my opinion at all about the church in China. Obviously, some of the big churches are still practicing social distancing even on Easter, but the ministry goes ahead. I heard some sermons that were powerful and encouraged the body to reach out and touch their community. The Bible warehouse at Amity Printing is full of Bibles waiting to be distributed. The leaders are ready to get back to work. I am concerned about some rural churches wondering when they can meet. Some of those pastors are having trouble financially, and that is something we can pray about.
China Christian Daily: Do you have any words for the church and Christians in China?
Dr. Gene Wood: Joshua 1:1–9. The admonition repeated three times is to “be strong and very courageous.” That would be my word to the church in China. Verse 8 says, “Let this word not depart from your mouth, but you should meditate on it, day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.” Be strong and courageous. Keep your Bible open; keep reading it, thinking about it, and doing what it says. If the church in China does that, it's going to be just fine.
随着国际航班的恢复，许多国外机构也恢复了和中国教会的实地交流。美国亚洲通国际咨询机构（Word4Asia）创始人金吾德（Gene Wood）博士及其团队于4月初访问中国，拜访中国基督教两会、金陵协和神学院、江苏神学院、南京爱德印刷有限公司等多家机构，互相交流沟通，并就圣经出版、发行和基督教中国化内涵等问题交流探讨。
金吾德博士是美国福音派基督徒，做了30年主任牧师。2011年辞去教会牧师的职务，全职在美国亚洲通国际咨询机构工作。在采访中，金吾德博士介绍了该机构的原则、所开展的工作以及为建立理解的桥梁所做的努力，分享了这次旅行的感受和他对中国教会的观察。
美国亚洲通国际咨询机构是一家在美国注册的营利性咨询公司，旨在帮助西方非营利组织在中国和东南亚实现其宗旨。金博士介绍，“Word4Asia”中的“Word”指上帝的话语，公司希望帮助关心神话语的客户。数字“4”代表公司的四项指导原则，具体落实在中国就是：（1）客户必须愿意按照中国的法律法规合法地开展工作。（2）工作要尽可能将中国的农村地区包含在内，因为那里的可购性和可及性最低。（3）工作要能经过核查，让所有参与人员对工作的正当性有信心。（4）服务对中国人民永远免费。
为了确保工作的合法性，该机构密切关注中国政策，也和中国基督教两会的领袖保持良好的关系。该机构帮助主持了在美国的第一届中文圣经展，接待了中国的代表团。金博士认识中国国家宗教事务局的三代领导人，中国基督教两会的四代领导人——最早可追溯到韩文藻博士。
谈起该机构的客户在中国开展的工作，金博士表示，每个客户都有不同的重点和优先事项。公司与客户签订了保密协议，客户自己才有权利公开他们的工作。综合来看，很多客户关心圣经的可及性，以及为圣经教师和教会领袖提供培训和学习工具。通常，该机构通过与基督教全国两会的关系和一些官方的渠道帮助他们实现目标。
金博士个人最关心的也是希望每个基督徒都拥有一本在中国合法印刷的圣经；每位教师、长老、牧师或任何在讲台上侍奉的人，无论是在聚会点、小教会还是大教会，都有充足的学习工具，都能得到培训。他认为教会领袖需要正确地教导神的话语，如此才能建造健康的教会，并为建设和谐社会做贡献。他很感谢中国现在有不少学习工具，圣经也可以很方便地购买。不过，在某些情况下，一些不发达的偏远地区，圣经以及学习工具的可购性和可及性依然是当地教会信徒面临的问题。
美国亚洲通国际咨询机构一直向客户强调，低调的态度非常重要，不仅符合中国文化，也是耶稣的心意。同时也要明白，中国的事工需要由中国的基督徒来做。金博士提到多年前在上海中国基督教两会的办公室里邓福村牧师对他说的一句话：“伍德博士，中国的教会不需要你的帮助。但如果你想服侍中国的教会，我们欢迎。”从那时起，其机构开始尝试服侍中国的教会，努力满足那些寻求帮助的教会的需要。
“如果说在对外关系和中国教会方面，我们为整个基督身体做了什么贡献，那可能是我们的故事。25年前，我决定在中国合法地、公开地开展工作。”
做出这个决定，过程并不复杂。1998年，金博士担任美国一个宣教委员会的主席，那时他们在全球各地开展事工，但在中国基本没有做什么。在他第一次访问中国时，韩文藻牧师告诉他：“如果你是基督徒，行事要像一个基督徒，不要说一套做一套。要诚实。如果你想在中国做一些工作，来问我们吧。”他决定接受这个挑战，就此开始了在中国的工作。
他也告诉在美国的朋友，如果他们假装在中国合法地开展工作而实际不是这样，他们会失去教会的朋友。友谊要求彼此坦诚相待，所做的要和所说的相称。
“我努力把注意力集中在和中国教会相关的工作上，因为这是世界需要了解的。中国有很多优秀的教会领袖，他们付出很大的牺牲，爱主，依法发展传福音的教会。这些故事没有被充分地讲出来，”金博士说。
这次对中国的短期访问，金博士感谢中国贵宾般的欢迎，“我们都像老朋友一样被对待，”他说，“很高兴再次见到我们的朋友。”
金博士这样描述他此行所见：“复活节，一些教会依然在执行社交距离，但事工在正常开展。我听了一些有力量的讲道，鼓励教会走出去接触社区。爱德印刷厂的圣经仓库里堆满了等待分发的圣经。领袖们预备好了开展各样工作。”不过，他最关心的、也是他认为教会未来几年将要探索的问题是：“中国化”对教会意味着什么？
最后，金博士以约书亚记1章1到9节的内容表达对中国教会的祝福，特别是第8节的内容，“这律法书不可离开你的口，总要昼夜思想，好使你谨守遵行这书上所写的一切话。”他说：“刚强壮胆，不断地阅读、默想圣经，按着圣经的话语行。如果中国的教会能这样做，一切都将会很好。”
美国亚洲通国际咨询机构主席：努力服侍中国的教会
Editor’s note: As China opens its border to the world and resumes international flights, many foreign organizations and ministries are coming back to China. Dr. Gene Wood, founder of Word4Asia, which dedicates itself to providing consulting to non-profit organizations to help them achieve their purposes in China and Southeast Asia, and his team visited China in early April. In this interview, he shared about his recent trip, how his firm wishes to build bridges of understanding, and his observations about the church in China.
China Christian Daily: Can you introduce yourself and your organization to us?
Dr. Gene Wood: I’m an Evangelical Christian from the United States, and I was a senior pastor for 30 years. Many of the national leaders have been in my pulpit to bring greetings. In 2011, I resigned as the pastor of a local church, and since then I have worked full-time with Word4Asia Consulting International.
Word4Asia is a for-profit consulting firm registered in the United States to help non-profit organizations achieve their purposes in China and Southeast Asia. The word in our logo refers to God’s Word, so we want to help clients who have an interest in the Word of God. The number 4 defines our guiding principles. 1) Our clients must be willing to work legally, following the principles and regulations of the PRC. 2) Our work endeavors to include, when possible, the rural areas of China where they have the least affordability and accessibility. 3) Our work should be highly verified, giving all involved confidence in the integrity of the work. 4) Our efforts are always free to the people in China.
To ensure legality, we monitor written policies and maintain a good relationship with CCC&TSPM and the officials. We helped chair the first China Bible Exhibition in the United States and hosted delegations from China in the USA when requested. I've been honored to know three generations of leaders in the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA, now renamed the “National Religious Affairs Administration”) and four generations of CCC&TSPM leadership dating back to Dr. Han Wenzao.
China Christian Daily: What kind of services does your organization provide for Christian organizations in the Western world?
Dr. Gene Wood: It's important for me and my clients to understand that it's the Christians in China that do ministry in China. Let me share an anecdote. Years ago, there was a leader in the national TSPM office in Shanghai named Deng Fucun. When I was much younger, I was talking with Rev. Deng, and I stated brashly, “I just want to help the churches in China!” He sat back in his chair and replied, “Dr. Wood, the churches in China don’t need your help. But if you wish to serve the churches in China, we welcome that.” Since that time, Word4Asia has attempted to serve the churches in China. We are trying to meet the needs of the churches in China that express their needs and ask for support.
I want every Chinese Christian to have a Bible that is legally printed in China. I would like for every teacher, elder, pastor, or whoever is in the pulpit, whether in small churches and meeting points or in big churches, to have sufficient study tools and training so that they can teach the word of God in a way that creates a healthy Chinese church, and then those churches are able to make a valued contribution to a harmonious society. Thankfully, if leaders need study tools, there are many good ones printed legally in China today. Bibles are also available in China today. In some cases, the challenge may be affordability and accessibility.
China Christian Daily: What do your clients do to help China?
Dr. Gene Wood: Each of them has a different focus and set of priorities. Our firm has a non-disclosure agreement with our clients, so it is up to them to disclose and share their work. But many of them are concerned about the Bible’s availability and provide training and study tools for teachers and leaders. Often, we can help them achieve their objectives through relationships with the CCC/TSPM and official channels. Again, all our clients must agree to respect the policies and regulations of the PRC.
One thing I stress with clients is the critical importance of a low-key (低调) attitude. Not only is this appropriate in Chinese culture, but it also reflects the heart of Jesus.
We don't desire recognition or attention. We have a good relationship with the government and with TSPM, and we want to keep that. I strive to keep the focus on the work of the churches in China, because that's what the world needs to understand. There are an innumerable number of good Chinese leaders who are sacrificing greatly, loving the Lord, and growing evangelistic churches according to the law. This is a largely untold story. I appreciate what the China Christian Daily is doing to share this.
China Christian Daily: What are the difficulties your clients face, and how can your organization help them?
Dr. Gene Wood: If we’ve brought any value to the Body of Christ as a whole, with regards to foreign relationships and the church in China, it may be our story. I made a decision 25 years ago to work legally and openly in China.
I believe that God’s train is running today on two tracks in China: the registered church with which we work and some unregistered churches. Philippians 1:18 says, “Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.” We shouldn't be critical of each other. Officials in China are very aware of both. This is no secret.
What makes Word4Asia unique is the fact that we have chosen to work exclusively through the registered church. In 1998, I was the chair of a mission board in the United States. Most missions in the United States worked with unregistered churches. That's one reason the government had a view of Evangelicals. They assume that if we are Evangelicals, that means we will sneak around the country and cause headaches.
Dr. Han admonished me on my first visit to China. “If you are a Christian, act like one. Don’t say one thing and do another. Be honest. If you wish to work in China, come and ask.” I determined I would take him up on that challenge.
I advise our friends here in America that if you pretend you're working legally in China and you're not, you'll cause pain and heartache to the unregistered church leaders, and you'll lose your friends in the registered church in China. What we say should match what we do.
Part of friendship is being open and honest with one another. I think that's true between countries as well.
China Christian Daily: We know that you visited China in April and visited CCC and some seminaries; what were your takeaways from this trip?
Dr. Gene Wood: We enjoyed a VIP welcome in China. We were treated like old friends, from the national level to the cities. It was good to be back with our friends.
I think that in my three-year absence from China, it changed quite a bit. I think we need to be very careful about taking one quick trip into a country and then assuming we know everything. My focus is on the church, and I think the big question for the churches is going to be—what does “Sinicization” mean for them?
There were so many different answers to this question. Does it mean one thing to the government and another to the church? Does it mean one thing at the seminary level and another at the local level? I believe "Sinicization,” or Zhongguohua, is a topic we are all trying to understand and learn more about. I ask multiple questions while there to numerous groups. One example. Does sinicization mean a complete reinterpreting of the Bible to something completely different in China than what it means in France or Russia, or are we talking about the application of Biblical truth to fit a Chinese context? I think those are interesting discussions that the church in China is going to explore for the next couple of years.
China Christian Daily: You’ve visited China many times, and what do you think are the problems the Chinese church faces, and how can they solve these problems?
Dr. Gene Wood: That's too general of a question to allow me to give an intelligent answer. The challenges at the grassroots level in the countryside and the large city churches may be significantly different.
At the grassroots, perhaps a need exists for good Chinese study tools and for equipping and training lay preachers. Some of these preaching points in the past have had over 1,000 people in them. These aren't small churches. Volunteers carry a great deal of responsibility. For some, perhaps all they have is a Bible. They don't have a Bible atlas. The least we could do is give those committed local leaders one or two good study tools to help them in their sermon preparation. For example, a study Bible that has an atlas, so they know the difference between Nazareth and Nineveh; they just haven't had Chinese-authorized study tools. The absence of good material contributes to unhealthy teaching for the church and the Christians in China. For the big city churches with highly educated and capable pastors, it depends on where and who. No two situations are identical. I am confident they will or are figuring out what sinicization means and will adapt to continue leading their congregations well.
China Christian Daily: What do you think was the difference between the church in China before and after China adopted the zero-COVID policy?
Dr. Gene Wood: I don't think I changed my opinion at all about the church in China. Obviously, some of the big churches are still practicing social distancing even on Easter, but the ministry goes ahead. I heard some sermons that were powerful and encouraged the body to reach out and touch their community. The Bible warehouse at Amity Printing is full of Bibles waiting to be distributed. The leaders are ready to get back to work. I am concerned about some rural churches wondering when they can meet. Some of those pastors are having trouble financially, and that is something we can pray about.
China Christian Daily: Do you have any words for the church and Christians in China?
Dr. Gene Wood: Joshua 1:1–9. The admonition repeated three times is to “be strong and very courageous.” That would be my word to the church in China. Verse 8 says, “Let this word not depart from your mouth, but you should meditate on it, day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.” Be strong and courageous. Keep your Bible open; keep reading it, thinking about it, and doing what it says. If the church in China does that, it's going to be just fine.
Interview With Word4Asia Consulting International Founder: 'It Was Good to Be Back With Our Friends in China'
