Editor's note: In October, a delegation from the U.S.-based Outreach Foundation visited China, having exchanges with church leaders, seminary faculty and students, and local believers in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Some of them also joined the International “Amity Cup” Ping Pong Tournament in Nanjing in late October, co-hosted by faith-based organizations both in China and the U.S.
Thomas Boone, associate director of the Outreach Foundation, whose mission is fueling the global mission of Christ by growing trusted relationships, reflected on the Foundation’s recent engagements in China in an exclusive interview with China Christian Daily.
Through shared meals, worship, and site visits, Boone emphasized the value of cross-cultural connections and mutual understanding. His insights on the Church in China, the Amity printing factory, and common challenges highlighted how partnerships foster unity and appreciation across diverse Christian communities.
China Christian Daily: Could you introduce yourself and the Outreach Foundation to us?
Thomas Boone: Founded in 1979, the Outreach Foundation serves over 70 partners in over 45 countries. We've been with China for 30 years.
I am the associate director of the Outreach Foundation. My role is to bring people from the United States to countries like China, Pakistan, Ukraine, Iran, Turkey, etc. so that they can learn from each other, including how to pray for and encourage one another. We listen to their stories and then share those stories back in the United States. This helps build understanding between our countries, especially between Christians, because we're part of the same body of Christ.
China Christian Daily: Share about your recent trip to China.
Thomas Boone: We have two different teams coming to China this year. One of the teams was comprised of pastor-scholars. On their first trip to China ever, they learned through arranged conversations that God is very active in China. The church is not controlled by the government but is dealing with different challenges, including how to communicate the gospel to people creatively.
They were surprised to learn that how clean the air is. People’s typical thinking about China may be that all the pollution from the world comes from China, but they found that there is a concern for God’s creation. The Amity Foundation has launched green initiatives and we heard from different Christians in China that it’s important to take care of God’s creation. These are examples of learning what people in China are doing.
A scholar was surprised to see a church building when they walked into a church, thinking that all church buildings were destroyed in China.
We visited Xu Guangqi Memorial Park and learned that Christianity went so far in the Ming Dynasty (Xu Guangqu was a scholar-bureaucrat and the founder of modern Chinese science and technology, who became a devout Christian under the influence of the Jesuits in the Ming Dynasty). We went to East China Theological Seminary and there is a cemetery right to the seminary. There was a Christian area where we prayed to honor the testimony of those Christians who lived through the turbulent times in the 20th century.
There was satisfied worship, similar to what we do in the United States. Christians in China are open about their faith, but maybe not as evangelistic as we are in the United States. Christians in China are wise in meeting the challenges. These may sound elementary lessons, but it is important to let these lessons happen. We build from that place and we go to the next level.
China Christian Daily: You visited the Amity Printing Factory, the largest Bible factory in the world. Could you share about that experience?
Thomas Boone: The delegates were surprised to visit it. People in America still ask us, “Can you smuggle a Bible into China?” That’s an example of what people don’t know about Amity, so the Outreach Foundation helps them understand the real China as a bridge between two countries.
We met with Madam She, vice general secretary of Amity, and were pleased to see everything they showed to us. We were also invited to play at the first international “Amity Cup” table tennis tournament. We appreciated being at the same table, having food together, and sharing prayer for them. We heard a story that a former Buddhist man who was binding the Bibles in the factory became a Christian by reading the scripture. We also learned about their projects all around the world.
China Christian Daily: Share with us about the meeting with Shanghai CC&TSPM.
Thomas Boone: In the meeting, we heard their stories shared authentically. When we had meals together, we got more personal. There are two ways to support each other: financial support and communicating the story so that people’s hearts are changed about what Christians in China are like.
China Christian Daily: What do you think are the advantages and challenges of the Church in China?
Thomas Boone: In many cases, the official church protects Christians in China because CCC&TSPM has a good relationship with the government. If it weren't for the official church in China, there would probably be more persecution. Shanghai is a great example, which has a good relationship with the municipal government. Shanghai CC&TSPM is able to bring organizations like the Outreach Foundation into China. We only see what we are shown, but we still see it and hear it with our ears.
Social media poses a challenge to the Church in China in the post-COVID era. Social media is good at exposing many different views, but provides no way to filter them, which has an effect on faith. Another challenge is that many young people are leaving the church, which is also true for the mainline traditions in American Protestantism. China used to have the fastest-growing church, but things have changed. The third challenge is there's more control by the government.
One of the challenges of the United States is nationalism creeping into the church. Unlike in China, where young people refer to it as “pride in their country,” nationalism refers to that there’s a celebration of the nation in the church.
China Christian Daily: How do you expect the relationship between the Church in China and the Church in the United States to be in the future? Is it affected by politics?
Thomas Boone: If we continue to visit one another, it will improve. The more people hear from one another, the better relationships we will have. What we emphasize is that Christians in China are not just Chinese, they are citizens of heaven. American Christians are not just Americans, we are citizens of heaven. We bring those two together and help them understand each other's perspectives, as the body of Christ always does.
At one dinner in China, a young Christian man asked us how Christianity would be impacted by an economic recession, concerned that Christianity would suffer if there was a recession. We told him that the fact is the reverse. We have seen that when there are difficult times, Christians become more solid in their faith. It’s what’s happening in Ukraine, Pakistan, and other areas of the world.
My father, who taught economics in China’s universities for 25 years, was once concerned that as China embraces a free market economy and things become commercial in their hands, Christians would think that when there’s prosperity, there’s more faith and would fear that faith would not grow when China faces a recession. However, what we find out is the reverse.
China Christian Daily: We understand you’ve taught in Ukraine and spent time in other countries facing unique challenges. Could you tell us about your experiences in Ukraine and stories about other places?
Thomas Boone: We hear that the evangelical churches there have decided to stay during the war rather than run away. They share the scars of their people. They're showing their people that God loves the people of Ukraine. They have shown that religion is not just about going to church, but about living faith, healing the wounds of society, and devotion to the Lord. The general church in Ukraine is growing quite a lot, and being elevated to the same kind of discussion platforms as the Orthodox leaders are, not only in Ukraine but globally.
We hear from Christians in Iran that Iran has the fastest-growing church in the world right now. They are involved in many things even though they are among the top most persecuted places for Christians to live in the world. Our partners are printing Christian literature inside of Iran. There are many house churches, too. There are Christians who are doing work on the streets for justice and rescuing children. Some are bringing Muslims to the Lord by tens of thousands. God is showing up in miracles, dreams, and visions.
China Christian Daily: Do you have any words for China?
Thomas Boone: We come to China every year, and we will continue to come. We want to bring encouragement and show the Church in China that you are not alone. People want to know more about you, and we want to tell them the real story of what Christians in China are facing. Not just the struggles or the challenges, but also the good news — all the wonderful things you are living out every day.
I like to share one verse from Isaiah 43 with China. God told Isaiah, “Behold, I’m doing a new thing… can you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” He is always doing new work. We celebrate the past, but we also want to learn the current. Christians in China are doing amazing work. You are a bold people and we pray that you will continue to bear the light of the gospel in this place.
We hope that you will hear from us, our challenges, and what our needs are as well so that you can pray for us that we will be able to do likewise in our context. We enjoy all the food and the hospitality you give to us whenever we're here. We look forward to meeting you. God bless each and every one of you.
今年10月，美国长老会外展基金会代表团访问中国，与香港、上海、以及江苏省和浙江省不同城市的教会领袖、神学院老师和学生、以及当地信徒交流。代表团一部分成员还参加了10月在南京举办的“爱德杯”国际乒乓球公益赛。外展基金会旨在通过建立信任关系推动基督的全球使命。
基金会宣教事工副主任托马斯·布恩（Thomas Boone）牧师在接受采访时，分享了此次访问的细节。他提到，代表团成员通过拜访教会和机构、与中国朋友共进餐食、参与当地教会的礼拜活动，增进了跨文化交流与相互理解。布恩也谈到他对访问教会和爱德印刷厂的印象，以及中美教会所面临的共同挑战的看法。他强调，伙伴关系将有助于促进不同基督徒社群之间的团结和彼此欣赏。
请您简单介绍一下您自己以及外展基金会。
外展基金会成立于1979年，服务45个国家的70多个合作伙伴。我们和中国的合作及已经持续了30年。
我是外展基金会的副主任，工作内容是将美国人带到中国、巴基斯坦、乌克兰、伊朗、土耳其等国家交流学习，了解怎样彼此鼓励，互相代祷。我们倾听这些国家的故事，然后在美国分享这些故事。这有助于增进不同国家之间的理解，特别是这些国家基督徒之间的理解，因为我们都是同一个基督身体的一部分。
分享一下您此次对中国的访问。
今年我们组织了两个不同的团队访问中国，其中一个由牧师学者组成。这是他们第一次来到中国，通过行程中的一些交谈，他们了解到上帝在中国积极地做工。教会没有被政府控制，但面临着很多挑战，比如如何有创意地向人们传福音。
他们为空气的干净程度感到惊讶。人们通常认为中国是全球污染的源头，但他们发现这里的人们关心上帝创造的世界。爱德基金会发起了绿色环保项目，一些基督徒也向我们表达了保护上帝创造的重要性，这些都是中国人在环境保护方面努力的例子。当他们走进教会、看到教堂时，一位学者也非常惊讶，他以为中国所有的教堂都被摧毁了。
我们参观了光启公园，了解到基督教在明代的传播如此深远。也访问了华东神学院以及旁边的福寿园公墓，其中有一片区域安葬着基督徒，我们在那里祷告，纪念那些在20世纪动荡年代里活出信仰的基督徒们。
我们在中国参加的礼拜很令人满意，和我们在美国做的类似。中国的基督徒对他们的信仰持开放态度，但可能不像美国的基督徒那样热衷传福音。他们在应对挑战方面很有智慧。这些内容可能听起来很基础，但重要的是人们要知道这些基础的信息，在此基础上，关系更加深入。
您参观了爱德印刷厂，世界上最大的印刷圣经的工厂。能分享一下您的经历吗？
访问团成员非常惊讶。仍然有美国人问我们：“你们能把圣经偷运到中国吗？”这可以说明人们多么不了解爱德。所以外展基金会作为两国之间的桥梁，帮助他们了解真实的中国。
我们见了爱德基金会副秘书长佘女士，很高兴看到他们向我们展示的一切，了解了爱德在世界各地开展的项目。也被邀请参加“爱德杯”国际乒乓球公益赛。我们很高兴和他们坐在同一张桌子上，一起吃饭，为他们祷告。在那里，我们听到一个故事。一个曾经在工厂装订圣经的佛教徒因为阅读圣经成为了基督徒。
和我们分享一下您们与上海市基督教两会的会面。
会谈中，我们听到了他们真诚分享的故事。一起用餐时，我们的交流更加深入。有两种方式我们可以互相支持：一是提供资金支持，二是讲述这些故事，让人们改变对中国基督徒的看法。
您认为中国教会做得好的地方以及面临的挑战分别是什么？
在很多情况下，官方教会保护了中国的基督徒，因为全国基督教两会和政府建立了良好的关系。如果没有官方教会，逼迫可能会更多。上海是一个很好的例子，上海市基督教两会和市政府关系良好，所以能将像外展基金会一样的机构带入中国。我们只能看到展示给我们的东西，但我们在用我们的眼睛和耳朵观察和倾听。
社交媒体对后疫情时代的中国教会造成了挑战。社交媒体可以展示很多不同的观点，但不能过滤这些观点，这会对信仰造成影响。另一个挑战是许多年轻人正在离开教会，美国传统的主流教会也面临着相同的处境。中国的教会曾经是发展速度最快的教会，但现在情况发生了变化。第三个挑战是政府的管控更加严格。
美国教会面临的一个挑战是民族主义对教会的渗透。与中国年轻人“对国家的自豪”不同，在美国的教会环境中，民族主义指在教会中对国家的颂赞。
您认为未来中国教会和美国教会之间的关系会如何？会受到两国政治环境的影响吗？
如果我们继续互访，关系会改善。人们听到彼此的声音越多，关系就会越好。我们强调的是，中国的基督徒不仅是中国人，还是天国的公民，美国基督徒不仅是美国人，也是天国公民。我们把他们带到一起，帮助他们理解彼此的观点，就像基督徒的身体应该做的那样。
在一次晚餐上，一位年轻的基督徒问我们，经济衰退会给基督教带来什么影响，他担心如果经济衰退，基督教会受到影响。我们告诉他，事实恰恰相反。我们看到，当遇到困难时，基督徒的信仰会更加坚定。乌克兰、巴基斯坦和世界其他地区的情况证明了这一点。
我父亲在中国的大学里教了 25 年经济学，他曾经担心，随着中国拥抱自由市场经济，商业化程度加强，基督徒会认为经济繁荣时期信仰的人会增加，衰退时期则不会。但我们发现事实恰恰相反。
我们了解到您曾在乌克兰教书，也曾在其他面临着独特挑战的国家生活过。能给我们讲讲您在乌克兰和其他国家的经历吗？
我们了解到乌克兰的福音派教会决定在战争期间留下来而不是离开他们的国家。他们与人民同甘共苦，用行动告诉大家上帝爱乌克兰人民。他们展示了宗教不仅是去教会，更是活出信仰、治愈社会创伤，并全心奉献给主。乌克兰的教会整体发展迅速，并被提升到与东正教领袖同等的讨论平台上，不仅在乌克兰，而且在全球都是如此。
我们从伊朗的基督徒了解到，伊朗是目前世界上教会发展最快的国家。尽管伊朗是基督徒受迫害最严重的地方之一，基督徒还是取得了很多进展。那里有很多家庭教会。我们的合作伙伴在伊朗境内印刷基督教文献。一些基督徒在街头为正义和救助儿童而努力。一些则带领成千上万的穆斯林归向主。上帝通过神迹、异梦和异象显现他的作为。
您有什么话想对中国的基督徒说吗？
我们每年都来中国，今后还会继续来。我们希望带来鼓励，告诉中国的教会你们并不孤单。人们想更多地了解你们，我们想告诉他们你们的真实情况。不仅是挣扎和挑战，还有好消息——你们每日生活中活出来的美好信仰。
我想和中国基督徒分享以赛亚书第43章中的一节经文。上帝告诉以赛亚：“看哪，我要做一件新事，如今要发现，你们岂不知道吗？我必在旷野开道路，在沙漠开江河。”上帝一直在做新事。我们庆祝过去，也想了解现在。中国的基督徒正在做着了不起的工作。你们是一群勇敢的人，我们祈祷你们能继续在这里活出福音的光。
我们也希望你们能听到我们的声音，了解我们的挑战和需要，为我们祷告，让我们能在所处的环境中做同样的事情。我们喜欢每次来中国吃到的食物和热情的款待。期待再次见到你们，愿上帝祝福你们每一个人。
携手三十载 美国长老会外展基金会定意分享中国教会真实的故事
Editor's note: In October, a delegation from the U.S.-based Outreach Foundation visited China, having exchanges with church leaders, seminary faculty and students, and local believers in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Some of them also joined the International “Amity Cup” Ping Pong Tournament in Nanjing in late October, co-hosted by faith-based organizations both in China and the U.S.
Thomas Boone, associate director of the Outreach Foundation, whose mission is fueling the global mission of Christ by growing trusted relationships, reflected on the Foundation’s recent engagements in China in an exclusive interview with China Christian Daily.
Through shared meals, worship, and site visits, Boone emphasized the value of cross-cultural connections and mutual understanding. His insights on the Church in China, the Amity printing factory, and common challenges highlighted how partnerships foster unity and appreciation across diverse Christian communities.
China Christian Daily: Could you introduce yourself and the Outreach Foundation to us?
Thomas Boone: Founded in 1979, the Outreach Foundation serves over 70 partners in over 45 countries. We've been with China for 30 years.
I am the associate director of the Outreach Foundation. My role is to bring people from the United States to countries like China, Pakistan, Ukraine, Iran, Turkey, etc. so that they can learn from each other, including how to pray for and encourage one another. We listen to their stories and then share those stories back in the United States. This helps build understanding between our countries, especially between Christians, because we're part of the same body of Christ.
China Christian Daily: Share about your recent trip to China.
Thomas Boone: We have two different teams coming to China this year. One of the teams was comprised of pastor-scholars. On their first trip to China ever, they learned through arranged conversations that God is very active in China. The church is not controlled by the government but is dealing with different challenges, including how to communicate the gospel to people creatively.
They were surprised to learn that how clean the air is. People’s typical thinking about China may be that all the pollution from the world comes from China, but they found that there is a concern for God’s creation. The Amity Foundation has launched green initiatives and we heard from different Christians in China that it’s important to take care of God’s creation. These are examples of learning what people in China are doing.
A scholar was surprised to see a church building when they walked into a church, thinking that all church buildings were destroyed in China.
We visited Xu Guangqi Memorial Park and learned that Christianity went so far in the Ming Dynasty (Xu Guangqu was a scholar-bureaucrat and the founder of modern Chinese science and technology, who became a devout Christian under the influence of the Jesuits in the Ming Dynasty). We went to East China Theological Seminary and there is a cemetery right to the seminary. There was a Christian area where we prayed to honor the testimony of those Christians who lived through the turbulent times in the 20th century.
There was satisfied worship, similar to what we do in the United States. Christians in China are open about their faith, but maybe not as evangelistic as we are in the United States. Christians in China are wise in meeting the challenges. These may sound elementary lessons, but it is important to let these lessons happen. We build from that place and we go to the next level.
China Christian Daily: You visited the Amity Printing Factory, the largest Bible factory in the world. Could you share about that experience?
Thomas Boone: The delegates were surprised to visit it. People in America still ask us, “Can you smuggle a Bible into China?” That’s an example of what people don’t know about Amity, so the Outreach Foundation helps them understand the real China as a bridge between two countries.
We met with Madam She, vice general secretary of Amity, and were pleased to see everything they showed to us. We were also invited to play at the first international “Amity Cup” table tennis tournament. We appreciated being at the same table, having food together, and sharing prayer for them. We heard a story that a former Buddhist man who was binding the Bibles in the factory became a Christian by reading the scripture. We also learned about their projects all around the world.
China Christian Daily: Share with us about the meeting with Shanghai CC&TSPM.
Thomas Boone: In the meeting, we heard their stories shared authentically. When we had meals together, we got more personal. There are two ways to support each other: financial support and communicating the story so that people’s hearts are changed about what Christians in China are like.
China Christian Daily: What do you think are the advantages and challenges of the Church in China?
Thomas Boone: In many cases, the official church protects Christians in China because CCC&TSPM has a good relationship with the government. If it weren't for the official church in China, there would probably be more persecution. Shanghai is a great example, which has a good relationship with the municipal government. Shanghai CC&TSPM is able to bring organizations like the Outreach Foundation into China. We only see what we are shown, but we still see it and hear it with our ears.
Social media poses a challenge to the Church in China in the post-COVID era. Social media is good at exposing many different views, but provides no way to filter them, which has an effect on faith. Another challenge is that many young people are leaving the church, which is also true for the mainline traditions in American Protestantism. China used to have the fastest-growing church, but things have changed. The third challenge is there's more control by the government.
One of the challenges of the United States is nationalism creeping into the church. Unlike in China, where young people refer to it as “pride in their country,” nationalism refers to that there’s a celebration of the nation in the church.
China Christian Daily: How do you expect the relationship between the Church in China and the Church in the United States to be in the future? Is it affected by politics?
Thomas Boone: If we continue to visit one another, it will improve. The more people hear from one another, the better relationships we will have. What we emphasize is that Christians in China are not just Chinese, they are citizens of heaven. American Christians are not just Americans, we are citizens of heaven. We bring those two together and help them understand each other's perspectives, as the body of Christ always does.
At one dinner in China, a young Christian man asked us how Christianity would be impacted by an economic recession, concerned that Christianity would suffer if there was a recession. We told him that the fact is the reverse. We have seen that when there are difficult times, Christians become more solid in their faith. It’s what’s happening in Ukraine, Pakistan, and other areas of the world.
My father, who taught economics in China’s universities for 25 years, was once concerned that as China embraces a free market economy and things become commercial in their hands, Christians would think that when there’s prosperity, there’s more faith and would fear that faith would not grow when China faces a recession. However, what we find out is the reverse.
China Christian Daily: We understand you’ve taught in Ukraine and spent time in other countries facing unique challenges. Could you tell us about your experiences in Ukraine and stories about other places?
Thomas Boone: We hear that the evangelical churches there have decided to stay during the war rather than run away. They share the scars of their people. They're showing their people that God loves the people of Ukraine. They have shown that religion is not just about going to church, but about living faith, healing the wounds of society, and devotion to the Lord. The general church in Ukraine is growing quite a lot, and being elevated to the same kind of discussion platforms as the Orthodox leaders are, not only in Ukraine but globally.
We hear from Christians in Iran that Iran has the fastest-growing church in the world right now. They are involved in many things even though they are among the top most persecuted places for Christians to live in the world. Our partners are printing Christian literature inside of Iran. There are many house churches, too. There are Christians who are doing work on the streets for justice and rescuing children. Some are bringing Muslims to the Lord by tens of thousands. God is showing up in miracles, dreams, and visions.
China Christian Daily: Do you have any words for China?
Thomas Boone: We come to China every year, and we will continue to come. We want to bring encouragement and show the Church in China that you are not alone. People want to know more about you, and we want to tell them the real story of what Christians in China are facing. Not just the struggles or the challenges, but also the good news — all the wonderful things you are living out every day.
I like to share one verse from Isaiah 43 with China. God told Isaiah, “Behold, I’m doing a new thing… can you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” He is always doing new work. We celebrate the past, but we also want to learn the current. Christians in China are doing amazing work. You are a bold people and we pray that you will continue to bear the light of the gospel in this place.
We hope that you will hear from us, our challenges, and what our needs are as well so that you can pray for us that we will be able to do likewise in our context. We enjoy all the food and the hospitality you give to us whenever we're here. We look forward to meeting you. God bless each and every one of you.
30 Years Partnering with China, U.S. Outreach Foundation Shares Authentic Stories of Chinese Church
