My first 5 years Christian life was in an underground church of Beijing. The so called "underground churches" are those churches that are not willing to put themselves under the management of Chinese government. Practically and theologically, they believe that having any kind of relationship with government is not wise or right. They don't go to religious department of the local government to register. They also teach that public church is unclean and misled on the way of truth because they receive government management. They emphasise discipleship training and evangelizm. Citizenship and ethical life in society are not their focus. Salvation is their focus. They train believers to do overseas ministry, like to go to Arab area, as well as train believers to do minority people's ministries. They have wonderful work among university students. Nowadays, underground churches grow very fast and become very strong, they begin to seriously consider about their identity in Chinese society. Some of the leaders do not refuse registration any more, but Chinese government hasn't said yes to their registration applications. More than 90% support of western ministry organizations, persons and churches to Chinese churches go to the Chinese underground church. So they have more spiritual books which public church believers may never see in all their Christian life. Underground church believers have many kinds of Bible printing versions that public church believers never see, because missionaries are told that China has no Bible or not allowed to print Bible, so they carry many Bibles to China risking with their lives. Underground churches receive all kinds of teaching from overseas missionaries, while public church believers usually are taught only by their own Chinese ordained teachers and pastors. In the eyes of most western Christians, only underground church is pure, spiritual and faithful.
Chinese public church is stricter organized. Church leaders are all in the organization of different levels of Christian Councils. Provincial Christian Council will decide who can be ordained, and who need to be disciplined. Christian Councils finance receives auditing once a year, while church's finance is required to be opened. Public churches receive management from religious department of local government in the area of the law, not in the area of belief content.
I worked in Beijing for more than 5 years, 2 years was in the general office of an American international company. That was a Christian company. They not only did business, but also did so called "heavenly business". One day I was secretly called by a policeman from Beijing Police Bureau asking me about the personnel of this company. Then I knew they had noticed this company's illegal affairs. One week later, I told my boss that the policeman found me to check the company. "Gloria, are you a spy from the beginning you came to my company?" This was the question hovering in the mind of the boss from then on. By the end, of course soon I left the company. Since I had several sisters and brothers of underground church in that company, they suggested that I couldn't go to any underground church in Beijing, for I might have policeman tails.
From bottom of my heart, I took their suggestion. Not only I didn't go to any underground church later, but also I destroyed everything that might help police find my sisters and brothers in the underground churches. I tore my address book into pieces. The next Sunday, I had nowhere to go but I had to worship my God, so I went to a public church in Beijing. I heard the pastor pray for all underground church brothers and sisters. I took this as a sign that God hugged me in this church. Later on, I joined the youth choir of this church. Gradually I grow up in the public church system: serving in the church, going to study in seminaries, coming back to serve in local church, teaching in seminary. I was ordained as pastor on Dec. 23, 2007, eight years after I stepped into public church.
