About Us > The History of Evangelization

History of Chinese Mission

EVANGELISM IN CHINA

Three Pillars in the Early Chinese Church：
1. XU Guangqi (1603-1633)
2. LI Zhizao (1610-1629)
3. YANG Tingyun (1611-1627)

Evangelism in Shanghai - 500 plus were baptized up to 1616.

Most of the converts during the early Jesuit China Mission were scholars, government officials, and social elites. The number of Catholics grew as follows：
Year
1589
1610
1615
1636
1644
The number of Catholics
70-80
2,500
5,000
38,000
200,000

Canonized Lay Evangelist Martyr

Lay Missionary WU Guosheng

1795： Commissioned as an evangelist by Rev. LUO Madi

1796： WU Guosheng introduced 50 catechumen to Rev. Luo and was baptized
　　　 with them

1810： Established many faith communities in Zunyi, Guizhou province; 600 people
　　　 were baptized

1813： Imprisoned due to religious persecution

1814： Martyred by hanging

Other Canonized Lay Evangelists

Hubei province：
(Evangelist) ZHANG Dapeng and YU Baolu, (Virgin) GAO Yana
Guizhou province：
(Evangelist) WANG Bing, CHEN Xianheng, WU Xuesheng, and LU Tingmei, (Virgin) YI Zhenmei
Sichuan province：
LIN Zhao (Virgin)
Jiangnan：
(Virgin) QIAN Jiadalina and CHEN Mali
Hebei province：
(Evangelist) MA Taishun, (Virgin) AN Linghua, WANG Anna ZHAO Luosha, ZHAO Mali, DU Fengju, FAN Hui, FU Guilin, CHEN Jinjie, and CHEN Aijie
Shanxi province：
(Evangelist) CHEN Ximan and WU Anbang
Shanghai：
ZHANG Zunsan (Evangelist)
Mongolia：
Tasantan Tsimba and Karote were Buddhist Lamas who converted

Examples of Religious Orders Mobilizing Large Number of Lay Professional Missionaries to evangelize：

Order
Era
Objective
Method
Result
Jesuit
1850
To train lay people to assist foreign missionaries in order to supplement the insufficient number of Chinese clergy.

First, establish institutes to cultivate both female and male missionaries who guided parishioners assisting missionaries in proclaiming the Gospel and became the main evangelizing force in their respective diocese.

Second, have a large number of Lay Evangelists to proclaim the Gospel.
Example: Diocese of Xian county in Hebei province

1. The growth of Catholics:

1859
1877
1900
9,000
26,000
50,000

2.1900: Boxer Rebellion killed about 4000 Catholics, 56 of which were recently canonized
Vincentians
1850
Established evangelism institutes in Beijing to cultivate Lay Missionaries to advance evangelism.
The growth of Catholics in Beijing:
1856
1868
17,000
24,000
Society of the Divine Word
1920
Launched several evangelism institutes in southern Shandong province
1.Cultivated 1000 evangelists
2.Increased the number of Catholics in the area:
1924
1964
20,000
160,000

3.Minor/major seminarians：83/28
Chinese priests/nuns：27/95
Maryknoll
1930
Large number of local Lay Evangelists in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces
1.Wuzhou：99 Lay Missionaries assisted to proclaim Gospel
2.Mei County, Guangdong (Hakka village)：
* 87 Lay Missionaries
* 15 Chinese postulants
* 44 seminarians
* 385 Evangelism Centers

Maryknoll
1929
1939
1949
Area (square miles)
13,185
13,185
Population
3,000,000
3,550,000
3,550,000
Parish
3
8
14
Male/Female Evangelists
7/3
51/52
153/95
# of Catholics
761
8,588
16,805
Catechumen
800
1,644
4,588
Adult Baptism
304
1,028
2,380
Infant Baptism
35
192
466
Baptism in Danger or Death
7
313
118

Statistics from Jesuits at Xian County, Hebei Province

Year
Population
Catholics
Catechumens
Priests
Lay
Missionaries
Virgins
1844
--
9,000
--
--
--
--
1877.07.01
--
26,023
2,873
34
92
86
1891.07.01
--
36,765
3,143
48
174
162
1898.07.01
7,155,424
47,486
6,018
57
435 evangelists/ 234 students
62 students
May - August 1900: Diocese of Xian County during Boxer Rebellion
before
7 million+
50,575
5,164
55
447
285
after
--
45,422
3,800
48
80
50
1907.10.01
--
62,000
10,000
69
740 evangelists/ 324 students
451 virgins/ 294 students
1918
--
99,462
9,023
110
653
598
1926
--
130,039
--
--
--
--