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.
